Strategic Design
Academic
Ann Arbor, MI
Spring 2024
UT 360 Studio, Service Design, was a semester long project in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Let’s Grow Michigan that aimed to produce deliverables aimed at tackling the state of Michigan’s declining population.
After two months of research, road trips to four small towns in Michigan, and conversations with city planners, residents, and students our team proposed MittenCorps, a talent retention program aimed at connecting recent college graduates with jobs and housing in small towns. The proposed program was designed in the vein of Teach for America and AmeriCorps and aims to connect Michigan’s best and brightest with opportunities they otherwise would not have considered.
The project culminated in pitching MittenCorps to members of Governor Whitmer’s growth council, Let’s Grow Michigan, MEDC, and UM officials.
The summer following our presentation the MEDC announced a pilot program called Make MI Home, a talent retention program directly inspired by elements of the MittenCorps proposal.
I personally contributed to our team’s background research, onsite interviews around the state, strategic iteration, and program operation process as well as designing the MittenCorps logo and branding palate.
TYPOLOGYService Design
ROLE
ROLE
Strategist, Designer
CLIENT Michigan Economic Development Corporation
MENTOR
Ron Bronson
TEAM
Bella Kressaty,
Emma Moore, & Dylan Shefman
AWARDS
2025 Taubman College Student Exhibition Nominee
Presentation & Conversations at NewLab Detroit
Abridged Deck
MittenCorps Executive Summary
Media Coverage
Michigan Municipal League, “Like It or Not, College Kids Might Have the Next Best Idea for Your Community to Grow” (06/03/24)
Urban Technology Newsletter, “Week 196” (05/03/24)
Taubman College, “Student Work, MittenCorps”
Photos by Dori Sumter