Timeline
40 hrs, February 2025
Role
Asset Designer, Research, Strategy
Tools
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop
Team
Jamie Arcega, Melody Chen
Flare (1st place winner for DESNathon!)
Where circular design and dance collide.
Transforming dance energy into power for local businesses.
In this 40-hr challenge, we were tasked with creating an unlikely pairing to respond to circular design and promote sustainability.We examined the popularity of local businesses and recreational activities, like clubbing, in Toronto and found that 85% of Torontonians go to bars, and 82% seek out live music events. Additionally, small businesses in Canada pay approximately $130 during off-peak hours a day for electricity.
Aimed at supporting local Torontonian businesses in the midst inflation, we created Flare, a weekend-long dance event taking place during Pride Month that powers local businesses on the Church-Wellesley area.
More than a storefront.
Local businesses contribute greatly to the culture and community of Toronto, thus, we created an unconventional pairing between Energy Floors, Philips, and the City of Toronto. Inspired by Coldplay’s sustainably powered concerts, Flare will install Energy Floors’ Kinetic Dance Floors in the 519, a non-profit organization by the City of Toronto, that also operates as a community centre.
In turn, event-goers are invited to dance the night away and Flare will collect and store energy, highlight local businesses and DJs, and create a safe space to foster community through sustainable energy redistribution during Pride Month.
The visual identity.
The campaign takes on a bold identity to convey the electrifying energy of movement. Flyers will be placed across Toronto to promote the event, give information on sustainable energy floors, and return the spotlight to local businesses to further local impact.
Event-goers can receive free admission with an E-ticket by visiting and promoting local businesses on social media before the event. To create familiarity, limited merch will be available for purchase or for free by scanning posters at the businesses posted on the daily Instagram stories.
View the full presentation!
Takeaways
This was my first-ever DESNathon, and it was challenging yet exciting! Working at a fast pace taught me the importance of collaboration, time management, establishing a schedule for asset creation and ideation, and creating a project scale that fits the timeframe allotted.
Though demanding, this project truly taught me the need to push outside the box to truly find a solution that truly engages the user and community.
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