Floating Rock Gathering Project

When I was at university, I understood that the first two years should be a prime time for experimentation and trying new things, which I did for the majority of my projects. However, the Floating Rock Gathering Project was an exception. One of my favourite art styles to experiment with is digital illustration, particularly when thick, bold lines and bold colours are involved. This preference stems from my long-term inspiration from Thomas Hedger, Camille Walala and Keith Haring.

Experimenting with styles completely out of my comfort zone, which I did a lot for my first two years at university, quickly led me down a negative spiral. I spoke about this in more detail on a previous blog back in 2021, (Returning to Graphic Design), where the success of a project often would relate to my confidence and mental health. If a project was successful, I would feel confident in my abilities as a Graphic Designer, however if the project was not up to my personal standards, it would take a toll on my mental health quite significantly. I quickly learned, through time and conversations with my tutor at the time, that this was not a healthy mindset to have and I was not my "failed" projects.

At this time, I was eager to start a project which was in my comfort zone and something which I was confident would result in a useful, successful design, for my own standards. Luckily, the Floating Rock Gathering Project was that project.

What is the Floating Rock Gathering?

The Floating Rock Gathering is a student-oriented event dedicated to promoting the significance of social interaction and venturing beyond your comfort zone, particularly tailored for first-year university students.

Transitioning into the first year of university can be an overwhelming experience, especially for individuals prone to anxiety, who find themselves navigating a new city, removed from familiar surroundings. FRG aims to encourage students to step out of their comfort zones, reminding them of their shared experience on this "floating rock" called Earth.

Logos/brand guidelines

Above showcases the main logo which was used throughout the design process. The experimentation process for the logo was quite extensive. I knew from the start of this project that it was not fitting to use a serif font, because that could mislead the attendees, as serif font could be associated with rock music, particularly when rock is in the title.

In hindsight, I wish I was more experimental with this logo. I missed a great creative opportunity with the tittle of the "i". I could illustrated it to be a small planet/Earth, which would fit with the meaning on the event. Or, I could've experimented with the counter of the o, with a similar design.

The style of typeface was very fitting for my target audience of this project. The design is very inviting and friendly, which is ideal when the event is intended to bring anxious first year students out of their comfort zone, and to encourage them to make the most of their university experience.

The colour palette selected for this project was one of my favourite aspects. There is a large range of cool colours (shades of blue) and warm colours (red, orange and yellow) which all contrast against each other very well, which is great because it allows the design/event to be more eye catching and inviting! A larger colour palette left more room for experimentation.

Furthermore, my comfort area for colour palettes would be a more restricted colour palette (2-3 colours), so this was a great opportunity to experiment with a style that I love, whilst also experimenting with a new technique. As mentioned previously, a student designer's priority in the first two years should be to experiment with new styles and techniques.

Posters

Above shows the first poster which I created for this project. Both posters were created with the intention for them to be placed around campus, which is perfect because this is where the target audience would spend the majority of their time.

The phrase in the centre of this poster states, "come as you are" - which links perfectly to the brand message. Encouraging the attendee to be themselves and not try to fit in to the social norm. Come as you are, be yourself, and you'll be bound to bond. This poster also includes important information which the audience can find if they are interested to attend, including the time and dates. This is not easy to see at first look, which is intentional. The viewer can only see this information if they have genuine interest/have been drawn in to the design through the bright colours and conversational text. In hindsight, more important information could have been added to this, such as where the event is going to be held (NTSU - The Level).

Above is another poster, which is similar to the previous in terms of design, just with a different layout. The main design pieces in this poster is a cow print, flower, and leaves, as well as random patterns, such as squares, spirals and arrows. At the time, cow print was very popular/trendy within my target audience, so it was a fitting design style to add. The design style within these posters were very compact and busy, which was crucial as if this was not the case, the design would most likely look very boring and would deter people from attending.

Social media content:

Another important part of this project was to get online via Instagram. It is common knowledge that students/young adults are chronically online and collect a lot of information on their phones, so it was crucial to be active on here. The social media content of course needed to fit in with the brand guidelines, otherwise the brand identity and presence would appear weak.

Above is the layout of the Instagram feed for @floatingrockgathering (no longer an account). Something which I recognised was extremely important when it came to Instagram was to have a visually pleasing feed/timeline. When the user scrolls through the page, it is apparent that the posts have not been uploaded randomly, and that time, care and effort has been put into the order which the posts go out. This will make the brand appear more trustworthy.

One social post which was created was promoting the performers at the event. I chose 4 performers (Dayglow, Che Lingo, Loyle Carner and Mahalia) and created social posts promoting their presence. In hindsight, this information should've been included on the posters, which were displayed around the campus. These four people are huge names, so it would have been a great way to draw the attention of potential attendees.

The attributes which were incorporated in the posters (flowers, leaves and spirals) are also included in this social post. Repurposing this content throughout the brand was crucial to maintain a strong brand identity. The combination of photography and digital illustration was something I LOVED experimenting with in this project, and something I am keen to experiment with again soon.

Another social post was promoting where the event was. As mentioned previously, this information should have been included on both posters and social media. I took key brand attributes and used this to decorate The Level, using Adobe Photoshop. I used the perspective tool to make it appear as if the illustrations are actually hanging from the barrier. This playful and non-serious approach to the design is perfect to attract the attention of my target audience, as anything too serious would quickly be interpreted as boring and a waste of time.

Above shows a post which is a carousel (a single post with 2 or more images). This post showcases a large banner, with "Floating Rock Gathering" in large lettering, with two flowers either side. This banner is intended to be placed outside of The Level, so there was no need for an address to be on the banner, however in hindsight, it could have been useful to add the time and date of the event, and maybe a illustrative border so the background does not look too boring. As mentioned previously, this is meant to be a fun event, so it is important that the design replicates this throughout.