Fundamental is a student-run cultural fest organised by Symbiosis Institute of Design. Bringing forth the best talent in the fields of dance, music, and arts it is known for its out-of-the-box events and creative attractions. Our role as creatives was to give the fest a unique and new look while keeping in mind the limitation of it being entirely online . We looked over the branding for the main event and all other activities that happened along with a team of volunteers.
After ideating with the taskforce everyone liked the direction of a retro futuristic fest with surreal elements to it. Translating this visually meant it had to be maximalist and illustration heavy while using elements we picked up from vintage posters. We tried incorporating new printing techniques to reimagine what the retro style would look like in the modern era by saturating the colours more and using more texture. The fest's mascot - Elmar had to be redrawn to match the years theme, drawing inspiration from cartoons in the 1930's made mainly by 'Fleischer Studios cartoons' such as Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Bimbo and Popeye the Sailor we modeled the mascot.
Planning and organizing a fest that would take place virtually was a first for all of us. Our main goal was to make sure the students felt the same excitement we did every year and didn't change the format of the fest drastically. Adapting the events into an digital platform while making sure people took part, understood and enjoyed all the events needed clear communication from our end. Since social media was the best way we could go about this we spread awareness through Instagram posts and hosted events that incorporated students hunting our mascot hidden in posts throughout Instagram, Facebook and the college email. Other campaigns like using gifs and filters were also used to increase engagement with the student body.
