In Spring 2018, Mint collaborated with Quang Tran, a local entrepreneur, with a speculative design project called Made in Gainesville, aiming to study ways to elevate local talent, help UF graduates to find valuable job experiences locally, and help the city become a center of creativity and innovation in the region.

Mint students (Kendal Jones, Jordan Taylor, Helena Bouchard, and Holly Strickland) speculated through design about different possible ways to facilitate resources and help creatives find a space in Gainesville. From websites to creativity conferences—Mint students proposed how Made in Gainesville could move from an ideal to a concrete event or medium. Through the duration of the project, Mint students experimented with several primary and secondary research methods—from surveys and opinion questionnaires to competitive analysis and observation.