LINDSAY BLUMENFELD



Airbnb Heritage

Campaign Design
2022Airbnb Heritage is a printed publication and prospective campaign design project created to aid in the preservation of design history. Heritage was born out of a desire to synthesize the celebration of rich design history with Airbnb’s mission to bring people together.







The Opportunity

The design opportunity for this project was to collaborate with a team and create a publication about a significant movement in design history and the great minds that led it. My team’s designated movement was mid-century modernism. I collaborated with Jessica Jones, Emily Miller, and Isabelle Rigsbee to create this publication and campaign. My specific tasks centered around layout design, product design, typesetting, asset management, and general visual direction.



The ProcessThe design process began with research on a provided list of mid-century modern designers, including their influences, most notable designs, and design philosophies. We determined that the common thread between all of the designers was their philosophy that design should first and foremost benefit the consumer by solving everyday problems and combining aesthetics with functionality.


We then needed to consider the purpose of the publication—what needs it would meet and who the target audience would be. This led us to begin researching companies with a mission that aligned with mid-century modern philosophy. After conducting extensive research on a number of client-centric organizations, we found that the mission statement of Airbnb most closely aligned with the mid-century modernist goal of benefitting the consumer and making the everyday more beautiful. 


Edith Farnsworth House



The SolutionAirbnb currently features specific classifications of homes on its website, including categories like cabins, A-frame homes, islands, domes, off-the-grid, etc. Users can also find design and historical home categories on the site. Airbnb Heritage synthesizes these two categories to highlight unique homes inspired by various movements throughout design history.

Airbnb Heritage found its greater purpose in the Edith Farnsworth House. This iconic mid-century house was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and has been upheld as an example of the groundbreaking innovation of mid-century modernism. The original site of the Farnsworth House is currently in danger of flooding. To assist in preserving this significant piece of mid-century history, proceeds from every Airbnb Heritage booking would be donated to the Edith Farnsworth Foundation to eventually reinforce or relocate the house.

Airbnb Heritage was designed to be a campaign encompassing a series of printed publications, with each issue focusing on a different period or
movement in design history; the mid-century modern edition shown above is the first of this series. Both Airbnb hosts and guests would receive a copy of Airbnb Heritage that correlates with the style of home they are hosting or staying in. In addition, Airbnb Heritage merchandise would be sent to guests’ homes to say “thank you” for booking a Heritage home, as well as to help raise awareness about the effort to preserve the Edith Farnsworth House.

Because a strong digital presence is foundational to the company, it was essential to consider how Heritage would fit into the existing Airbnb website and application. Consequently, the project expanded from a publication into an all-encompassing campaign that would be featured on the company’s website and mobile app. All visuals for the publication and campaign utilize Airbnb’s existing typeface and colors in order to adhere to the current brand. 

View the full Airbnb Heritage publication here.
 






Mockup images are not my own. This project is not officially affiliated with or commissioned by Airbnb.



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I’m Lindsay Blumenfeld, a graphic designer with a passion for developing creative solutions that bring people together.