Desert Trip
Acts
The Rolling Stones
Paul McCartney
Bob Dylan
Neil Young
Roger Waters
The Who
Essential Information
Sales: $280 Million
Attendance: 150,000
Oct 7-9 & 14-16, 2016
Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA
My Roles
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Package Design
Map Design
Iconography Design
Illustration
Original poster art by graphic artist, Kii Arens
In 2016, Goldenvoice faced the task of transforming the polo fields into a premium seated concert experience. To assist with the development of creative ideas for this remarkable event, I was called upon.
My creative approach was centered around two key considerations: Firstly, the concept had to match the grandeur of the show, and thus, I took inspiration from Kii's poster art. Secondly, I aimed to ensure that all communication was straightforward and easily understood, recognizing that for some older attendees, this may be their first three-day show.
Personalize the Postcard
Once fans purchased their tickets, they were each sent a postcard to welcome them to Desert Trip. Initially, the postcard was a standard design, but I had an idea to make it more personalized for each fan. Using variable printing, I customized the back of the postcard with the fan's name and a welcoming message in the Desert Trip font. The response on social media was overwhelming, with fans of all ages sharing posts about their unique and memorable experience.
Ticket Box
Goldenvoice expressed interest in including a View-Master in the ticket box, as a fitting response to the VR Viewer that was included in the Coachella ticket box. After some consideration, we settled on a two-level telescoping box design, which consisted of a tray to hold the tickets, lanyards, and a booklet. By lifting out the tray using the side tabs, the View-Master was revealed, creating a memorable and interactive unboxing experience for ticket holders.
View-Master: 7 Slides Per Reel
Initially, the idea was to create a Desert Reel featuring scenic shots of California's deserts, such as Joshua Tree and Death Valley, as well as other sights fans might see on their journey to the festival. While this was a solid concept, I had another idea that I was excited to pitch to the Goldenvoice team.
My proposal was to create a dream reel with seven slides, each featuring an image of one of the six bands playing at the festival, with the show poster being the seventh slide. The team at Goldenvoice loved the idea, and we quickly received approval from the bands for their images to be used in the View-Master reel. It was an incredible experience editing photos of such legendary musicians for the reel.
But that wasn't all; Goldenvoice also wanted to create the Desert Reel. To accomplish this, we reached out to photographer Chris Miller to capture stunning images of the desert landscape.
Welcome Guide
To create the Welcome Guide for the classic rock concert, I opted to hand-draw icons and maps, as it felt like the best fit for the event. These hand-drawn elements were designed to be used across various mediums, including digital, print, and signage.
To strike the right balance between organic hand-drawn aesthetics and functional vector art that could be scaled up without losing quality, I used Adobe Draw on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.
While we typically do not match color schemes to the show poster for other festivals, I felt that incorporating the faded yellow paper into the creative would create a sense of familiarity and tie the various elements together across both digital and physical platforms.
To add visual interest and break up the content, I used full-color photos selectively and strategically for dramatic effect.
Mobile App
To create the Mobile App for the event, I designed various elements, including the app icon, start-up screens, and navigation icons.
The app icon was designed to be eye-catching and instantly recognizable, using imagery and colors that were consistent with the overall branding and theme of the event.
For the start-up screens, I aimed to create a seamless transition from the user's device to the app, using graphics and animations that reflected the classic rock concert theme.
Finally, I designed navigation icons that were intuitive and easy to use, ensuring that users could easily find and access the features they needed within the app. The icons were designed to be consistent with the overall visual language of the event, ensuring a cohesive and engaging user experience.
Desert Trip was equipped with custom-built elevators that transported guests to the sky box suites situated at the top of the grandstands. Each suite was tailored to meet the specific needs of the guest and could be combined to accommodate up to 50 individuals. The suites were fully staffed, air-conditioned, and included stadium seating as well as a closed-circuit media system to ensure guests didn't miss any of the action.
In collaboration with the suite design company, I created some additional suite designs. Additionally, I designed poker chips that could be exchanged for products at the suite-level merchandise store. This added another layer of convenience and customization for suite guests, allowing them to enjoy a seamless and comfortable experience during the event.
