Can you really make a difference?

He was in his mid to late 40s and constantly battling drug addiction. Coke, heroine, gambling and weed were his vices. He wanted a job and to move into a nice place but he couldn't keep a job long enough to get approval to move in. He didn't have a job but spent alot of time milking the system to manage a household of eight. He was born and raised in the Projects and just wanted to finally get his life together. "This time, this time its going to happen. I'm clean, I can do this. This time, I can do it," he said. By interviewing him, I briefly got schooled in how to sell drugs, who to pay, what product to pick, why it doesn't work anymore. He told us everything and his life story in this interview and then he asked us the pounding question.

"Do you really think this will change something?"

We gulped and laughed nervously. We don't know, we can only try we said. He then pointed towards IDA B. wells and asked.

"What happens to them? They don't have jobs, they do all sorts of bad stuff. I was bad, I know what they do. What happens to them when you tear it down? Are you just gonna let them collect somewhere else? You can't just sweep them under the rug ya know. If you don't take care of them, they'll just flounce around and wreak havoc elsewhere."

We nervously agreed and told him we'd try our best.

When I took this course, I knew what I was getting into. When I joined this school, I knew I'd be learning about people. Now I'm getting schooled daily by people, not just school and there are new expectations to deliver. After our interviews I walked around the elementary school looking at student work. Colorful, clean with papers and cute small furniture, you would have trouble believing the school was almost torn down for being dismally bad. Here are some drawings I saw on the walls. It is new motivation to try my best. If only children were journalists and if only politicians had to answer children as part of their debates, maybe change would actually happen then.

For Jim

I couldn't get a full picture and its through a dirty window but train pics of the Metra for you.

Todays' lesson

What do young people in America want? Given a week and not much direction my team was given the task of trying to figure out how to capture the attention and needs of a younger generation to capture a new market for NPR. Quite frankly there a MILLIONS of businesses that are doing this work and they charge MILLIONs to tell major multinational companies how to do it. My team of four was given 5 days and no money. So I'm pretty sure that I don't know the answer yet. But for a strange reason one of my classmates knew somebody who had teenage boys so completely lacking direction, we decided to interview them. At my school my experience these days have been to go interview people from amazingly varied backgrounds and to try to understand their lives. Saturday morning, I found myself waking up at 7am to go catch a train to Hinsdale, Il and then onto Midlothian Illinois. What followed was one of the most depressing/ eye opening interviews so far.

Upon arriving to the house, I first think the house is pretty normal until I realize the entire backside is utterly under construction and covered in plastic sheeting. The family is very kind and polite and more than willing to answer our questions, but we realize immediately that these people are probably not NPR's target market. The entertainment system is sleek, a Wii, an xbox 360, overstuffed couches and flat panel screen tvs and the kids yell and scream as they play with their Wiis and a massive dog runs around in circles to the front and back. As we interview the family and the kids we start to find that this family is really NASCAR's target market as their house is covered in auto gear, manuals and information. As we interview the boys, we find out none of them read books, they are barely passing/care about high school. Coming from an insulated background I realize that people don't look things up, try new things or really care to know. People actually aren't very curious. They don't really care about where they get their information, about authenticity nor the truth. They don't care to chase things down and most of the times they wait for tv or other mediums to simply feed them their information. If skateboarding gets hard, they quit. After spending weeks, months, years obsessing over information, books and learning, working and trying so hard to overcome daily challenges; interviewing these boys makes me feel really depressed.

This is how it usually is.
These are the people who we're really designing for....
not my sisters nor my friends.
My god I can't believe how blind I am.

For once we questioned our value system and how we judge. The mother and father get along well, make sure to discipline their children and put them through school. They teach them about fixing cars and are actually teaching them a really necessary skill. They don't live opulently, but they have entertainment, a close family relationship and friends in their neighborhood. Quite frankly they're not wealthy, but they seem happy and probably fill the definition of success. This is the reality of most of the world and this is who most products are catered to. And with that realization, we freaked out and spent three days reading every childhood, adolescent development article and pulled all sorts of data regarding media, information, internet and social values. I'm tired, my head is twirling and I can't think anymore... which is why I'm writing here instead.

I still have no clue what young people want. But its a definite first lesson.

Visiting the "Projects"

As part of another project, we are now exploring the Oakland area of South Chicago, an area not so safe and originally filled by the IDA B. Wells Housing project. The Ida B. Wells Homes Housing Project was built in 1941 as a PWA (Public Works Administration) project. It included a city park and was a segregated development for African Americans. In 1961 the Clarence Darrow Home Project was built adjacent to the site, and it was demolished in 2000. In 1970 the Madden Park Homes Project, the last of the large CHA public housing projects, was built on another side of the Ida B. Wells Homes. Today, Ida B. Wells is mostly vacant, half torn down, and in some cases, still occupied by squatters. On the new site, they are currently building mixed income housing called Oakwood shores. We are in the process of investigating this area for school and trying to figure out how neighborhood development can take place in a place that's been pretty scarred historically. Some of the past inhabitants now live there and there are several strict rules involved with moving in.

Ida B. Wells Homes consists of 2 and 3-story brick apartment buildings which are not necessarily bad in and of themselves. However, they were arranged in a configuration that created numerous hidden spaces and pockets between buildings where drug dealing and violence could occur. The site features vast internal spaces which are hidden from view and isolated from the city streets.

A photo of the buildings in the summer time (photos and information from here)




By the clueless insistence and pressure from our advisers, we went downtown to visit the area and get an understanding of what the neighborhood was like. We hopped off the train, only to realize that EVERYBODY was looking at us strangely. One Japanese girl, one Korean man and one Indian girl, obviously not poor, was walking around their neighborhood, walking into stores, taking photos and looking for Oakwood shores. At 30 degrees it was a downright balmy day for Chicago, but the area was oddly spread out, deserted and gray. There were lots of buildings, houses, boarded up, broken windows, cages and old signs. Although it was during the day, walking around was intimidating and we moved briskly towards the development. The streets were pretty much abandoned but at some points passerbys looked at us warily and occasionally asked questions. "WHAT You Doin here? " a woman asked us with her stroller. We pointed to Oakwood shores told her our story. She responded, looking at Ida B. Wells. "I live in another project down south, YOU EITHER STAY OR YOU GO, its up to you"
We realize that Ida B might be considered bad even by other projects standards as she keeps ranting about the residents of the area.

On the way to the projects.

The former community center for IDA B. Wells. At first we walked to the door, trying to get information. After trudging through we realized the place had long been abandoned, stripped and somebody was living there, banging on the pipes.

The entrance to the only supermarket in the southern area of the development. The entrance is beyond unfriendly but inside the store was utilitarian, clean and had a good supply of products. Never the less, the environment of the area is utterly different from the vibrant style of Little Village area. Surprisingly although alot of the houses on the streets are boarded up and pretty decrepit, you can see that the neighborhood was once beautiful, with once beautiful townhouses interspersed. On the streets you see regular cars parked with occasional foreign luxury cars mixd in.

When we returned on the weekend to the area, we soon realized there were alot more cars parked in the supermarket lot and it was a place where everybody was walking around and talking to each other. Apparantly this lot is a hangout spot. Even during the week, some people were parked in the lot, simply hanging out and lounging in their cars.

This was as close as I wanted to venture towards IDA B. Wells. They are planning on tearing this area down within the next year and replacing it with the Mixed Income Oakwood Shores. As we approached Oakwood Shores, we noticed a massive bulletin board of shiny happy people and colors sticking out just like we did in the bleak gray environment.


Walking through the new development, we couldn't believe the markedly different environment that had been created in the area. A Disney-fied neighborhood of beautiful single homes, mixed homes, apartments buildings had sprung up .
Despite the friendly presence of the signs and billboards, when we walked up to the real estate office we soon learned that the doors to a beautiful showroom were locked and would only be opened by phone call. We called and explained our project and got inside to an extremely enthusiastic real estate developer who told us about the entire project and showed us a luxury showroom.

The entire development plan of the area. Currently 1/5th has been built and the rest needs to be torn down.


We walked around the model room and said to ourselves. HERE? You're building THIS, HERE?

This project in the former "PROJECTS" is rather interesting. We'll see how well they do with the mixed income part.

AMERICA! YEAH MAN, YEAH!

On a trip to the Chicago Auto Show, I found myself surrounded by the real America and the testosterone fest of boys, cars, bikes, trucks and muscle cars. As this was my first time ever at a car show, I was surprised to find that concept car aren't as funky. I also realized that this show was quite frankly, a waste on someone like me, who can't tell an accura from a porsche.

Despite my overall lack of real interest in the cars, I had to admit, some of the concept cars were breathtakingly beautiful in their streamline form and styling.

Some were also amazingly HUGE and ridiculous looking. This car/truck/suv/monster makes the original boat station wagon I drove at 18, look like an anorexic supermodel. The details got even better when we walked to the back and found...

A 40 inch flat screen tv and probably one powerful sound system ever built into a car. I see know this is the equivalent and the Hummer limos combined with the tailgating community/drive by hip hop party. I wonder if the gas mileage on this car goes over
10 miles/gal.

The situation got even more interesting when I realized the US military had established a presence there. Soldiers in military garb gave away goodies, spoke to young men, and lured them to the booth with a virtual guitar playing competition. Hard core rock music played in the area as I looked around to notice...


A massive pickup truck with rocket launchers. And..

A tank. Where all the young boys could go inside and play with the controls. And...
A Helicopter. Where once again, young men and boys would go inside and play around with the controls.

When I think about it. Its awfully smart of the military to be there. It is a prime recruiting place with so many young men ogling cars. The rock music and cool "toys" and awesome guys who would tell you all about their work probably could possibly be pretty attractive to the unemployed and technology oriented. God bless people who enlist and fight for our country. They are brave, hard working and deserve all the applause and respect from those of us who would rather pretend they are above it all and apathetic. But it still really irritates me that the military entices people to enlist by making war look fun/cool. Yeah man yeah! Join and you can hang out with the brothers and launch those missiles and drive these tanks. Yeah!

I guess everybody gets their kicks somewhere.

Ethnic Chicago

The thing about Chicago is that once you leave the predominantly White and Rich North side, there are amazing pockets of ethnicity in the west and south. As part of one of my school projects, I am now researching some of these pockets. Last weekend, our visit was to the Pilsen, Little Village area known for a prominent working class Latino population. Combining a visit to a great Mexican restaurant and The American Museum of Mexican Art, we hopped off the 18th st station on the L and was flabbergasted to find an entire train stop covered in art.


Murals of mexican artists, Jesus Christ and Mary, Aztec, Mayan, Olmec art styles and copies of Frieda Kahlo's art covered every inch of the station and my team ran around for 20 minutes taking pictures of the murals on the train station alone. Once we poured out onto the streets we found that the colorful murals were everywhere you can find an open wall.



Who authorizes this? Who sets this up? We asked as we also noticed that every manhole cover on the main street looked like an Aztec treasure.


We walked into store after store, shooting pictures and looking around. Even without the "school" factor of the work, we were completely enjoying our explorations. The neighborhoods you never explore inside your own cities. Without doing this project, I would probably be thinking that Chicago is only about the north side only. Six months after I've moved here, I'm finally exploring a little bit.


At the Mexican art museum, we saw a collection of high quality Pre-Columbian, Mexican, Mexican-American and Contemporary art. The Latin love for color is simply amazing and attention to detail and craftsmanship amazed us. Painting below addresses the Chupacabra, a mythical goat-like devil creature that appears in Latin American culture. Contemporary art addresses the creature and American culture today.

When we encountered this piece of art, it covers an entire wall. At first we thought it was weaving or painting. We eventually found out that they were a million seed beads and out jaws dropped. Other pieces of art included paintings of Diego Rivera's, recreated using feathers.

If you ever find yourself in Chicago's 18th street area. Check out Nuevo Leon. It is a great Mexican restaurant with cheap prices and good food. The store front is really pretty too. Although it probably sounds gross to most, the beef tongue -mexican style is really tender and yummy.

I want my F*CKING life back

Another semester at another school and this one seems to be busier then ever.

I will be working with the city of Chicago's government (commissioners and mayors and politicians oh my!) to visit public housing and interview people in more run down areas. The idea is for us to do hands on research and analysis of the problems and issues that users of the government services encounter. From there on we will assess the research and come up with "design solutions" that will make it easier for people to work with the Chicago City government's many many MAAAAAAANY organizations.

I will also be working with some frightening high up project where we interview, analyze and learn how some major corporations are entering products into emerging markets. I have two weeks to learn all about sustainability and emerging markets. I have two weeks to read about 10 books just to interview some of these people.

I will also be working with Chicago Public Radio, to work on a new initiative where we will be exploring new social media options, trying to get "younger" people to read news of quality. I don't even know how to start with this one.

In addition, I have three other classes that are just extremely challenging but tremendously interesting. I have 40 PDFs to read, I am chased around by blogs, copies of the Economist, the New York Times, Business Week, Communication Arts and Print magazine. I will be visiting and interviewing people who live in the slums of Chicago. I will also be interviewing SVPs of Procter and Gamble, SC Johnson and some of the most famous management strategists working today.

The opportunities are beyond amazing. I'm learning and thinking more than I've ever done in my entire life. My business education is getting a dusting off. My graphic/communication design education is getting stretched and challenged daily. The project management and group work skills I learned in advertising are paying off big time. I'm scared, but know I can do it.

But....

GOD MAKE IT STOP!
WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP LEARNING ALL THIS STUFF?
WHY CAN'T I JUST SIT ON MY FAT ASS WATCHING TV? (i don't even have a tv!)
WHY CAN'T I JUST THROW IT ALL TO THE WIND AND TRAVEL?

Yeah yeah, it was my own decision.
Yeah yeah, I know it is really good for me.
Yeah yeah, I can always play later.
Yeah yeah, some people kill for these opportunities.

I always used to think that some day I'm going to have time to enjoy life. I'm starting to realize, its never going to happen so I'd better start forcing some time for myself. Even if its just yoga classes and exercise a couple times a week, I've started to attempt to enjoy life. I'm growing flowers in my apartment and throwing dinner parties occasionally. When the spring is here, I WILL ride my bike around town again. If I end up staying in Chicago over the summer, I WILL join a sailing club and go sailing. Hopefully I can find time to make jewelry and clothes with the stuff I bought on my trip. I want to organize and shoot photos again. I'm trying really. I REALLY do want this. But between those little things, I fall asleep and wake up with my laptop next to me in bed, with my 40 pdfs and my massive to do list; I am drowning in a sea of information and things I need to learn/make for work/school.

Personal note to myself:
After this degree is done
Stop.
Just.
Fucking.
Stop.

It is probably not going to get better when I start working again. But for pete's sake, something has gotta give.