The image above is from a new installation my firm is creating for Opportunity Crossing in Minneapolis, designed by the acclaimed Damaris Holingsworth .
Because Hollingsworth is an architect to watch, a building of hers is bound to generate positive conversation, and I feel fortunate to be aligned with another of her projects. Built across from the site of the Wells Fargo bank and Minneapolis police station affected by the 2021 George Floyd protests, Opportunity Crossing is a visible representation of change.
The branding, in particular, has generated talk value. This post shares how I combined inspiration and artificial intelligence to create what I can only call "artvertising." (There is another post in that idea.) While I used some AI, Art predominates.
The Zeitgeist of George Floyd and the Message of Opportunity Crossing.
This project represents an excellent example of how a zeitgeist -- or a spirit in the air -- can inspire conversational branding. It also shows how AI can bring a concept to life in days.
The zeitgeist of Southeast Minneapolis, where the development exists, is both hopeful and wary five years after the social upheaval of the riots. My photos above, from a much longer photo essay, capture the magnitude of destruction during that time. The artwork for the new development, thus, attempts to convey beauty and regeneration.
Had I not been attuned to the zeitgeist, I could easily have gotten lazy and used AI to generate the same old branding showcasing minority opportunity and the other cookie-cutter, well, crap, you see in real estate. (I wouldn't, but just saying...)
Human inspiration, helped by AI.
While I knew this message inspired meaningful conversations, I needed a breakthrough to bring my vision to life—and that is where AI stepped in. While I had the image of a Phoenix in mind, I queried my ChatGPT to find representations of nature in public murals influenced by artists like Diego Rivera, Alexander Rodchenko, Juan Gris, and other Cubists.
I also queried it for colors pertinent to Brazilian modernism, where architecture and public policy promote an ethos of inclusivity and opportunity. (Hollingsworth is from Brazil). In short, I condensed a week of research into an hour.
Finally, I used Sora AI to show me multiple variations of what I was thinking — based on hand-drawn illustrations and concrete shapes, colors, and other found objects. Although we are fortunate to have an in-house illustrator (polymath AD), the distance from inspiration to execution was short.
Conversation Soars
The artwork above is the final version of the brand standards that we will implement in our marketing materials, website, and environmental graphics (including interior design) for the new development, which is scheduled to open at the end of October 2025.
What is most gratifying about the work is the content of the initial comments people have made about the idea, not just the art. Nothing artificial about it.
Like what you see?
Would you like to see more about this project, my process for targeting the zeitgeist, or using AI the right way? Get on my calendar here.