That is what this responsive web design is about. When brainstorming what type of event I wanted to curate for this project, I first had to explore what inspires me. Given my background in dance & theatrics, I was naturally drawn to making an interface for a performance arts based production. I also wanted to draw attention to a local BC cause, so I merged the idea of a stage show and dancefloor event with a fundraiser for a cause. My personal goal was authenticity and originality. No stock photos, no stock illustrations, no edited vectors. I wanted to use my artistic skills to create entirely from the ground up in every software I’m familiar with for UI, making sure to dabble into all of them. I wanted to make my creations as custom and thoughtfully branded as possible. I also wanted to make sure that my UX was strong even though this is a UI and branding-centred project, paying attention to information hierarchy, flow, wireframing, and how the user might navigate the site with ease.
3 week sprint
Sketch, Photoshop, Illustrator, InVision
UI Designer
Concept inception, two style directions, typeface pairing, custom illustration, custom graphic, custom merch design, social media campaign, logo design, style guide, wireframes, high fidelity mock ups for desktop and mobile
Before getting to the drawing board, I had to ask myself.. what is the purpose of this project? Why am I doing this? And what is the big idea behind my event?
My event would contain no big artist and DJ names, no worldly organizations. Only local artists supporting local causes, and ultimately the idea of art as a service to others, in this being a fundraiser. I write this amidst the COVID-19 crisis, where drawing attention to local movements, artists and businesses has never been more important. Profits would be shared equally. That is the big idea, and the purpose within that is to celebrate the underground performance arts and nightlife culture while also raising funds for a timely, relevant cause.
As for the name choice, the word “Acuario” is a word which bears two meanings in my first language, Portuguese. It means “aquarium”, and it is also the translated name of the zodiac sign Aquarius, or the “water-bearer” sign ruled by the Air element. I already see a vision forming in my mind about the different ways I could use air and water invoking imagery as inspirations to create a base, unifying motif for the overall design. It also sounds intriguing as a dance event, given the enigmatic name to English-speakers. This invokes a sense of exoticism, promotes the sensual nature of dance, and sparks the curiosity of wanting to explore the meaning of this name further.
I wanted to create a passionate, sensual, lively and edgey mood through the use of a fun but professional copywriting and various full-body dance illustrations featuring alternative-looking models. I also wanted to create texture through the use of collages and overlayed body imagery. The goal is to create a sense of movement through the website that feels flowing, irregular & dynamic — using lines, whether in photographic imagery, illustration or the layout of the page itself to guide the eyes.
Fundraiser
I imagine that this would be an ongoing event where each time a different wave of artists and organization/movement would be in the spotlight. For this event I chose Unist’ot’en because the Wet’suwet’en are on the frontlines of defending clean air and water in BC, which feels highly in line with the theme, and they are currently and constantly facing legal battles and injunctions from the RCMP and opposing pipelines, so this feels relevant.
I would see it as 50% of proceeds going towards the local artists and 50% towards Unist’ot’en. At times even more so balanced towards Unist’ot’en and/or other causes, if artists are willing.
Direction A “Submerged”
This first direction played off the visual idea of submergence in water. Think deep sea, oceanic, diving in the deep end next to a colourful coral reef — type of vibes. Colours would be bold, close to neon, and always contrasted against a dark, deep blue background.
This direction uses a palette of bright colours, like the sea-life, starfish and coral one might see — to create the sense of playfulness and liveliness amongst the depth of the dark background.
Direction B “On Shore”
The second direction, was the idea of being on shore. Above water, as though poolside or on a sandy shore of a crystal beach, but still dipping and splashing into the waves. I wound up choosing this direction for a few reasons. Firstly, I thought it worked best with the chosen name and concept for the event. If we’re thinking about air and water, we are thinking of water that is closer to the surface, where there is more oxygen, more air. Also the idea of aquarium or water-bearing feels less like the depths of the ocean, and more so contained water.
I also felt that the colours in this direction were equally playful and lively, such as in the first direction — with the poolside teal and the bright pop of the orange-undertoned red. However, using a narrower scope of bright colours against a lighter, warmer background could provide more room for subtleties, and exploration of a duo tone palette in more experimental ways.
This direction also feels refreshing, as a breath of fresh air would after a plunge in the depths, invoking a feeling of clarity which is always inspiring branding to work off of.
Persona
Logo
When thinking up a logo, I wanted to reach for something a little more complex. Because Acuario is a small brand that is not well-known yet, it is important to create something unique, something memorable. I also started thinking about what logo design would look good for branding on t-shirts, waterbottles etc., one that could serve as a stylized art piece on its own. I also felt more artistic freedom in this, given that it is a creative production and not a super-serious app. I was instantly drawn to this windmill-like shape that is recurring throughout the designs, because the lines capture a sense of both air and water simultaneously.
Wordmark was also important. I downloaded some more cursive-like fonts off Google Fonts that captured a sense of movement, such as Rock Salt and Nothing You Could Do.
I wound up choosing Nothing You Could Do as the wordmark typeface, since there was something so pleasantly casual about it for me. It feels handwritten, and I quite love the irregularity of how it sits on a grid. Feels very organic.
The first of the top three finalists for a symbolic logo was a deconstructed water droplet design, but in the end I found it a bit too complex. The second one was similar to the deconstructed water droplet above, but without the sharp triangle, which made it a bit more flow-y. The third design was simpler; the original windmill-esque design I first conjured, before I explored it further with the other top two designs.
I wound up choosing the middle one because it felt like a good “in-between”. Not too simple, not too complex.
Illustrations & Graphics
I made these illustrations using traced photos of myself and other models in various dance positions. The idea was to infuse my chosen colour palette into this and create this red-eyed, blue-lipped, blue-haired character that could be repeated throughout the project. Of course upon closer inspection, one could see that it is not the same character, for each illustration has a different tattoo placed on her body. I liked the subtlety of the changing the black clothes, fishnets and tattoo. The tattoo and fishnets also help create a sexy, edgey appearance.
I made two separate collages in Photoshop using my own imagery and various overlay technique. These dramatic images are to be used for posters/flyers, as well as deconstructed so parts of it could be used throughout the site as a hero banner and other custom stylizing purposes. These images also help convey the air/water motif, as well as the juicy, refreshing, indulgent, evocative, emotive, and sensual nature of the brand/event itself. Perhaps even giving the audience a small reveal into what type of performance/performer they might see at the event.
I thought it was important to include real bodies in action in the form of photography as opposed to only sticking to illustrations because aside from being a deeper reveal to the audience about the event itself, the human form creates more relatability. Dance and conceptual performance pieces are at their very essence, a raw and embodied human experience, so I feel this adds more depth and realness to the brand.
Branding & Marketing
Acuario’s Instagram would include YVR in the title to highlight that it is Vancouver-based. It would feature stories and posts of a variety of merch, as well as artist and organization features. The branding is enhanced throughout with themed illustrations to break up the photographic content as well as stylized posters that match the aesthetic of the brand.
The ‘gram would share one post daily or every other day in the leading two weeks before the event, with a series of less professional, daily “home-cooked” feeling stories as well.
Leaflets would be used to promote the event, displaying all the essential information you need from the date, brief description of event, artist line-up, location/address, as well as website and Instagram link.
I’ve designed custom swag such as graphic hoodies featuring the collages I made, as well as branded hoodies, crop hoodies, crop tops, flasks and coffee mugs that use the logo and colour palette. Crop apparel is forever trending these days, as well as duo or tri-toned pullover hoodies that are fairly unisex. Coffee mug thermos comes with a coffee cup that unscrews, which is practical for camping and festival party culture. The flask as well. The use of reusable drinking vessels is also on brand for Acuario, since a lot of the organizations involve environmental awareness and I would want to steer clear of contributing to disposable waste. These items would be made with quality fabrics rather than cheap (no low thread counts!), so they are also made to endure longer.
Final Prototype
Desktop Prototype
