Thirst participated in 50 Designers, 50 Ideas, 50 Wards at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, where we were asked to re-examine a ward within Chicago. Our result is printed on the front and back of a display panel in the Architecture Foundation's lobby along with the other participant's proposals. Thirst was the only graphic design studio included in the exhibition, and we are proud to be among the great architecture firms that participated.

Transcript of Kyle Green's description

One of the reasons graphic designers are so guilt-ridden about their contribution to the public environment is a result of the amount of waste they create. Obviously there is concern from an environmental perspective, but another concern is a visual one. Throughout Chicago, there seems to be no escape from visual messaging on storefronts, billboards, and street signs. All of this visual clutter works together leaving us overwhelmed. Looking specifically at storefronts, residue of past shops may be present through peeling signage or an imprint hidden below a vinyl sign adding to the disjointed ephemera we experience.

Findow Dressing is a system which unifies a strip of storefronts in an attempt to control branded visual clutter. Perpendicular fins are positioned every twelve inches displaying uniformly scaled graphics. These graphics are only fully comprehensible from a distance, and when viewed closer, the graphics become an abstract texture.

When a new store takes over an existing space, the branded graphics on the fins are replaced, allowing change to be a controlled process.