This project showcases a promotional campaign for an imaginary international summer music festival. I've carefully chosen the artists, location, and festival name to reflect the genre - Bossa Nova. The campaign encompasses key deliverables including Research & Mood Boards, Logo & Color schemes, Posters, Tickets & VIP Passes, and Merchandise.
Bossa Nova is a special kind of music that came from Brazil in the late 1950s. It’s known for its smooth rhythms, fancy harmonies, and gentle tunes. The music has a relaxed and elegant feeling because of its subtle and bouncy beat. Bossa Nova mixes traditional Brazilian samba and jazz, making it sound interesting with complicated chord changes, especially on the guitar.
The initial concept for the logo was inspired by the shape of a trumpet, a symbolic instrument in Bossa Nova music. I also wanted to incorporate the word "Bloom". After several attempts, the first draft was chosen, featuring a letter "B" with two dots. A more playful and fluid version replaced the trumpet bell with a flower head, while the two dots remained. However, after digitizing the design, the dots seemed out of place and were excluded in the final version.
For the word mark, the main consideration was balancing modernity and fluidity. I experimented with several typefaces, but none suited the heaviness of the words. Simplification was the next step. By removing the repeated "B"s, introducing a negative curve, creating more space between letters, and resizing the letters, I achieved a sense of rhythm and fluidity, evoking a relaxed and flowing sensation.
A customized typeface for the word mark ensured consistency between the icon and the word mark. The wave shape became the basic element of the logo design. This shape is closely linked with the genre, symbolizing the laid-back, smooth, and rhythmic qualities characteristic of Bossa Nova music. Additionally, it reflects Brazil’s coastal lifestyle and the connection between Bossa Nova and the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. The design retained the character of larger widths for peaks and valleys. The terminals of the letters were sharp and half-rounded, maintaining the conciseness and elegance of the design. A notable feature is the stem of the letter "B." To prevent it from tipping, the bottom is wider and includes a sharp serif to balance the weight of the petal.
For the color palette, I aimed to highlight the delightful, relaxing, and intimate mood of the music festival. I chose a low-contrast, highly transparent, warm dichromatic color scheme. The orange color embodies the beach influence inherent in the music genre, while the addition of pink infuses a blooming tint. Furthermore, I integrated purple as a secondary color to represent the jazz influence and beige as an accent color.
The logo is most effective when paired with a complementary background color or one that is either extremely light or dark. If the background color closely matches the logo color, it's best to use a white version. When a complementary background is not present, the white version is also recommended, as the low contrast can make the logo less legible.
The poster features a charming scene where flowers and plants harmoniously play musical instruments within an arch, inspired by the iconic stone arch at VanDusen Botanical Garden. Employing a rich array of gradients and textures, I've added depth to the scenery within the arch, captivating attention. In addition, a flat design approach was employed for the text, creating a striking contrast. The primary aim is to evoke a sense of delight and relaxation, setting the scene for a special summer music festival surrounded by beautiful greenery, while also promoting environmental awareness.
The font choice for 'VanDusen' and 'Music Festival' is unexpected and inspiring. While it might seem a bit excessive on its own, it works well as a subtitle. Given the abundance of text, the font doesn’t draw too much attention and mimics the shapes of plants, creating a good hierarchy and enhancing the theme. Additionally, it was rewarding to experiment with other information like musicians, time, location, and sponsors. I adhered to a symmetrical layout, maintaining a subtle balance and rhythm throughout the text.
The vibe was crucial for a music festival. My goal was to simultaneously showcase the characteristics of the music genre and the festival atmosphere. It was essential to delve deeply into the genre, identifying its symbols and accurately defining the brand through logo design. This project allowed me to comprehensively practice visual elements such as lines, negative spaces, colors, and textures.
There is still room for improvement in some details. To better showcase the illustration and information, I placed the barcode on the back of the ticket. While this may result in higher costs, there could be more practical solutions in real life.