Going to IHDC tomorrow!

IHDC is the Indochinese Housing Development Center, created to house and facilitate families that have just emigrated to San Francisco from Southeastern countries to escape wars and start a new life. The government bought out two buildings in the Tenderloin to make this happen. It has been more than a home, it has become a resource for families to learn new languages, cultures, and simply a safe place for the youth. I have been here myself growing up in the Tenderloin.

I have just confirmed with Tom Heath, the program director of IHDC, for an interview tomorrow. I have met Tom before when I was still going to IHDC but it isn't until now that I realize how much he has done for the program, the youth, and the community.

Final Problem/Purpose: The Tenderloin.

I found it best to go with the Tenderloin project because it provides me with the most resources and I think I have an idea of my potential panel of experts already.

Problem

San Francisco’s Tenderloin district is far from being anything tender. It serves as the center of constant drug dealing, loitering, and homelessness. Small businesses suffer from the negative foot traffic and the community stays in this unsafe standstill.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to provide an alternative to bring communities together to raise awareness of the conditions in the Tenderloin, increase positivity, increase business, which in turn would change the stigma it has had for so long. That alternative is the recent craze of the Pop-up industry. Pop-up restaurants are collectives who do not yet have a permanent location, so they temporarily ‘rent’ kitchens of existing restaurants all over town to showcase their foods or have a lone foodcart/foodtruck that go to designated area (Off the Grid). This way, they can test their popularity without diving deep. Using the Pop-Up industry has been suggested because it has grown the reputation to bring in patrons from the city to wherever their location is of the night. If they would locate to areas of the Tenderloin, it would give reason to residents of other neighborhoods to give it a chance. That would increase the numbers in the diversity of the present foot traffic and increase the positivity of the district.

Possible problems/purposes.

The Tenderloin Project

This project originated as branding/identity for a particular restaurant to encourage & increase the diversity in patrons in hopes of creating a more welcoming community. On further examinations, an idea of introducing “pop-up shops” to help existing restaurants, the pop-ups themselves, bring communities together and raise awareness of the conditions in the Tenderloin.

The purpose is to bring the “tender” back into the Tenderloin, have people care more about this forgotten community. If pop-up restaurants consistently make a presence in the heart of the Tenderloin, it would keep foot traffic diverse (other than those already living there), raise awareness and maintain positivity.

The Muni Project

The two problems that this project will be focusing on will be the inconsistency of the maps for the underground railway and the clipper card system that almost lives up to its full purpose. Patrons have difficulty reading incomplete maps, staying on top of their clipper card fares and getting lost.

The purpose is to implement a better wayfinding system for a wide range of people to understand and benefit from. Better maps and an improved touch-go pass will keep the flow of people going, cause less confusion/chaos and creates a positive environment for everyone.

Planned Parenthood Project

There is a steady following that uses their services but not enough are speaking up or helping out. There are volunteers that ask for support from the community but it may be difficult to reach out since they are on-the-go, do not have time, or are intimidated by the staff in general when not in the right setting.

The purpose is to find the right approach to encourage the support from the community. Staff waiting around on the street to weed out potential supporters or forcing passerby’s to stop to talk may not always be the best way. The community needs to be informed of how vital these services are.

Wallet Challenge.

Jin, a student living in San Francisco that is a tutor for students as well, needed to have a way to keep his valuables in a way that makes him feel at ease. Basing the new design off of the wallet he already had, we were able to interview him to make some adjustments and added elements to make a wallet that better suited his needs.


This quick prototype mostly follows the traditional wallet layout, being that it is a fold-out with several compartments for cards and one with a film to slide in an ID to see (labeled here as the blue piece). The added elements are the pocket within the main open-out (where bills would be placed) for Jin's lottery tickets, compartments with a fold-down flap to keep cards secure, and velcro on the sides to keep everything in place.

Student biography.

WHO I AM

m i c h e l l e d i e p n g u y e n

I was born and raised in San Francisco, the youngest in a family of four girls. I have not stopped drawing since I've started at an early age so it was natural that I would be in this field. My major is within Visual Communications with a strong interest in illustration and animation. I have recently dabbled in stop-motion, traditional and computer animation and could not be happier to finally be able to create what kept me going as a child.

INSPIRATIONS

Bill Watterson is my biggest inspiration for what I do. I grew up reading his comic, Calvin & Hobbes, and eventually collected every one of his publications before the end of high school. The both simplicity and complexity in his drawings, the humor he wove into the script, as well as the insinuations of certain strips that I would later understand are all the reasons why I have so much respect for the guy.

INFLUENCES

My family, my friends, my environment are all influences of mine. The things they say, what I hear and see around me all play a part in my creations.

HOPES

My hope is to become a successful designer/animator, collaborate with other artists, showcase my work in all mediums, and all the while be able to support my family doing what I love.


KEY WORDS

Loving
Honest
Enthusiastic
Imaginative

Animated

Devoted