- Photo frames
- relevant objects
- but still consider the green-screen, or could I carry forward this AV8 / aviate theme of flying and the clouds/stars?
I first experimented with a really simple yet obvious photo frame scene - with the logo loud and proud in the centre, then having the content rolling-over within the frame?Tried this out on both backgrounds, the green was relevant but just felt so ugly.
Developed this further and introduced each listing as an individual photo-frame.
- now and experimenting with some other backing content and layout of type.
- was clear how the homely items would add more context, but also how I needed to try out some varoius type-faces too.I began including content like the genres of music to expect, the link where to find all the information and content and then also communicating our USP of the green-screen.
I tried various typefaces experimenting with more bold and broad options which provide more impact to the audience like the 90s rave art and big type I have took inspiration from already. And then also some more alternative options such as Mono typefaces reflecting this more retro-digital style I had been referencing through the artworks.The hard-hitting Eurostile used previously was a favourite of the crit-group - with suggestions to try it as just an outline and with a shadow, etc...
With the layout I'd created people began asking me why I haven't reflected the textures created by the grain and noise in the flyers - showing how this could be what is missing to link the overall poster back..
I did quite like the outcome out of all of the others, but I really wasn't happy releasing this as it was not of a consistent quality like the other flyers and outcomes are.
I started to try and take inspirational from more of an artisanal route - looking at the likes of Houghton Festival and their more freehand approach to their identity..
Also trying to think how I can feature the green, yet strip it back and make it less over-whelming for the audience.
I did really like the direction this was going in - but it was clear how it was not at all representative of the style I had been using. It was too considered and minimal.
I considered how I could spruce this up with some broader type.
- Trying some bold, letterpress inspired typography, aswell as the broad Sporting Grot, and also a mono-style typeface..
Again, my peers and I did like this design style, but could strongly agree how it was not appropriate for the platform I have created and its underground audience
A course-mate, Tom Dixon, suggested how the more stripped back, artisanal style works for a festival like Houghton because it prides itself on being very artisanal and cultural which plays solely Techno. As I have the diversity and aggression / energy coming from higher BPM genres like Bass and DnB featured on the page too, it has to meet in the middle and represent this darker side of the music industry too.
This is where the inspiration for my next poster came from.
The design itself came together quite quickly with no real development. I was simply throwing together the various elements from the previous posters, over a black background trying to consider how I could effectively communicate all the content, but still split the information up and reference the green-screen somewhere rather than having the whole poster in that colour. With the listings at the bottom and then the illustration at the top with just a green SCREEN (featuring a gradient to lessen the impact of an ugly solid green) behind us - I thought about how I could break this content up in an interactive way with animation potential too.
This was most definitely through a banner cutting the page in two- it provides that halfway point between the information whilst effecting linking back to the retro-digital style (can imagine the info on a continuously panning loop now!)
I experimented with different ways I could approach the banner...
.. but did definitely like the use of orange as it creates the colour contrast between the green, perfectly complimenting it and balancing out the accents of the stark black poster.
Feedback:
I took the final design to a crit feedback session with a group of my peers to see what people inside and outside of the music industry thought..
- Peers agreed how it can be distributed via print to boost the engagement, but via the digital platform will get the most successful response and impact due to my specific and young, underground audience. Thus they wanted to see me experiment with subtle animations for the digital copy.
- Some females in the crit group suggested how my design was not gender neutral and felt obviously very clique-y - discouraging girls such as themselves to get involved with the platform.
This did make me question the objective of my page and whether it felt interactive / approachable enough, and whether it was actually welcoming to the public and specific audience I was aiming it at?
But the majority of people in the crit group allowed me to see how it is reflecting a substantial influence of the page, coming directly from our roots, this is a one off graphic which is celebrating the friendship group which inspires and pushes the whole platform.
I believe that just because I have not included a girl in the picture (as their isn't one in the group who have made this happen), doesn't mean we are secluding them from the platform - I guess that means we need to include a black guy too so we are not racist!
The statistics on Facebook have evidenced to me how the target audience is particularly most popular with males ages 18-24, but there is a percentage of female engagement too, which naturally is a bit quieter within the industry. I will however push in the future how I can be more inclusive of females on the page too - funnily enough no-one in the crit-group knew anyone any female DJs though.
- Other peers suggested how it does reflect a close-knit family collective which me and my friends clearly have, but this is admirable and engaging as people in the dance music industry want in on that whole community vibe, celebrating the music. People have already started making the link to us as AV8 and will recognise us to come and start conversations about the page when out and about, boosting it even further into the public domain and specific industry of dance music. Which is exactly what the aim of the page was - to celebrate our love for music and share it with everyone and then just keep expanding the circle of people we have featured - to expose and promote the up & coming talent.
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