Designing Where We Belong

There is something deeply human about the pride we feel for the place we call home. Whether it's a city, a neighborhood, or a small stretch of street you've walked a thousand times, place shapes identity in ways that are hard to fully articulate. It lives in the traditions passed down through generations, the festivals that close off streets every year, and the unwritten rules of a community that outsiders take a while to learn. It’s that connection that reminds me how design shapes the public spaces, systems, and experiences that make a place feel like yours.

–Robert (@robertvidaure)

The LA28 Look of the Games leans on Southern California’s superbloom wildflowers, botanical color palettes, and street sign-inspired typography as its visual identity, and while it's pretty, it doesn’t quite feel like Los Angeles. One bright spot is the typography, which draws from LA’s iconic street signage and actually captures some of the city’s character. But overall, the design plays it safe, swapping the city’s real energy, its iconic skyline, diverse neighborhoods, street art, and cultural complexity for abstract floral patterns. For a city as bold and layered as LA, the look feels more like a modern nature calendar than an Olympic statement. But I’m sure it’ll function just fine as the games commence.

Pentagram’s identity for YZD, the redevelopment of Toronto’s former Downsview Airport, is sharp and conceptually well-grounded. The logotype’s defining angle is pulled directly from the actual runway that bisects the site, giving the brand a genuine sense of place. But the real design challenge here isn’t visual, it’s philosophical. This transformation won’t be complete for three decades, which raises an honest question: can any brand identity hold its meaning across 30 years of shifting culture, economics, and leadership? Pentagram’s system is built for longevity, but a logo can’t outlast time. Only the place itself can do that.

I'll be honest, I had never heard of International Design Day before coming across this. But the fact that it exists is a quiet reminder of how essential designers are in everyday life. Hosted by SEGD and the International Council of Design, this year’s theme is “The Spaces In Between,” celebrated on April 27. The focus is on how design shapes the moments between people, the transitions and exchanges that determine whether someone feels welcomed or excluded. Designers don’t just make things look good. They shape how we move through the world together.