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Sounding Boards: Eastlake Studio’s Mural Initiative Amplifies Chicago Voices

At Otherwise, we believe in the power of art to bring communities together, ignite important conversations and explore the world around us through a critical lens. We recently found inspiration in Sounding Boards, an initiative that uses public art as a vehicle to amplify diverse voices throughout Chicago. Technically speaking, a sounding board is placed […]

Sep 15 2021 by Madeline Rosemurgy in Breaking the Grid
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How to Use a City: Jim Duignan on Quietly Creating a Radical Social Art Practice in Chicago

  ‘I’ve been working quietly in the cracks of the city my whole life and all of a sudden there’s a kind of light shining that is often too bright and too constant.’ Born and raised on the North Side of Chicago, Jim Duignan has devoted his life to reinvesting in the city’s most under-served […]

Aug 18 2021 by Madeline Rosemurgy in Breaking the Grid
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Designing Chicago’s Future

Passion for architecture, design and community development are core values for Otherwise, as we continue to draw inspiration from the city around us. So it’s gratifying to see that the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is also doubling down on these priorities, as it announces the formation of the new Committee on Design, […]

Jul 15 2021 by Nancy Lerner in News
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Wayfinding Through the “New Normal”

We recently asked: how can empathic design lead our return to the workplace? GNP Realty Partners answers that question with their new wayfinding signage.

Aug 7 2020 by Zoe Raines in Editorials
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Empathic Design and the Workplace of 2020

As proponents of taking an empathic approach, we asked how could empathic design and the workplace call for a reimagined standard for the office?

Jul 17 2020 by Abby Brown Seiple in Editorials

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