Curbed
Curbed is a community-driven anti-displacement plan for Seattle's Othello and Rainier Beach neighbourhoods, developed by HomeSight, Rainier Beach Action Coalition, and Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County. As the lead designer, I transformed extensive community research—including door-to-door surveys of 1,600+ residents and comprehensive data analysis—into an accessible planning document that successfully secured Wells Fargo grant funding.
My design challenge was making complex policy and demographic data digestible for community members while maintaining the document's credibility for funders and policymakers. I created custom icons for five key focus areas (health, housing, economic opportunity, community connection, and displacement), developed spot infographics throughout the document to highlight critical findings, and created all original illustrations to support the data storytelling.
The visual approach needed to honour the community's voice while presenting data professionally. I used clear typography and layout design that allowed residents to easily navigate between the 14 community-led projects and programs that emerged from the research. The cohesive design system connected data points to actionable solutions, helping readers understand both the challenges facing the neighbourhoods and the community-driven responses.
The document successfully secured grant funding and now serves as a roadmap for preventing displacement along the Link Light Rail corridor. By making complex community planning data accessible through thoughtful design, the project demonstrates how visual communication can amplify community advocacy and drive policy change.
Cover
Interior pages
Custom icons to represent each of the Goals of the neighbourhood programmes
A look inside