Event Collateral

Objective

An event collateral for an Indian classical dance show that included an evite, event invitation with envelope, event hand-out (three-fold brochure) and a thank you note.

About the Event

An Indian classical dance show attended by about 500 guests, to whom invitations were sent in advance and hand-outs and thank you notes were given on the day of the event.

Pre Design Phase

Understand Brand Personality

Before even starting to design the event collateral, knowing the story of the dancer was imperative. A few hours were spent with the dancer to understand her journey as a dancer so that it could be translated into her brand personality. The brand portrayed through the collateral referred to the identity she wished to convey to her fans and well-wishers.

Define the Audience

The invitations, handouts and thank you notes were shared with friends, family, and fans of the dancer. There were people in all age groups, however, the common factor between them was the fact that they were all dance aficionados, who understood the art form and its history.

Develop Messages

Content was the most important aspect of the collateral. A strong and clear message that spoke to the audience in a style they can relate to was developed. Simple and friendly language with bright and vibrant imagery was used to match the brand and appeal to the target audience. Finalizing the content before designing helped to make design decisions that strengthened the messaging.

Printing Specs

Detailed notes were taken on every piece of collateral that was required for the event. The specs for each piece was finalized discussing with the client. This included dimensions, paper stock, and file formats. The quantity of each collateral was then decided. Knowing the quantity upfront allowed to work with the printer to get quotes for the project well in advance.

• Evite: 5.5 x 4 inches
• Invitation: 9 x 6 inches (one-sided)
• Envelope: 9.1 x 6.1 inches
• Hand-out: 18 x 9 inches (two-sided, tri-fold)
• Thank You Note: 6 x 4 inches (one-sided)

Design Phase

Consistent Brand Identity

The brand identity developed in the pre design phase described the visual look and feel. It was kept consistent across all pieces of the collateral so that the user doesn’t feel disjointed and ambiguous.

Design with the End-user in Mind

The psychology and needs of the end-user were taken into consideration.

Design decisions were made based on the following
• How the ideal user expected to receive the information
• Colors and typefaces that appealed to them
• Placement of important information that grabbed their attention

Typeface

Dosis Medium: a humanist sans serif type was used for the body copy
Candle script: used for page headers, which brought in the flavor of Indian tradition
Sunflowers: handwritten type used for the name helped in carving a unique identity and it made the communication feel personal.

Color Palette

Find the Style

A few stylistic elements added made the collateral elegant. Using them consistently on all the pieces helped in churning out a signature style. The vector in which the date and venue details were presented is an example.

Gather Copy and Images

Outline of the copy was provided by the client. However, it had to be edited to fit the layout. The use of headlines and sub-heads to structure the text made it effortless for readers who don’t have the attention span to read the entire thing. Finalizing the images was an aggressive task as there were about 300 images to choose from. Images were picked based on the color of the costume, the direction of the eye, and hand/foot gestures.

Following C-A-R-P

Contrast: Contrast given to the content by using different colors, type and size emphasized important information.

Alignment: Each element was consciously aligned with something specific on the page, that helped the reader digest the information.

Repeating information in a pattern provided natural grouping and relevance to the content.

Proximity: The content was organized into small, manageable chunks and related elements were placed together. By visually grouping connected information, each section was read as a unit as intended.

Final Solution

Evite

The evite acted like a teaser to the event. It was sent to the guests a few months before the event to remind them to save the date. It was designed with minimal text giving importance to the photograph of the dancer and CTA (call to action).

Event Invitation

Of the hundreds of photographs provided by the client, this picture was chosen as the hand gesture of the dancer symbolizes welcoming a guest. Also, her hand led the reader to her name, followed by the date and venue.

Event Hand-out

A three-fold brochure was given to every guest who attended the event. It included the agenda, bio of the dancer and her teacher, and photographs.

Content Analysis: The mandatory details to be included in the brochure were the introduction of the teacher and the dancer, program schedule, names of members of the orchestra team and photographs of the dancer in different costumes.

Composition: The dark background accentuated the richness of the costumes of the dancer. This was done by discarding the background from the original photographs. The cover picture of the brochure led the reader to the inner pages where the event description was given.

The dancer looked at the reader as if communicating directly about the event. Costumes in four different colors made the inner page very attractive. The text in white and yellow was legible and also gave the composition an interesting contrast.

Thank-You Note

Giving a thank you note to the guests was an ideal way to express the gratitude of the host and it also served as a souvenir. The handwritten typeface gave it a more personal touch. Goodybags in the color of the dancer's costume with the branding were also made.

Design Evaluation

After the collateral was designed, it was evaluated to make sure it met all the requirements of the client. It was shared with a few people to confirm if the
• Design grabbed the attention of the user
• Messaging was clear
• Design pointed to CTA
• Design was in line with the personality of the dancer

Post Design Phase

Choosing a Printer

A printer was chosen based on the budget and logistics convenience. Design samples were printed on papers with varied thicknesses and textures to see what looked the best.

Finalizing the Printing Material

The following aspects were considered before making the print decision - paper-weight, finish (matte, semi-gloss, glossy) and ink and specialty processes (foil, embossing, UV spot).

Reflection

Overview

The purpose of designing the event collateral was for the dancer to gain more exposure. The idea was to create conversations, and keep the memory of the event fresh in the minds of the attendees so that the result of the efforts lived longer.

Challenges

After finishing the design process, establishing a relationship with a printer, getting all the graphic pieces printed within the budget and making sure that the colors matched took more time and effort than anticipated.

Outcome

The collateral designed for the dance show played a big role in the success of the event. Prior to the event, it helped in spreading the word. During the event, it reeled in the target audience and directed their attention completely to the event. Post event, it helped the client nurture relationships.

Learning

I gained real-world insight into constructing a personal brand though a strongly articulated concept and well-developed design. The experience of crafting a plan to integrate every piece of the event into a comprehensive, synergistic design concept was very rewarding.