As a creative manager, one of my favorite projects to work on was the Digital Equity Bus, or "DEB," for Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington. This project truly embodies the spirit of the company's mission, and I'm proud to have been a part of it. Here's a bit of background on DEB and why it's such an important initiative:

In partnership with Black & Veatch in Kansas City, KS, Evergreen Goodwill launched DEB to bridge the "digital divide" and bring computer literacy and workforce development classes to under-resourced communities in Washington. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the impact of the digital divide for 45% of the state's residents, who either lack internet access or struggle with very slow internet speeds. DEB is a state-of-the-art mobile classroom that spans 36 feet in length and features workstations for up to 10 students and multiple instructors. It comes equipped with charging stations, pop-up chairs and tables, sound-amplifying equipment, and specialized equipment to make the classroom more accessible. It also has a retractable awning that creates exterior classroom space for up to 30 additional students.

As the creative manager for this project, I had the honor of working closely with Evergreen Goodwill's VP of Mission and Black & Veatch's executive leadership team to develop the interior and exterior look of DEB. Here are some of the design concepts I developed over time:

It was important to me to showcase the look of DEB as accurately as possible while also taking into account the limitations of the printing method. For example, I advised against placing the Evergreen Goodwill logo on the windows since the windows would be perforated and make the smaller text of the logo difficult to read.

DEB is the first of several buses of her type that will be serving communities in Kitsap, Snohomish, King, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom Counties in Washington. I'm thrilled to have been a part of this project, and I can't wait to see the impact that DEB has on the communities she serves.

For now, enjoy a video that was created to celebrate DEB's official ribbon cutting:

Small update (4/26/2023):

We are so excited that our Digital Equity Bus won a Gold Edison Award for Social & Cultural Impact! It was an honor to be recognized among such innovative companies. Thank you Edison Awards for this honor and for all your hard work on this event!