Listen. Amplify. Repeat. is our 2019 exhibition and screening event. The night will feature an exhibition of photographs and design projects, premier new films and include commentary from youth presenters as well as esteemed community leaders. We are thrilled to have youth media makers involved in every stage of the event. In this post you will hear from our youth designer, Aiara, about her process creating the visual assets for this year’s event.

I was first introduced to Wide Angle at last year’s showcase, Black Butterfly. Any event, no matter what it entails, requires design work to make its individuality shine; and this youth exhibition is no different. Based on the feedback from [students, parents, and staff who attended] Black Butterfly, I was given the opportunity to help make this year’s exhibition theme and all the print materials that came with it (programs, invitations, etc.). Ultimately, Wide Angle had one goal they wanted to achieve: generate authentic conversation between youth and those who attend the showcase about their work.

Keeping up with the idea of authenticity and loosening up the atmosphere in the room, I wanted to base the theme around something both youth and adults could connect to: the 90’s. With its bright, funky color palettes and eye-popping patterns, there was no room for stagnation during the showcase. Of course, there was still a piece missing. Yes, the 90’s are all well and good, but how would we tie it back to media and the title? What else could bridge the gap between youth and adults besides an era that was slowly making a comeback?

The idea behind Listen. Amplify. Repeat. was listening to youth voices, amplifying them so that they’re heard, and repeating their messages to touch the hearts of those who needed to hear them. We need to play youth voices in spaces that encourage them, hook them up to the speakers of change, and put them on replay so that they cannot be ignored. It was from this idea that the secondary theme of music (and music players, by extension) was born. The perfect bridge over the generational gap. Music. A universal language. 

And so, the long haul began. I had a theme in mind, and now it was time to apply it to all the collateral that came with the showcase. The first (and arguably most important) touchpoint I hit was a kit of assets to use for every piece of collateral so that they could all fit under my ideal theme and yet not feel stale or same-y. This included a color palette, a logomark/lockup, an icon set, and three patterns, all made in Adobe Illustrator. The logo portion probably went through the most iterations; but eventually I found something I was happy with.

The next touchpoint I focused on was the invitations, and pulling the assets I had made into something that would spark interest if it was received in the mail. Since the logomark was circular, it was only fitting that the invitations were too; and so I used Adobe InDesign to put everything together into a nice looking invite plus an envelope to go with it. I also learned how to make mock-ups and the benefits in using them, how to put together a pitch deck in InDesign, and how to align things without tearing my hair out (none of which I could have even begun to tackle without Ms. Lisa, my amazing mentor! Shoutouts to her : ) and lots more industry standards that I wouldn’t have found out otherwise.

While this project is far from over, I’m really, really satisfied with how far it’s come so quickly. I’m excited to see all of this work come to fruition, and I’m especially excited to see people talk and experience both my work and the work of my peers. My favorite part of design is going out in the world and seeing the things I’ve made in action; and there’s nothing more satisfying than having a “Hey! I made that.” moment.

Listen. Amplify. Repeat. is on Thursday, November 14, 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM at MICA’s Brown Center. We are honored to share this work, and hope you can join us as we commemorate youth voice and progress towards a more inclusive city, fueled by creativity.

Space is limited, tickets are required to attend. Price is price is pay-what-you-can to ensure the event is accessible to all community members, with a suggested donation of $35.

For more details and to purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/ListenAmplifyRepeat.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Hi there! I’m Aiara Manning, a proud Dove of Western High School, and an aspiring designer.  While most of my skills are geared towards graphic design, I hope to become a jack-of-all trades when it comes to design and media as a whole.