Fundraiser for artist relief grants
The COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on the arts community. Many arts spaces and music venues were shuttered during the height of the panedmic, and this disruption was especially hard on performing artists and those who rely on live events for income.
Come Hear NC (a project of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and North Carolina Arts Council), partnered with Charlotte-based digital publication CLTure to produce Under One Roof, a virtual concert series with the goal of raising money for grants to bolster our struggling arts sector.
The three-day event raised $50,000 to support artists across N.C. thanks to a stellar roster of musicians: Anthony Hamilton, 9th Wonder, Rapsody, Ben Folds, Little Brother, Fantastic, The Hamiltones, Petey Pablo, Steep Canyon Rangers, Mandolin Orange (now Watchhouse), Tift Merritt, Jim Lauderdale, Chatham County Line, Brooke Simpson, Che Apalache, and the Harvey Cummings Project.
As the lead designer for the project, I designed all the promotional media (poster, social graphics, lower-third titles for video, etc) for the event.
project IDEATION
Project partner CLTure kicked off the marketing and branding with some initial design concepts.
We wanted this project to be unique, but still identifiable as part of the Come Hear NC campaign. While the draft concepts gave us some creative direction, it didn't give us the connection to the Come Hear NC branding we wanted to see.
Logo concept from CLTure
Poster concept from CLTure
Under One Roof logo ideation and concept from CLTure
initial drafts
After I was asked to join the design process, I began by identifying the element of the original concept that had the strongest connection to existing Come Hear NC branding - the outline of the state of North Carolina.
Simplifying CLTure's concept logo
Since this is collaborative project, I wanted to respect the creative input of CLTure's designers and simplify the artwork while maintaining elements of their initial concept.
Logo explorations of simplified mark incorporating Come Hear NC branding
However, after the first round of logo explorations, it was clear neither partner was completely happy with the direction the design. With the tight production timeline and the focus on executing complicated event logistics, there wasn't as much time allotted for branding design. Project partners were not completely aligned on the design brief and specific deliverable for marketing.
Finally, after several rounds of discussion, all project partners eventually agreed on the following themes:
Use the Come Hear NC branding: keep the typeface and blue on blue brand colors, but add complementary colors to extend the palette.
Design should aim to convey a sense of home: a message of comfort, assurance, and optimism.
Explore the concept and/or shape of "roof": a literal approach to the title Under One Roof.
final designs
Once everyone involved in the project was able to agreed on the core themes and basic deliverables, I came up with a branding and logo that matched the revised design briefs.
Final logo, flyer, and social media graphic design