During the summer of 2022, I worked on preparing for an event scheduled for the beginning of the following year. To maintain continuity with previous years and make the most of available assets, I designed the event materials around a custom-made die-cut in the shape of Arkansas state, produced locally.
My creative process involved photographing an actual Hall of Fame award medallion and using Photoshop to experiment with changing its color to appear silver, gold and even bronze. I opted for a classic and elegant layout in line with the event's black-tie theme, choosing high-quality, heavyweight paper to enhance the overall presentation. Simplicity was a key consideration, ensuring that we could reuse the same look and layout for future iterations, given the potential for a variety of appealing medallion and paper color combinations and the visual establishment of the event for a few years down the road. While contemplating the use of foil for added flair, budget constraints led us to forego that option in favor of more practical details such as the paper quality.
A significant part of the project involved troubleshooting the printing process to achieve the correct shade for the bronze medallion, ensuring it appeared authentic rather than being so orange that it resembles a basketball in person. Each event since has shown an update to this layout in color and content.
