For the 2023 Mainstage Season at Taproot Theatre, we had a quick turnaround time to get designs put together and get our brochure sent to print. We knew we did not have time to schedule photo shoots and gather the costumes and props and people we would need to feature the kinds of poster designs we had done in the past. So, with those constraints, I set out to solve the design problem in a new way.
These posters would need to be completely illustrative and would need to follow a theme to tie them all together. I decided on a square format for the main design elements, because that would translate well for all the different platforms where these designs would appear. I also chose to simplify the color palette for each show and set a monochromatic theme. The choice to fan out the images like a hand of playing cards came from the idea that the plays come as a set, and the audience should return for each one to collect them all.
It ended up being an effective design choice. It gave a strong visual identity to the 2023 Season. These posters appeared on walls with other live theatre and music posters around the city, and they stood out in just the right way.
The direct mail piece for the 2023 Season was a double parallel fold brochure featuring all the show design concepts as well as information about subscription packages and order forms. It was a lot of disparate information to organize and find a flow to guide the reader through the brochure and end with the ultimate goal of the viewer purchasing a subscription to the season.
The piece below was used to stuff the programs at the theatre to advertise gift cards and gift subscriptions for the Christmas gift-giving season.