The Freelon: Designing a brand that honors legacy and shapes futures.
Develop Detroit, a coalition of non-profit and for-profit developers, sought to celebrate Detroit’s Sugar Hill Historic District—known as a vibrant epicenter for Black-led music, culture, and visual art—through a new mixed-use property, The Freelon. Our team was tasked with creating a branding system that would not only honor the cultural history of the area but also position The Freelon as an innovative, collaborative hub for the future.
Challenge
The challenge facing Develop Detroit, a coalition of nonprofit and for-profit developers, was thus complex and delicate: to create a visual identity for their new mixed-use project, The Freelon, that authentically honored Sugar Hill’s layered heritage while also pointing decisively towards an inclusive and imaginative future.
A grounded approach
Cities carry memories—traces of lives, sounds, and dreams. Detroit’s Sugar Hill Historic District evolved from a quiet 1880s suburb into a vibrant mid-20th-century hub of Black artistic expression, made legendary by jazz icons like Billie Holiday and B.B. King. Our design process began by carefully listening to the stories embedded in Sugar Hill’s past. Rather than imposing a superficial aesthetic, we sought deeper connections by exploring the improvisational nature of jazz, the district’s social evolution, and the cultural resilience embodied by Detroit’s Black community. This research wasn’t merely archival—it was about acknowledging how past rhythms continue to shape present realities and future possibilities.
Improvisation as methodology
Jazz—structurally precise yet infinitely adaptable—informed our core design philosophy. This translated into a dynamic visual system marked by expressive typography anchored by foundational grids, evocative of the call-and-response tradition. Colors drawn from the vibrant textures of nightlife, ranging from brass and teal to deep oranges and smoky charcoal, reflect Sugar Hill’s nuanced atmosphere: lively, yet composed; historical, yet continuously renewing itself.
Embedding cultural legacy
Rather than treat history as decoration, the Freelon brand embodies history as a foundational element. Our visual identity weaves memory into its fabric, establishing an enduring dialogue between past achievements and future aspirations. The modularity of the design allows ongoing community collaboration, enabling residents and creatives to co-author narratives that feel true to their experiences and ambitions.
Shaping the future collectively
The Freelon’s branding positions the development not simply as physical space, but as a collective expression of cultural continuity and future potential. This project demonstrates that authentic design considers community stories as essential inputs, rather than optional flourishes. It highlights that design—at its most thoughtful and intentional—is inherently a social, contextual, and interdisciplinary practice.
Impact
Through thoughtful engagement and rigorous execution, the Freelon project now stands as a testament to design’s power to elevate collective memory, foster genuine connection, and inspire new cultural narratives. It is a place designed not just to dwell within, but to dream from.
