Turning the Lights Back On
Creative Direction · Experience Design · Event Narrative · Event Planning
State of the City 2026 was designed around a single, intentional act: turning the lights back on.
Not as a switch flipped in isolation, but as the culmination of listening, preparation, and shared responsibility. Before a city can glow, its wiring must be sound. Before nightlife can return, safety must be centered. Before vibrancy can thrive, stability must be secured.
The Mayor was positioned not as a performer, but as a curator — a DJ in the booth. She does not create the music; she listens to the city, selects its voices, and sets the tempo for what comes next.
Leadership as a DJ set.
A DJ doesn’t build a set without records, and a city doesn’t move forward without its people. Every voice, experience, and contribution became a record in the crate — essential to the rhythm of the night.
The event unfolded like a carefully sequenced mix:
Listening before speaking
Systems before spectacle
Stability before illumination
The lighting moment was not decorative. It was confirmation that the city was ready.
“Tonight is about turning the lights back on in Albany and what it takes to make sure they stay on.”
Narrative Framework
The story followed a deliberate arc:
Listening first: The Mayor enters wearing headphones, signaling leadership grounded in attention.
Stability and safety: Acknowledging that public safety is the foundation for everything else.
Culture and community: Highlighting the people and institutions that give Albany its energy.
Invitation: Turning the lights on together and calling the city into shared responsibility.
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DJ Booth Podium
A custom podium designed to resemble a DJ booth, placing the Mayor in the role of curator rather than performer. The DJ booth visually communicated leadership as listening, sequencing, and care. It reframed the address as a set built from the city’s voices, not a solo performance.
Key elements:
Elevated booth-style podium with clean sightlines
DJ-inspired framing without gimmicks (subtle, intentional)
Visual alignment with lighting, sound, and program design
Positioned centrally to reinforce authority without hierarchy
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Now Spinning: Listening Station
A curated listening station at entry featuring significant speeches delivered since taking office, presented as the foundational voices guiding the State of the City. Before introducing what comes next, the Listening Station anchored the evening in what has already been said, promised, and heard. It reinforced continuity, accountability, and the idea that this address was not a reset — but a progression.
Key Elements
Curated speech excerpts tied to core city priorities
Listening-first interface (headphones or low-volume speakers)
Track-style labeling referencing time, theme, or civic moment
Clean visual design aligned with the DJ / vinyl metaphor
Strategic placement at entry to establish tone immediately
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Headphones Opening Moment
The Mayor entered wearing headphones before the address began. This quiet, unexpected gesture signaled that the event — and the administration — begins with listening. It established tone before a single word was spoken.
Key elements:
Minimal staging to keep focus on the gesture
Silence or ambient sound during entry
Immediate visual contrast with traditional podium entrances
Seamless transition into spoken remarks
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Physical Lighting Switch Moment
A literal switch used to activate lighting, paired with a narrative explanation. The switch grounded the metaphor in reality. It reinforced that illumination follows preparation — systems must be ready before power is turned on.
Key elements:
Real, visible switch (not symbolic only)
Clear sightline for the audience
Timed precisely with spoken language
Immediate environmental response (lights, bracelets, space)
The Program Book
The program book was designed as a full-scale vinyl record sleeve, complete with a custom prop record housed inside. Rather than distributing a traditional folded agenda, attendees received what felt like an album — reinforcing the event’s central metaphor of leadership as curation.
The sleeve featured the event artwork and title, styled like a studio release. Inside, the printed program was structured like liner notes, guiding guests through the evening as if moving through tracks on a record. The included vinyl prop contained no actual songs — a deliberate choice. Instead, the record label read: “This record contains no songs. The city writes the soundtrack.”
This framing transformed a simple agenda into an immersive storytelling device, aligning design, message, and metaphor in a single keepsake artifact.
Outcome
State of the City 2026 reframed civic leadership as an act of listening, sequencing, and care.
The moment the lights came on wasn’t just visual — it was symbolic of readiness, trust, and collective momentum.
This project demonstrates how story, space, and symbolism can work together to turn a traditional address into a shared civic experience.
