Yard Fest '25

YardFest is a community-centered event rooted in Atlanta culture, bringing together music, food, vendors, live entertainment, and programming connected to the AUC, HBCUs, and Divine Nine organizations. I developed the creative direction to make the event feel vibrant, welcoming, and culturally grounded while still maintaining a polished event identity.

(Overview)

The goal was to create a visual system that captured the energy of a large outdoor festival while reflecting the strong influence of HBCU culture and community. With ties to the AUC and Divine Nine organizations, the branding needed to feel celebratory and recognizable without leaning too heavily on one specific visual stereotype or era.

(Challenge)

The challenge was balancing several cultural touchpoints within one cohesive identity. The design needed to acknowledge Atlanta, HBCU life, and Divine Nine presence in a way that felt authentic and intentional, while still staying flexible enough to support different parts of the event experience.

(Solution & Outcome)

I built the direction around bold typography, vibrant color, layered layouts, and energetic graphic elements that reflected the spirit of the event and its cultural foundation. Subtle references to AUC and HBCU culture, along with nods to Divine Nine influence, helped shape a system that could extend across social graphics, signage, wayfinding, vendor materials, and environmental branding while keeping the overall experience unified and distinctly YardFest.