top of page
Search

Scaling Up: From Designs to Large Scale Murals, the Co-Designing Journey


During each community mural project, the last workshop is Co-Designing! It encourages the participants to apply the skills they'd gained from earlier sessions to design their section of the mural. Each participant is given individual time with Rose to digitise their ideas and aspirations for the mural.


Capturing Community Narratives


Every mural has a central story. When rooted in community contributions, it’s important to gather and honour the diversity of drawings, designs and ideas that represent the local spirit. These designs bear the weight of authenticity, culture, and shared memories.


Higgins Partnerships and the City of London, Summer Islington Mural 2023.

The Digital Evolution: Transforming Physical to Virtual


Digitalisation is the process of converting these physical artworks and ideas into a digital format. Rose uses Adobe Illustrator to transform every pencil line of the participant's designs into digital pixels!

  1. Detail Enhancement: The advantage of digitalisation is the ability to enhance intricate details.

  2. Flexibility: Digital sketches can be edited, allowing for adjustments in colour, scale, and proportions. This flexibility ensures the community's vision remains consistent!

  3. Previsualization: By using digital tools, we can show the participants how the mural will look with their designs.



Scaling: The Grand Transformation

While digitalisation focuses on the 'how,' scaling emphasizes the 'how big.'


Proportion Maintenance: When transitioning from physical designs to a large mural, it's important to think about scale. The last thing we would want is a stretched or compressed visual that loses its detail. Modern digital tools help ensure that these proportions remain true to the original, even when scaled up to fit a massive wall.


Integration: This is the heart of the transition. How do you integrate multiple artworks into one cohesive design? The digitised versions can be overlaid, merged, and intertwined to create a design that celebrates individual contributions while maintaining a unified theme of the community.



Populo Living and Newham Council, Stratford Mural 2023.

Community Feedback Loop


The murals are created from community ideas and designs, involving them throughout the process making sure the mural remains a reflection of their community. Co-designing together, asking for feedback, and making changes based on their inputs make sure the mural is a collective journey.


Conclusion


The journey from designs to murals is a testament to the power of community and collaboration. By using digital tools, we make sure that every idea, every pattern, and every vision from the community gets a place in the mural. This transition is not just about amplifying size but also about magnifying emotions, stories, and identities, painting them in bold strokes for everyone to see and celebrate.


So, now you know about the Co-Designing process, why not join us in our next workshop? where you'll be able to leave your mark on the community mural.




Comments


bottom of page