Julive
Ton of Visions created a platform that provided an opportunity for national artists, local artists and local businesses to showcase their talents, products and services. This festival was a first of its kind. The festival had an even greater purpose: provide scholarships for local students.
Client
Ton of Visions
Role
Design
Creative Direction
Copywriting
Credits
Advertus Hoff, Project Management
Kyree Thames, Copywriting & Project Management
Najee Brown, Sponsor Acquisition
Media
Queen City News
Ration Station, Power 98
Sponsors
Ethica
Redbull
The Athlete’s Foot
Overview
I was hired by a local non-profit, Ton of Visions, I created the logo and brand system for the “Charlotte’s 1st Center-City Festival”: Julive. I set the creative direction for the festival. I focused on the key elements: logo, typography, and visual aesthetic, and everything else built upon these. There were some prints elements, yet the bulk of our deliverables were digital.
Problem
My client Ton of Visions needed a solution that would attract sponsors and festival attendees, nationwide. They had a great initiative and needed a visual voice that would speak to their intent. In the festival landscape, a very popular landscape at the moment, there were already major power players in existence. These festivals were and are annual events. Many were also taking place that summer. The festivals I included in my research had already gained brand recognition. My clients were competing against the likes of Dreamville, SXSW, Rolling Loud, and Broccoli Fest to name a few.
Recent Project
Goal
In designing for this festival I wanted to make sure that the graphics were visually appealing and striking. More importantly, I wanted to make sure the work translated to our audience and produced results: ticket sales, likes, shares, social media post saves.
Solution
The colors teal and purple have become synonymous with Charlotte thanks to the Charlotte Hornets NBA organization. “Charlotteans” and residents of surrounding areas were a large part of the target audience. Charlotte’s skyline is also very recognizable to the city’s natives. We leveraged these “assets” as we sought out to build awareness as well as familiarity with the audience. A homegrown festival through and through. Also, strict project deadlines called for the implementation of proven strategies in our decision-making.
The Numbers
Global Sponsors
3
Local Artists
12
National Artists
4
Sponsor Money Raised
$15,000
Takeaways
Research before aesthetics. Before designing a single visual, I studied what made other music festivals feel aspirational — Dreamville, SXSW, Afropunk. That competitive analysis shaped every color, type, and layout decision. The teal and deep purple did not come from personal preference — they came from understanding what this specific Charlotte audience needed to feel represented and excited.
Design has to earn its results. The work produced measurable outcomes — $15,000 in sponsorship revenue, three global sponsors, and ticket sales that validated the brand direction. That connection between design decisions and real-world impact is something I carry into every project, including my UX work. Good design is not just what looks right. It is what works.
Brand work is UX work. Every decision I made on Julive — what the poster communicates in three seconds, how the ticket buyer feels when they see the social media campaign, whether the visual language signals a festival worth attending — was a decision about user experience. I did not have the language for it at the time, but Julive taught me that design is always about how people perceive, feel, and decide.
