Project
Thursday Evening Piano Bar, The ACT Arts Centre
Scope
Graphic Design, Web Design, Social Content
Date
October 2024
About the Piano Bar
The Thursday Evening Piano Bar is a free, monthly community event designed to create a welcoming, casual atmosphere for music lovers. Hosted in The ACT Lobby, it features live performances by award-winning pianist and vocalist Kerry O’Donovan, who entertains guests with an extensive repertoire spanning timeless classics and popular hits.
While the primary goal was to promote a relaxing community gathering, we also saw an opportunity to convert attendees into patrons of the ACT Presents series. To encourage this, we implemented strategies such as hosting ticket giveaways for upcoming shows and placing rack cards on tables which highlighted future performances that were most relevant to the audience.
Visual Identity
The Piano Bar's promotional materials required a strong visual identity to capture its unique vibe. When designing the posters, we did not yet have photos of the venue or performer, so we opted for a versatile, non-specific design that could easily accommodate future changes if needed. I leaned into bold yet soothing graphic design to evoke the event's lounge-like atmosphere. The final poster features a minimalistic piano as the base, topped with a playful, yet bold wordmark using our brand font. The color palette combines rich, jazzy tones to reflect the warm and inviting mood of the Piano Bar, with typography carefully designed for readability.
An alternative concept—a minimalist white poster featuring piano keys—was created but ultimately not selected for this event series. While the design was clean and elegant, it leaned toward a more classical tone, whereas the chosen version better captured the casual, lounge-inspired ambiance of the piano bar. Although archiving a project like this can be bittersweet, it’s exciting to imagine how it might be repurposed in the future. I’m pleased with the final jazzy style, which perfectly complements the piano bar’s charm.
Social Content
The social media content for the Piano Bar was crafted to visually capture the warmth and inviting atmosphere of the event. Since The ACT does not have a dedicated photographer, I was able to draw on my personal experience in photography and filmmaking to take on the role, capturing and editing all the event photos for social media. Each photo was carefully shot and edited to emphasize rich colors and cozy lighting, evoking the same vibrant and welcoming mood attendees experience in person. This intentional approach aimed to resonate with viewers, encouraging them to drop by for a relaxing evening—a simple and free escape from the monotony of the season.
Reels featured shots of the pianist performing, interspersed with moments showcasing the audience enjoying the ambiance. These visuals highlighted the casual yet sophisticated nature of the event, drawing attention to the unique blend of live music and community connection.
Web Design
The event page on The ACT website was designed to immerse visitors in the Piano Bar's ambiance. The page prioritizes imagery I shot and edited to convey the venue’s mood while emphasizing the relaxing and social aspects of the event in its copy.
Key graphics included banners and photos optimized for both desktop and mobile, ensuring consistency across platforms. The overall design ensured that the Piano Bar stood out as a signature community event while tying into the broader branding of The ACT Arts Centre.
