The challenge was to create an identity system for the Brisbane Writers Festival that appealed to a broad target audience of readers and writers of all ages.
Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) has been celebrating reading, writing and ideas with the people of Queensland writers to the world for fifty years.
Renowned for its energy and casual intellect, BWF brings together readers, writers, innovators, and provocateurs within the cultural precinct in the heart of the city right on the Brisbane River.
A brand that is fresh, exciting and above all fun, BWF flaunts its historical pride with a contemporary punch to showcase its intelligent yet genuine attitude. BWF welcomes everyone to join and celebrate all that it has to offer, embracing the diversity of the community.
LOGOTYPE
The logotype was based on the typeface Lato developed by Łukasz Dziedzic. Lato means ‘Summer’ in Polish and the semi-rounded details of the letters give Lato a feeling of warmth, while the strong structure provides stability and seriousness. These characteristics make it the perfect foundation for the BWF brand.
The logotype was based on the typeface Lato developed by Łukasz Dziedzic. Lato means ‘Summer’ in Polish and the semi-rounded details of the letters give Lato a feeling of warmth, while the strong structure provides stability and seriousness. These characteristics make it the perfect foundation for the BWF brand.
The typeface was customised through the creation of additional ligatures and the removal of a portion of the crossbar in the small caps B and R. The primary logotype is designed to be viewed primarily in black with an option to be displayed in green when not viewed in conjunction with the primary support graphic.
SMP
Brisbane Writers Festival possesses vast literary adventures waiting to be discovered.
CONCEPT
The concept was based on the notion that one of the greatest gifts of literature is the fact that it sparks the imagination, a single text can be perceived differently by every reader.
The visual device the inkblot is based on the Rorschach test. Playful illustrations are created using the inkblot as the basis of the scene. The illustrations are designed not to be symmetrical to highlight the fact that different viewers perceive different things from the inkblot. This is similar to the notion of readers imagining texts.
The concept appeals to the masses by capitalising on common ground by pairing childlike illustrations with the higher order meaning of the Rorschach test. Children see it as playful and fun, while adults will see the playful fun tone but also understand the higher meaning in the use of an inkblot.
The tagline ‘dare to discover’ encapsulates the SMP by calling on the viewer to take action and be a part of the Brisbane Writers Festival.
EXECUTION
The illustration was executed using food die and water colour paper to create the inkblots, giving the depth and brightness of colour required to capture the tone of the project. Illustrations were drawn using a fine tip Sharpie. The tagline was created using a brush to write the tagline in food colouring on water colour paper. Versatility for the primary support graphic was introduced by allowing both vector and photographic options depending on use.
Design College Australia student project
