Tearing Down The
Digital Divide

Creating a hands-on urban technology center to tear down the “digital divide” in Cleveland is a priority for the Cleveland Public Library, consistently ranked among the top five libraries in the nation. As it planned for a groundbreaking technology center, the 143-year-old institution hired architectural firm Bostwick Design Partners to increase access to digital content and personal computing – and Bostwick, in turn, engaged graphic design firm, Karen Skunta & Company, to help create an engaging experience for city dwellers who may have never had the opportunity to play with an iPad or Kindle, or even had access to a computer. The end result is TechCentral, a one million dollar center with 7,000 square feet that’s more like a colorful Apple store than a library. Karen Skunta and her team helped develop a vibrant color palette, as well as create a brand identity, a user-friendly digital guide to TechCentral’s services, and an integrated wayfinding system to graphically guide patrons through the facility. The project includes creative, concise multimedia presentations using 70-inch interactive monitors to showcase the Library’s myriad of digital offerings from e-readers and tablets, laptops, desktop computers, 3D modeling, games, to a vast array of digital downloads of music, books and videos.