Design Case Study – GR Pride Festival 2018

The Grand Rapids Pride Festival takes place annually in downtown Grand Rapids and features music, performances, activities, and delicious food in celebration of our LGBTQ community.
This year’s festival is especially exciting because it is the 30^th anniversary – and we were thrilled to help bring the festival’s design to life! Here is a peak of the work behind-the-scenes to create the final result.

PURPOSE

Grand Rapids Pride Center, host of the Pride Festival, wanted to emphasize its 30^th anniversary through the overall design aesthetic for promotional pieces and announcements.
The theme “30 and Fabulous” aligned perfectly with the festival’s message: a celebration of happiness, beauty, and individuality, much like a person’s 30^th birthday party.

APPROACH

A successful design needed to convey that sense of celebration. The final product, pictured below, was inspired by the happiness of summer, the beauty in bright and eccentric colors, and the sensation of individuality you feel when you throw on a unique pair of shades.
This design has an energetic and modern aesthetic, with playful colors, shapes, and typography. It encompasses celebration and entertainment all in one: two main aspects of the Pride Festival.

We also wanted to be sure that the design concept for the festival seamlessly aligned with Grand Rapids Pride Center’s current logo and brand standards. The font family, Avenir, stayed cohesive with their current brand, however, we utilized its outlines to create a colorfully fun, layered effect on the type treatment for the “30 & Fabulous” tagline.
Also cohesive with their brand standards, the color palette used in the festival’s design is a brighter version of the Pride Center’s current rainbow palette.
After finalizing this concept, we ensured that all promotional pieces and announcements complemented each other to create recognition for the festival.
    
 

We loved helping Grand Rapids Pride Center convey the excitement surrounding their 30^th anniversary celebration, and giving the festival’s design a modern, playful refresh. We may make it look easy, but successful design requires a perfect blend of art and science.
We hope to see you this summer at the Grand Rapids Pride Festival on Saturday, June 16, from 12pm to 10 pm!