WHAT THE HECK IS THIS

What the heck is this site?

a project
by
Brooke Cheney
for
Google Innovations
with
Sanj Surati
at
MASE

What the heck?

It's a game, a Berlin simulation, an invitation to roll the dice, a collection of stories, photos and art, a diary, a personal map.

And a class project.

My teacher is Sanj Surati and the class is called Google Innovations. Our assignment is to create an experiential website on a topic we're passionate about.

So I chose Berlin.

To me

Who am I?

Hi, I'm Brooke.

Berlin is the first city I've lived in, but I've always known I was a city girl. I grew up by a river in Connecticut in the USA and now I live by the Landwehr Kanal in Neukölln. My name means "little river" and I've always been drawn to things that flow.

When I think of my four years in Berlin, I sort the memories based on weather, degree of loneliness, and work or lack of work. In this time I've grounded myself in my diary... plugging away on an endless document or writing longhand a la Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way in cardboard notebooks from Modulor.

I'm not the type to write every day (my only habits are bad ones) but I write often enough to have quite a bit of my own words to read when I'm in that kind of mood.

Some books inspired by Berlin that inspire me

If Berlin is the fire that has forged the grown up that is me, words have been my aloe vera. Books by other writers inspired by Berlin, workshops with talented people I'm now honored to call my friends, nights in smokey bars with my laptop and a deadline... these have soothed my burning soul.

In the English alphabet, there are 26 letters. Some 500 thousand words. A page in any given book looks about the same... yet they create distinct worlds. For me, the innovation that has always set me on fire (because why not push this metaphor as far as it can go?) has been literature. Writers forge language in the cauldron of their hearts and brains, and the good stuff touches us. And changes us. This wordsmith innovation is the goal of my life.

For my first year and some in Berlin, I was scrambling to make a living with my writing. And then my dream job fell right in my lap.

Get this: werewolf erotica. Bad boy billionaire romance novels. Full time. Salary. Start up.

Where I was mentally for a while

I couldn't believe my luck. I stayed there for a few years until the thought of describing one more orgasm made my brain melt through my eye sockets. But by then I had learned some things about the market of words.

My peers were selling themselves in innovative ways: scriptwriter, content writer... copywriter.

I decided to make the leap to the glittering, lucrative promise that was advertising.

Advertising school

I love to be a student. I missed structuring my life on semester cycles, working toward clear goals and receiving thoughtful feedback for my efforts.

At work I was writing someone else's fantasy. It was time to rediscover my own voice.

So I started the Creative Copywriting track at Miami Ad School Berlin.

Maybe you're thinking, "How in the world do you find your own voice if you're writing for brands to sell products?"

To that, I'd say that creativity needs boundaries to react against. And: yeah, good point. I'm working on it.

But this class and this website are helping. So let's get into the pieces of it.

Portfolio Structure

Our first assignment was to develop a concept for a website. I thought I would create an interactive map where the different points would lead to small stories about that place.

I mocked it up and the homepage looked like this.

We've come a long way from the first draft

Other than the fact that I'm in love with this city, the reason why I wanted to make a site about Berlin is because I've already written so much content. I began reading through it and had a familiar feeling:

So many pages and nothing to show for myself.

Well, I'm understating a bit. But I realized this project was going to be more work than I thought. And the thing about writing is that you can't just do it.

You need to find the flow. So I started a new Google document.

My plan was to write in that document for fifteen minutes every day. I haven't kept it up quite like that (bad habits only, remember?) but I've been plugging away. The thing is 28 pages long.

A peek at my document/diary

Structure

QR Code

When I did the QR code assignment, the site was not something I was willing to share. But it's coming along nicely, I think, so I'd like to print them out and put them up for real.

Augmented Reality

Unexpectedly, this was the thing that helped me find my groove.

It inspired me to think of this site in a new way: like a game. But before we get to that, let's talk about Spark AR.

Check me out and try the filter yourself by scanning the QR code!

I didn't know how to make augmented reality. I didn't think I could make augmented reality. But I did. And Spark AR made it accessible.

It's about bears. The Steiff teddy bears have held my heart since I used them in collage during my art residency that first long winter in Berlin.

"Petsy Mini on a Trip"

The mascot of the city is less cuddly. More grizzly.

They both describe my experience in this city. I love them both... even if the grizzly bear doesn't exactly hug me back.

So the filter assignment gave me this visual and the concept that structures my site: you never know which Berliner Bär you'll get: the friend or the... frenemie.

Questionaire

The Questionnaire

This was another revelatory assignment for me because before I could ask anyone what they thought of my website, I had to prepare it to be seen.

So I added a lot of content. To implement this game concept of grizzly or teddy, I decided to be my own character. A paper doll, choose-your-own-adventure player, if you will.

I raided my closet, turned on the self timer, and took my photos.

Visual consolidation of the process

Then I compiled, edited, and wrote. And then finally, I wrote the questionnaire.

About my questionnaire

I wanted to test my working theory that femmes relate more to my work than men (werewolf porn, remember?) so I asked for pronoun preference. And other normal stuff: age, place of residence, place of origin...

But the best way to discuss the questions is to share the answers.

Summary

1o questions

22 responses

77% she/her pronoun pref

age 20-43

from 16 countries

I was interested to see which "player" people gravitated toward. My plan was to coordinate my best outfits with the pieces of writing that I liked the most.

But now I'd rather not have my image on the site in that way. It feels too vulnerable.

Really, this survey was an exercise in vulnerability. I usually only share my writing with other writers in structured settings: school, workshops. But I leaned into this project and asked my close friends on Instagram to take the survey.

I'm glad I made the choice to be vulnerable, because I received vulnerable responses in return.

What does Berlin mean to you?

Responses like these made me so happy, and signaled that I am on the right path with this project.

My hope is always that my writing will make people feel understood and these responses showed that people felt safe to open up to me.

And! Most importantly, they showed me that I want to include a comments feature on my site, so the conversation can continue!

What would you like to read more of?

Last but not least, another helpful response. This graph was affirming because personal stories and art in Berlin are my favorite to write.

This also planted the seed to replace the images of me with some other game element. While some people find it cool, others didn't see the connection. So now I know how to revise...

TikTok Videos

TikTok

I am a TikTok consumer and I can and have spent hours on the app. But have I posted? No.

Not until now! This was a fun experience because I relived some camera roll memories, shot footage at Körnerpark, one of my favorite places in Berlin, and got vulnerable again! It's a theme.

Business Proposal with New Tech

I decided to turn this project into a little fantasy. I met the illustrious, elusive art collecting couple: the Boros. We share a chat and I pitch them my Great Idea!

Make the Berlin winter a little brighter with light installations. These "campfires" made of recycled plastic emit cool white light that helps treat SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

Installed in two different 24-hour parks in Berlin, city dwellers can find comfort in the light and each other, across the formerly divided city.

What the heck is this site?

a project
by
Brooke Cheney
for
Google Innovations
with
Sanj Surati
at
MASE

What the heck?

Who am I?

Some books inspired by Berlin that inspire me

Where I was mentally for a while

Advertising school

Portfolio Structure

Our first assignment was to develop a concept for a website. I thought I would create an interactive map where the different points would lead to small stories about that place.

I mocked it up and the homepage looked like this.

We've come a long way from the first draft

A peek at my document/diary

QR Code

When I did the QR code assignment, the site was not something I was willing to share. But it's coming along nicely, I think, so I'd like to print them out and put them up for real.

Augmented Reality

Unexpectedly, this was the thing that helped me find my groove.

It inspired me to think of this site in a new way: like a game. But before we get to that, let's talk about Spark AR.

Check me out and try the filter yourself by scanning the QR code!

I didn't know how to make augmented reality. I didn't think I could make augmented reality. But I did. And Spark AR made it accessible.

It's about bears. The Steiff teddy bears have held my heart since I used them in collage during my art residency that first long winter in Berlin.

"Petsy Mini on a Trip"

The Questionnaire

Visual consolidation of the process

Then I compiled, edited, and wrote. And then finally, I wrote the questionnaire.

About my questionnaire

I wanted to test my working theory that femmes relate more to my work than men (werewolf porn, remember?) so I asked for pronoun preference. And other normal stuff: age, place of residence, place of origin...

But the best way to discuss the questions is to share the answers.

Summary

1o questions

22 responses

77% she/her pronoun pref

age 20-43

from 16 countries

What does Berlin mean to you?

What would you like to read more of?

TikTok

I am a TikTok consumer and I can and have spent hours on the app. But have I posted? No.

Not until now! This was a fun experience because I relived some camera roll memories, shot footage at Körnerpark, one of my favorite places in Berlin, and got vulnerable again! It's a theme.

Business Proposal with New Tech

Thanks for reading.

Check out my portfolio

From Berlin with love.

Berlin

Simulation

What the heck is this site?

a project by Brooke Cheney for Google Innovations with Sanj Surati at MASE

What the heck?

Who am I?

Some books inspired by Berlin that inspire me

Where I was mentally for a while

Advertising school

Portfolio Structure

Our first assignment was to develop a concept for a website. I thought I would create an interactive map where the different points would lead to small stories about that place. I mocked it up and the homepage looked like this.

We've come a long way from the first draft

A peek at my document/diary

QR Code

When I did the QR code assignment, the site was not something I was willing to share. But it's coming along nicely, I think, so I'd like to print them out and put them up for real.

Augmented Reality

Unexpectedly, this was the thing that helped me find my groove. It inspired me to think of this site in a new way: like a game. But before we get to that, let's talk about Spark AR.

Check me out and try the filter yourself by scanning the QR code!

I didn't know how to make augmented reality. I didn't think I could make augmented reality. But I did. And Spark AR made it accessible. It's about bears. The Steiff teddy bears have held my heart since I used them in collage during my art residency that first long winter in Berlin.

"Petsy Mini on a Trip"

The Questionnaire

Visual consolidation of the process

Then I compiled, edited, and wrote. And then finally, I wrote the questionnaire.

About my questionnaire

I wanted to test my working theory that femmes relate more to my work than men (werewolf porn, remember?) so I asked for pronoun preference. And other normal stuff: age, place of residence, place of origin... But the best way to discuss the questions is to share the answers.

Summary

1o questions

22 responses

77% she/her pronoun pref

age 20-43

from 16 countries

What does Berlin mean to you?

What would you like to read more of?

TikTok

I am a TikTok consumer and I can and have spent hours on the app. But have I posted? No. Not until now! This was a fun experience because I relived some camera roll memories, shot footage at Körnerpark, one of my favorite places in Berlin, and got vulnerable again! It's a theme.

Business Proposal with New Tech

Thanks for reading.

Check out my portfolio

From Berlin with love.

Berlin

Simulation

a project
by
Brooke Cheney
for
Google Innovations
with
Sanj Surati
at
MASE

Our first assignment was to develop a concept for a website. I thought I would create an interactive map where the different points would lead to small stories about that place.

I mocked it up and the homepage looked like this.

Unexpectedly, this was the thing that helped me find my groove.

It inspired me to think of this site in a new way: like a game. But before we get to that, let's talk about Spark AR.

I didn't know how to make augmented reality. I didn't think I could make augmented reality. But I did. And Spark AR made it accessible.

It's about bears. The Steiff teddy bears have held my heart since I used them in collage during my art residency that first long winter in Berlin.

I wanted to test my working theory that femmes relate more to my work than men (werewolf porn, remember?) so I asked for pronoun preference. And other normal stuff: age, place of residence, place of origin...

But the best way to discuss the questions is to share the answers.

I am a TikTok consumer and I can and have spent hours on the app. But have I posted? No.

Not until now! This was a fun experience because I relived some camera roll memories, shot footage at Körnerpark, one of my favorite places in Berlin, and got vulnerable again! It's a theme.