Artspace knew they wanted a rock-and-roll theme for their fundraising auction, but they needed a name, a look, and a focus. Since the annual gala is over 10 years old, they needed a new approach to draw a new crowd. I helped them define and promote a rocking party to welcome people of all ages with a fun, glam atmosphere.
First, I designed a custom questionnaire to help them brainstorm, discuss, and define their event, for example:
- Dream guests? David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Björk…
- Perfect outfit? Gold lamé, skinny ties, velvet smoking jackets…
- Motto? For those about to rock, we salute you!
The Artspace team brainstormed lots of names internally, but found some too long, others too obscure. They wanted a name that was dramatic and glamorous but also concise and approachable. My solution: Amplify. It ties together all genres of rock, while doubling as a call to action — to amplify Artspace’s impact with contributions.
My design combined sparkly vintage amps with copious glitter and a wry font called Fakir, a quirky, contemporary take on blacklister. A tongue-in-cheek spin on everyone’s favorite rock clichés. The message: this isn’t your momma’s charity auction. Come dressed to kill — and be ready to rock and roll all night!
I supported their in-house team’s implementation the design online and in print. For example, the event website was built by local emerging web developer Miguel Diaz with my feedback:
The night of the auction saw Artspace filled with art lovers and rock lovers of all ages, terrific outfits, and lively bidding. The gala auction was a rocking success, in every way!
Photo credits: in the design, glitter texture is by EKDuncan; amplifier photo by Bill Selak. The photos of Amplify guests are by Chris Randall.
