YouOrleans is an identity system developed by a team of students, alumni, and instructors from Art Center College of Design, formed to brand the Katrina Furniture Project. The identity graphically represents the resilient and ever-optimistic citizens of New Orleans as well the craftspeople at the Katrina Furniture Project, who are using their talent and determination to effect recovery and reclaim their lives. In collaboration with Art Center’sDesignmatters initiative, a United Nations–designated non-governmental organization (NGO) which acts as an educational laboratory for best practices and social engagement, the project based its design solution on the typographic identifier of “Re“―as in Recovery, Revitalization, Reformation, Reuse, Redevelop, and Redeem―embodied in the furniture.

1. DESIGNERS: Graphic Design department, Art Center College of Design; alumni Jae Chae, Ayumi Ito, Atley Kasky; students John Emshwiller, Janet Ferrero, Matthew Potter; project director and department chair Nik Hafermaas; lead instructor Paul Hauge; in collaboration with the Designmatters initiative
2. Recycled cypress, recycled e-flute material, recycled paper stock
3. United States, 2006–07