Branding, Illustration and Print.West Australian Music
WAMFest, WAMCon, WAMAwards, Song of the Year. 2016 - 2022
For 6 years, I worked with WAM to create the visual identity for their flagship annual festival, conference and awards, and supported those events with design for every shape and size of application, from nametags to billboards.
In 2016 I was commissioned to become the designer for West Australian Music’s series of annual events, and worked with the organisation through to branding the newly established WA Music Month and Hear & Now events in 2022.
In addition to the key artwork, between 2016 and 2020 I fully produced everything from programs, slides, digital advertisements, social media templates, CD artwork, tote bags, maps, awards, certificates, exhibition materials and more. I’m proud that I could contribute to the industry, and enjoy knowing that the award stickers I designed are sitting on the shelves of some of the greatest Australian (and West Australian) artists and bands.
From 2017 onwards I was able to create new logotypes and branding for the festivals, reinvented the type, art and design styles, ensuring each new year had a distinct and special feeling. Whether it was utilising the aesthetics of dynamic illustration, gritty street advertising, or abstract and three dimensional graphics, the goal each year was to have the events and branding feel fresh, and reflective of the tones and values set by the WA Music industry.
From 2016 to 2018 I leaned into different facets of my signature illustration style to produce three very different results for the key artwork. The team at WAM was very trusting of my process and happy with the unique personality I was able to embed into the marketing materials each year.
The 2018 artwork and branding was a particular favourite of mine, as I felt I was able to create a distinct world based around the events. The theme reflected the idea that there is “something in the water in Perth” that allows for the development of so many unique and amazing talents in the music industry. It was also the first year integrating animations into the promotional activities and event collateral.
Not one to rest on my laurels, in 2019 and beyond I flexed the visual aesthetic into of the festival into new territory, employing 3D graphics and illustration. Throughout these years I also produced distinct branding and artwork for WAM’s Song of the Year. I also developed a new suite of logos and brand assets, along with a brand guide to detail them and inform design decisions for a number of years to come.
Each year I would do rigorous ideation and concept development, and had a great deal of fun exploring visual ideas before presenting a curated set of directions with WAM.
Just a small selection from dozens of ideated poster concepts I produced.
While I explored graphic concepts expanding on the idea of shapes that I had established in the previous year, ultimately I went one step further and the final artwork featured 3D illustrations.
Each year required that the artwork for the Festival, Conference and Awards appeared across applications of various shapes and sizes.
In 2021, I brought my work with WAM to my desk at Strange Animals, where we produced the first WA Music Month branding (now WA Music Week).
This was something of a significant return after COVID made things quite difficult for the live music industry. It required a logo and set of key artwork that felt fresh, but also reflected some of the legacy of WAM’s own brand. It was important to tie it closely with the organisation helping to move things forward again. Employing legacy colours, contemporary graphics and layouts, and WAM’s triangle motif, we crafted an identity that did just this.
As part of that initial task, I also illustrated and designed key artwork for the flagship event HEAR & NOW, reconnecting it in spirit with my previous work on the festival.
