Wolfe Day
Client: Florida International University Wolfe University Center (Student Union)
Industry: Education & Campus Programming
Project Type: Event Branding, Promotion & Content Creation for Wolfe Day
The FIU Biscayne Bay campus holds the annual Wolfe Day event to honor Dr. Gregory B. Wolfe, the university's third president, and his significant achievements. The event pays tribute to Dr. Wolfe's legacy, for which the student center was named. Each year, the event features a unique theme, and for the year in question, the theme was 'Travel'.
The Process
In my role as art director, I led a team of two student graphic designers and one student marketing coordinator in creating all marketing materials and establishing the branding for the event. I also contributed to coordinating various activities and shaping the overall structure of the event.
When refining the travel theme, we focused on the experience of navigating through an airport. I took inspiration from popular design trends such as retro patterns, illustrations, and color schemes to guide my art direction. As a team, we created mood boards to outline our design direction, using elements like boarding passes, luggage tags, postcards, and imagery from various destinations.
Moodboard
We came up with the concept of using FIU departments as "terminal gates," leading to the development of a boarding pass system to increase student participation.
We faced a major challenge due to the short timeline, which led us to produce all the materials in-house, including printing, cutting, and assembling over 400 boarding passes, sleeves, and custom Biscotti packaging. The event was a big success with an overwhelming attendance of over 300 people, exceeding our expectations. This indicated the effectiveness of the promotional materials and the overall event. Our comprehensive approach to branding, promotion, and execution was well-received. Attendees appreciated the attention to detail and the immersive 'travel' experience we created for them.
Design Solutions
Boarding Pass & Sleeve
A double-sided boarding pass and accompanying sleeve allow students to collect stickers from various department “terminal gates", to redeem a themed T-shirt upon completion.
Biscotti Cookie Sleeve
Customized packaging for Biscotti cookies, often served as in-flight snacks, was distributed at the event.
Promotion
Posters and flyers for LCD signs inside the center, along with a teaser social media campaign featuring trending music from Silk Sonic and the Adult Swim commercial bump trend popular at that time.
T-shirt Design
Leveraging FIU's blue and gold colors, a retro flat illustration was designed depicting a plane wing and clouds from a window view.
Digital Engagement
A series of travel-themed animated stickers were created for use on Instagram stories.
