Milwaukee Downtown swapped many of its coin-based parking meters with new, app-based NFC models and began looking for ways to reuse the outdated items. Their research found other communities had repurposed them as unsheltered outreach donation stations.
A few examples of how other cities repurposed their meters.
They'd planned to paint the meters or ad decals to make them stand out, but I developed a few different approaches that would hopefully draw more attention to the project and create a stand alone program for the unsheltered.
The following were a few of the concepts I presented:
"Spare Change for Housing" concept.
"Soup Kitchen/Flower Bed" concept.
"Target the Problem" concept.
"It Affects Everyone" concept. (Every meter was to be designed with a different silhouette.)
The "Key to Change" concept.
Ultimately, they chose the Key to Change option and I created this rendering for them to take to a local metal shop for the creation of a few prototypes.
I also created the initial design for the Key to Change website.
The ongoing program has been a huge success and has even given Milwaukee a little Jeopardy fame.