Medusa Music Fest — UI Design Case Study
“Monsters of the music industry”
Introduction
“Music nowadays is garbage. I don’t understand, where are the words, music can be played by pushing buttons.”
Medusa music fest is meant to break the stereotype.
While it is true that some contemporary music may contain lyrics centered around drugs, sex, and money, it would be a mischaracterization to suggest that this represents the entirety of the current musical landscape. In fact, hip-hop and electronic genres are home to a great deal of creativity and experimentation that pushes the boundaries of what is considered traditional hip-hop. This innovative spirit keeps the genre fresh and constantly evolving, and is a hallmark of the diversity and richness of modern music. Without this drive for change and experimentation, music would become stale and uninteresting.
The Project
This personal project is where I came up with a music festival consisting of the most innovative sounds in modern rap and also introduces the creativity in electronic music. I execute this vision through challenging my advertising, market research, and overall UX/UI skills.
Programs Used —
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- Sketch
- Invision Studio
- Invision
1. Research
Before starting any of the research, finding inspiration on existing music festivals that share the same purpose of showing creativity and having a theme that caries the imagery for the event.
Camp Flog Gnaw: Uses boy scouts and summer camp
Astroworld Festival: Horror Carnival
Breakout Festival: The video game “Fortnite”
All of these events stay away from generic themes of crowds and stage lights by showing these themes. Drawing inspiration from this, I found ways of imagery to reflect the creativity of these artists.
Persona
The target audience for the event is comprised of individuals who appreciate modern music characterized by its loud, energetic, and distinctive sound. These individuals are drawn to the artistic aspect of music production and are particularly attentive to the sonic and instrumental elements. As a result, the persona for the event caters to the average listener of this genre and provides a platform for them to engage with and enjoy the unique artistic qualities of modern music.
Drawing inspiration
The website for rapper Lil Klein features a captivating landing page with unique and attention-grabbing call-to-actions (CTAs) that break the traditional grid structure. This design approach was a key aspect in defining the overall presentation of the festival to the user and is a representation of my vision for delivering an innovative and memorable experience.
2. Design Process
After looking at what inspirations I needed to look at, I was ready to move onto the the design process to see what overall theme I can use for the user to see Medusa as memorable.
The Why — Design Inception
The why statement needs to reflect the main focus of the event in one statement. Pushing the words music, creative, and generation, I came up with the why…
“Staging the music industries creative new generation”
4 Elements of the Visual Language:
Voice and Brand: Keeping the “Street” aesthetic but not being too on the nose, I wanted the brand to look like an image that would look good being graffitied on walls
Colour: At first in wanted dark colours, however after making mood boards i knew green would be the main colour of the festival
Shape and Image: I wanted to work around the word “Sinister” for the boards to guide a way through to make the website dark but not too evil looking.
Movement: I didn’t want many features. Other concert/artist websites don’t have many features to their websites due to the main intent of selling tickets
Mood Boards
I was inspired to incorporate a Greek Art theme into the design concept for the music festival. This theme has become a popular trend in contemporary music and album covers, and I felt that it had the potential to make a lasting impression on the festival’s target audience. To fully realize this theme, I created two distinct mood boards that explore various creative avenues for incorporating the Greek Art aesthetic. This exercise allowed me to explore and refine my vision for how to effectively express the theme and create an immersive experience for festival attendees.
Hydra Board: A huge face in rap in todays generation is Young Thug. he uses the terms “Snake Life” and “Slime” so having this theme of using snakes and hydras for the Greek representation would be impactful.
Symphony Board: The biggest face in hip-hop is Kanye west. His album “MBDTF” uses the symphony and European influence through the imagery of the album which would match the theme well.
The Final Board: The main influence of the event is a combination of both boards. Taking the snakes and the influence of Kanye West by using his quote “we the new rock stars”. This quote reflects that rap is the new most popular genre and taking the rock star aesthetic would help bring the scary imagery forward.
The Name Medusa
When coming up with the name it needed to just be a single catchy word. This would have people easily say when talking about it to other people
Names that came up while trying to find a name is…
The final name chosen for the festival was ‘Medusa,’ which was selected for its powerful connotations and visual appeal. The incorporation of snakes in the imagery was a key consideration, and the character of Medusa from Greek Mythology offered an ideal representation, as she is known for her sinister reputation. Using Medusa as the mascot for the event also inspired the use of stone heads in promotional imagery, further reinforcing the Greek Art theme. The logo for the festival was designed to reflect the essence of Medusa and the Greek Art theme, making it a visually impactful representation of the event.
Logo
Coming up with a good logo for the event I found different ways ton express the focus found in the mood boards.
In the different logos shown, there is ways for expressing the name medusa while also keeping the rock star aesthetic from the mood boards. The two Yeezus logos have the Metallica rocker effect. Daft punk has the graffiti paint effect. and the Hercules logo has a powerful “god-like” feeling.
The logo I designed in Adobe Illustrator is a font called “PowerDark”. I dragged some of the letters down to have the classic rock star design.
The initial logo design I created for the festival featured snakes partially hidden behind the main emblem for a more minimalist approach. However, I realized that a more impactful design was necessary for a music festival. To address this, I revised the logo to give it a more dynamic, 3-dimensional appearance and added a green gradient to enhance its visual appeal. The final result is a logo that effectively captures the essence of the festival and the Greek Art theme while being visually striking and memorable.
This would be my final logo —
Working with Assets
To exercise my design skills in the multiple adobe programs I started with advertisements for the event that can have the viewers keep as memorable for the festival.
Creating the main advertisement
To complement the Medusa logo, I created stone head sculptures of popular rappers. These sculptures serve as an addition to the festival’s mascot and help to add a narrative element that will stay with the viewer. The artists portrayed in these sculptures were carefully selected and were set to be the headlining acts of the event, further emphasizing the connection between the Greek Art theme and the festival’s lineup.
The stone head sculptures were initially created by cutting out images from album covers and fan art of the selected headlining artists. The art styles of the headlining artists were diverse, so turning them into stone sculptures helped to create a uniform look. The use of these sculptures in conjunction with the Medusa mascot reinforces the festival’s Greek Art theme and adds a visually appealing and memorable aspect to the event.
Double Exposure: I utilized the double exposure technique in Photoshop to give the head sculptures a stone-like appearance. To achieve this effect, I experimented with a suitable stone palette and adjusted the opacity to get the desired result. Additionally, the Brush tool with a white foreground was used to add further depth and texture to specific areas, ensuring that all the sculptures had a uniform and convincing stone-like appearance.
The stone heads and original cut heads, as seen in the main asset, are key components in the final design of the event’s promotional materials. The original heads are displayed at a lower opacity, while the stone heads are more prominent, giving a sinister feel to the design. The use of the “power dark” font further enhances this mood. The combination of these elements, along with the accompanying illustrations, makes the stone heads a prominent and recognizable aspect of the event’s advertising campaign.
Advertising
The event’s promotional materials were initially represented by a traditional lineup poster, but were later re-imagined to better align with contemporary advertising techniques. The design was updated to a more modern square format, which is easier to share on social media platforms and can be reposted with ease. The shift from a classic design to a square format reflects the aim to stay current and relevant in the ever-evolving world of advertising.
The design changed to a more simplistic and dark mode result. The dark mode appearance is also trending in terms of online activity. These designs have been used in other forms of advertisement for the event.
Music Influence and Spotify
With a music event, the best way to get the audience talking is of course, with a music playlist. The design of the music playlist cover uses the same design as the other advertisements to keep it uniform and the theme doesn’t look inconsistent.
The design of the music playlist cover is consistent with the overall theme of the event, using elements such as the stone heads and the color palette. This reinforces the brand identity and creates a sense of cohesiveness across all promotional materials. The placement of the playlist link in a subtle yet noticeable manner on the final website encourages word-of-mouth promotion, adding to the excitement and exclusivity surrounding the festival. By showcasing potential songs that may be played at the event, the playlist also builds anticipation and hype among the target audience.
Consumer SWAG
The merchandise for the festival includes t-shirts and other wearable items that showcase the event’s logo and theme. These items will be sold exclusively at the event and advertised online to create a sense of exclusivity and increase the value of the merchandise for the attendees. Additionally, by having the merchandise available only during the festival, it can also drive word-of-mouth promotion, especially among the buy and sell streetwear communities. The merchandise designs feature a smaller version of the event’s logo to make a bold statement and differentiate them from the event’s other promotional materials.
The ring is designed with the same color palette and theme as the rest of the event merchandise. The design is simple and elegant, featuring the Medusa logo and a snake design. The ring is made of high-quality materials, such as stainless steel or silver, making it a durable and long-lasting accessory. It is available in different sizes to cater to a wide range of customers. This exclusive piece of merchandise is sure to be a hit among festival-goers and will add value to their experience at the event.
Tickets and Tiers
The idea of having different ticket tiers and including the word “limited” for the floor passes helps to create a sense of scarcity and exclusivity, encouraging people to act quickly to secure the more premium options. By having the “Purchase Tickets” CTA readily accessible throughout the website, it makes it easy for users to make a purchase, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
Overall, the focus on ticket options and emphasizing the limited nature of certain options helps to create a sense of urgency and interest for the festival, which can drive attendance and ticket sales.
3. Mid Fi Screens
Mid-fidelity screens are an important step in the design process. They help refine the overall look and feel of the website and also provide a better idea of how the website will function. By starting with paper prototypes, you have a rough idea to work from and can then make adjustments as necessary.
Transferring the paper prototypes into mid-fidelity screens allows for further refinement and a more accurate representation of the final product. It’s important to stay flexible and make changes as needed, to ensure that the website functions well and also meets the desired aesthetic goals.
4. Final screens
This is a little sneak peak to the final screens. There are both desktop and responsive mobile screens for the event. Having responsive screens is crucial in today’s world where a majority of internet browsing is done on mobile devices. The final screens will play a crucial role in attracting potential attendees and providing them with the information they need to make a decision about attending the festival.
https://isaiahclemente525456.invisionapp.com/prototype/ck8hxzgsc001azw0160r52223/play
- Medusa Screens Desktop
https://isaiahclemente525456.invisionapp.com/prototype/ck8hyc3nb002bbp013t4ki9f4/play
Conclusion
I gained a lot of self-awareness and insight into my own abilities and skill sets while working on this personal project. It was an exciting opportunity to merge my love of music and my passion for design. Throughout the process, I was able to utilize a variety of different software and programs, allowing me to strengthen my skills in areas I was already familiar with while also exploring new techniques and tools.
Creating this project was not only a fun experience, but also an incredibly valuable learning opportunity. It allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and experiment with new ideas, pushing me to think creatively and outside the box. Additionally, the process of creating this project allowed me to reflect on my own abilities and gain a deeper understanding of what I am capable of as a designer.
I believe that it is important for designers to engage in personal projects on a regular basis. Not only does it provide an outlet for creativity and self-expression, but it also offers a platform to showcase one’s skills and abilities to others. Moving forward, I am eager to continue learning and growing as a designer, and I look forward to taking on new personal projects in the future as I acquire new skills and tools.
