Hugo House Events
The Hugo House is a long-standing Creative Writing Center located on Capitol Hill in Seattle, WA. They offer classes, events, youth programs and resources for writers and literary creatives.
I was approached by a colleague in charge of coordinating events to help aid in the creation of their event posters and digital media for various clients.
I thoroughly love each project and each new concept they can bring! Creating each event poster is a rewarding experience that allows me to embrace new challenges and push my creative boundaries. I enjoy exploring unique concepts and designing visuals that not only capture the essence of the event, and express what the client wants, but also engages the audience effectively. Each project brings its own set of requirements and inspirations, and this variety and ability to help a creative community fuels my passion for design.
The two above posters were particularly fun and challenging due to an additional constraint: I only had less than a week to complete them. I only had the information needed, and a vague idea of what the event was going to be. I was told to “just make it simple, its fine as long as its clear”, but I wanted to go a step further than just text. I really wanted to make sure to grasp the concept of the event and what the client might want based on that.
I used both a sketchbook and Canva as a prototype, then took them into Adobe Illustrator for final designs, checking in with the Event Coordinator before finalizing.
For the Salvagia book launch, I used elements from the book cover. Using a poppy bold typeface, exciting colors and a figure from the book cover I was able to create a poster that both the Hugo House and the event creator was happy with.
For the Zine event, I used a specific image they wanted to use, while using a bold, freehand style typeface and imagery of a book/magazine. I wanted to give it a sort of “DIY” feel, to emulate the hand-made zine one might hope to create during the event.
For this event, I had a lot more specifics for what the event entailed, including sponsors.. This is a subject that means a lot to me, so I wanted to make sure I represented the event, as well as the memoir, as well as I could.
In addition to a poster, the client asked for an advertisement they could use on social media. I custom made the ad using similar elements from the poster. I also ensured that a thumbnail for the Hugo House website was created.
The challenge here was to breach a sensitive subject but make it engaging enough to pique curiosity. I used colors that represent calm, serenity and hopefulness, and figures that could represent any one of us.
The client, Janée J. Baugher, was ecstatic and offered a testimonial.