Graphic Design Festival Creative Direction

Creative Direction for a Design Festival.

The Haüs Design Festival at the University of Florida was our inaugural graphic design festival and career fair, held from April 26th-28th, 2024. This event celebrated the power of design to inspire, connect, and transform communities.

I had the honor of serving as a co-creative director for the festival. In this role, I developed a brand identity based on the UF Graphic Design Class of 2024’s vision, ensured consistency and quality across all design deliverables as the “vibe checker,” stepped in to refine designs when needed, and maintained a fun and engaging atmosphere.

Co-Creative Director: Ashley Mayorga
Copywriting: Zaniab Ali, Anna Lin
Event Programming: Brittain Rainville, Madison Rassbach
Photo, Video, & Archival: Max Dotson, Catherine Skelly
I.D.E.A: Anani Blakey, Jackson Olivencia
Showcase Production: Brooke Burchfield, Paloma Buzzi, Manna Robertson
Festival Production: Amber Townsend, Cat Paroline, Chloe Girod, Hannah Caudill
Social Media Team: Emma Schickling, Nikki Ogden
Web & Digital: Amber Laird, Bethany Jacobs
Project Management: Ella Terran, Marq Mervin, Paula Mitre
Branding
Creative Direction & Leadership
Digital Design
File Organization & Transfer
Logo Design
Merchandise Design
Social Media Content Creation
Stakeholder Mettings
Typography
January - April 2024 (11 weeks)

The Vision

After multiple meetings with the UF Graphic Design Class of 2024, my co-creative director, Ash Mayorga, and I decided on three key themes for our brand voice:

Inspiring: We aimed to ignite a newfound spark of creativity in attendees by incorporating play and excitement into every design aspect.

Nostalgic: As true Y2K babies who came of age during the tumultuous COVID times, we honored our upbringing with 2000s nostalgia in our typography and color choices.

Bold: Our motto was "more is more!" We aimed to create something memorable, punchy, and eye-catchingly bright.

Ash and I brought these themes to life in the attached brand guideline through a color palette, type treatment, logos, and design inspiration. These guidelines formed the basis of all future festival designs.

Print Deliverables

A festival and showcase like Our Haüs requires extensive print signage and promotions. Our amazing print team handled everything with ease, from Manna’s Senior Showcase flyers to Hannah’s graphic design-themed festival games. Their hard work ensured every detail was perfectly executed.

Social Media

I took a hands-on role in our social media designs, creating a posting schedule, brainstorming content, and assisting the team in designing posts for our story and feed. Throughout the semester, we connected with the Gainesville community to spread the word. The result was a fun, inclusive online presence. My favorite post was the yearbook-style Class of 2024 features, designed by Emma Schickling.

Motion Graphics

Our Haüs’s resident videographer and motion artist, Max Dotson, transformed my logo into this playful, cheeky animation. Cute, right? We featured this piece in our promotional videos and social media feed.

Web & Digital

Our exceptional Web & Digital Team transformed the Our Haüs website from initial wireframes to a polished, finished product. The site includes a concise introduction to the festival, all contact and logistical information, and pages showcasing all 32 of UF Graphic Design’s seniors. Additionally, Catherine Skelly, our photographer, took studio headshots of each of us.

Check the site out here!

Merchandise

No event is truly complete without custom merchandise! Drawing from my brand guidelines, I created designs for t-shirts and tote bags that were available for sale at the festival on April 28th. My goal was to craft items that people would be eager to pull from their closets and proudly wear, showcasing our brand.

The Big Day

The festival was a resounding success! The senior class showcased their top college projects to family, colleagues, and prospective recruiters. Following this, we hosted a studio gallery to foster connections among designers. On April 28th, the Gainesville community gathered at Fourth Ave Food Park for a day of games, delicious food, and support for local art vendors.

Special thanks to Max Dotson, Paula Mitre, and Catherine Skelly for capturing these photos of the festival!

Thank you, Our Haüs!

Working as the creative director for UF’s first ever graphic design festival and career showcase was the perfect way to say thank you to the program and people who shaped my work during my time at the University of Florida. I am forever thankful to my amazing cohort for their mind-blowing talent, hard work, and good humor. I can’t wait to see how this event grows in the future.

-Anna