Responses by Luis Mendoza, managing director, DNCO.
Background: The purpose of the project was to refresh the identity of the New York City neighborhood DUMBO at a pivotal moment, shifting the focus from a single iconic view of the Manhattan Bridge to the vibrant, layered neighborhood that exists beyond the postcard. Our target audience included artists, entrepreneurs, residents and visitors—anyone who engages with Dumbo’s daily life and creative ecosystem. The new brand needed to celebrate the area’s restless energy and creative edge while remaining practical and usable by the DUMBO Improvement District and local partners. Ultimately, it aimed to reaffirm DUMBO as a different side of New York: bold, unconventional and alive.
Design thinking: We believed that a true neighborhood brand shouldn’t impose a singular narrative but instead reflect the inherent contradictions and layers of the place. Rather than starting from scratch, we honored what was already working, retaining the original diagonal wordmark as a recognizable anchor. The creative leap came from uncovering DUMBO’s hidden histories, like the invention of the cardboard box, which inspired a dynamic “tape” motif—a visual system that would guide, reveal and express the neighborhood’s energy. This approach gave us a toolkit that was flexible, expressive and deeply rooted in local stories.
Challenges: Capturing DUMBO’s multifaceted character without flattening it into a single narrative or aesthetic. We needed to create a system that felt both subversive and functional—something that could break the grid and feel alive, yet remain practical for everyday use by the business improvement district and community partners. Balancing bold expression with usability across so many touchpoints, from civic signage to cultural programming, required constant negotiation and careful design choices.
Favorite details: We’re especially proud of the tape. Beyond being a playful and energetic graphic element, it’s deeply symbolic, referencing DUMBO’s inventive spirit and industrial roots while enabling endless variation and storytelling. It frames content, directs movement and offers a flexible foundation for partners to experiment and make the brand their own. This balance of concept and function feels distinctively DUMBO and embodies the spirit of the neighborhood beautifully.
Visual influences: Our visual influences came directly from DUMBO’s unique environment—raw industrial textures, layered architectural details, unexpected pockets of creativity and restless movement from trains overhead to artists at work. We also drew inspiration from its lesser-known stories, like the cardboard box invention, to ground the visuals in authentic local narratives rather than external trends. These influences pushed us to create a system that was at once gritty, playful and open-ended.
New lessons: Working so closely with the DUMBO community reinforced the importance of listening deeply and designing from within rather than imposing an external point of view. We were reminded that the most resonant place brands often come from unearthing overlooked stories and celebrating everyday creative life. It also highlighted the value of designing systems—not just static identities—that empower local partners to carry the brand forward in unexpected and evolving ways.
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