Illustration of a park with trees, street lamps, a Ferris wheel, tables with umbrellas, and the text 'COASTCON 2021 VIRTUALITY' surrounded by leaves and a roller coaster track.

CoastCon Virtuality

The story behind the brand

CoastCon Virtuality was a gloval virtual roller-coaster convention created to bring the excitement of the amusement park industry online. The goal was to design an experience that felt as dynamic and immersive as the rides themselves, all within a digital space. As the Art Director, I led the creative vision and designed visuals elements for the campaign. From brand development to marketing materials, I built a cohesive identity system that carried the event's every across every touchpoint. This project was supported by an incredible team of colleagues, who's collaboration helped bring this vision to life.

Illustration of a colorful bumper car with green leaves behind it and a curved section of a roller coaster track below.

Branding

Logo

The logo combines playful typography with coaster-inspired motion lines and organic leaf shapes, symbolizing energy, connection, and the coastal theme. It was designed in multiple variations, detailed additions vs simplified, for flexibility and readability across print and digital materials.

Three CoastCon 2021 Virtuality logos in different styles: one with orange text and green leaves, one with blue text, and one with green text and white shadow.

Typography

Together, the fonts echo the guest experience: sophisticated yet welcoming, traditional yet modern. Headlines use a strong san serif with geometric character, balancing readability and impact. Subheads and body text were chosen for a clean, modern feel that supports hierarchy while staying approachable.

Montserrat font sample showing uppercase, lowercase letters and numbers with a large orange Aa on the left.
Typography sample showing uppercase and lowercase 'Aa' in bold orange, followed by Noto Sans font alphabet and numbers in dark red for secondary titles.
Font sample for Josefine Sans showing uppercase and lowercase alphabet and numbers, labeled as primary titles.

Color Palette

Color Theory

This color palette combines grounded earth tones with bold, high-contrast accents to create a balanced yet energetic visual system. Deep, dark hues provide structure and readability. while warm accent colors add emphasis, movement, and visual hierarchy across digital and event-focused layouts.

Color palette with five circles in olive green, navy blue, burgundy, bright orange, and dark forest green, each labeled with corresponding hex codes.

The Challenge

CoastCon Virtuality needed to capture the energy and excitement of a real amusement park convention, but entirely online. The event brought together global industry professionals, and the brand needed to feel both playful and professional, capable of standing out in a digital environment filled with competing visuals.
The challenge was to create a unified brand system that translated the thrill of roller coasters, the warmth of coastal themes, and collaborative spirit of the IAAPA Community; all without losing clarity or accessibility across digital and print touchpoints.

Illustration of a walking man with dark hair wearing a yellow shirt, patterned blue pants, and yellow shoes.
Illustration of a woman with long brown hair walking, wearing a colorful geometric top and maroon wide-legged pants with teal shoes.

The Approach

I started by defining the event's Personality: Energetic, inclusive, and innovative. From there, I built a design system rooted in movement and optimism, using fluid shapes, bright gradients, and lively compositions to reflect both speed and connection. The visual identity leaned on contrast and rhythm to keep audiences engaged online. Illustrations and motion-inspired details gave the system life, ensuring it felt active even in static form.

The Solution

The final brand identity unified all aspects of the event under one bold visual language. It delivered a memorable digital experience that truly felt like being part of something exciting and new. Every asset, from digital campaigns to merchandize and event collateral, reinforced the same story: the thrill of amusement, the joy of community, and the energy of innovation.

Sale Campaign

A visually driven sale campaign combining bold graphics and clear calls to action to create urgency and elevate the brand's promotional presence.

Website mockup showing three CoastCon 2021 Virtually event ads with 'One Week Away' text, event dates Nov 12-14, IAAPA logo, a couple looking at a phone, and a person using a laptop.Website mockup showing three CoastCon 2021 banner ads offering an early bird special with 40% off tickets, valid until 09/23/2021, featuring roller coaster images and a 'Get Tickets' button.Website mockup displaying CoastCon 2021 event ads with climbing, roller coaster, and ride images promoting tickets for Nov 12-14.Webpage mockup showing three CoastCon 2021 ads featuring early bird special saving up to 40%, with roller coaster and bumper car images, valid until 09/23/2021.Webpage mockup displaying three CoastCon 2021 Virtualist early bird special banners offering up to 40% off with a valid date until 09/23/2021 and a 'Get Tickets' button.

Merchandise Design

Branded merchandise developed to support campaign, events, and promotions while maintaining visual consistency. The concepts were designed with a focus on usability, visual impact, and brand alignment across physical products.

Navy blue hoodie with a 'CoastCon 2021 Virtuality' logo on the chest and colorful roller coaster and people graphics on the right sleeve.
Navy hoodie with COASTCON 2021 VIRTUALITY text on the back and colorful illustrations of people on the left sleeve.
Navy blue hoodie with CoastCon 2021 logo on the left chest and colorful dancing figures on the right sleeve.
Five round CoastCon 2021 pins featuring earth, roller coaster tracks, plants, and people on white, green, and orange backgrounds.
Orange t-shirt featuring an illustration of four people celebrating around a globe with green trees and foliage in a square frame.
Back of an orange T-shirt with the text 'COASTCON 2021 VIRTUALITY' in bold navy blue and white letters.
Navy blue T-shirt with a design featuring the text 'COASTCON 2021 VIRTUALITY' overlaid on roller coaster tracks and green leaves.
Navy blue T-shirt with the word 'STAFF' printed in large orange letters decorated with various small flowers and a caterpillar on the back.
Navy blue T-shirt featuring colorful illustration of four people interacting around a globe with plants and trees inside a green square frame.
Navy blue T-shirt with orange and white text reading 'COASTCON 2021 VIRTUALITY' on the back.
Orange T-shirt with a colorful graphic reading 'CoastCon 2021 Virtuality' surrounded by green leaves and a rollercoaster track design.
Orange staff T-shirt with the word 'STAFF' on the back, featuring nature-themed decorative patterns on the letter S.
Navy blue tumbler with coaster featuring CoastCon 2021 Virtuality logo and tropical-themed graphics.
Green insulated tumbler with CoastCon 2021 Virtuality logo and an illustration of a person riding a roller coaster surrounded by foliage, with a removed black lid beside it.
Two neon green baseball caps with CoastCon 2021 Virtuality logo and design.
Two orange baseball caps with COASTCON 2021 Virtuality logos and green foliage designs, one front-facing and one side-facing.
Two blue baseball caps with CoastCon 2021 Virtuality logo featuring plants and small figures around a globe.

Stationary & Program Guide

A coordinated stationary set and program guide designed for clarity and consistency, provided digitally and also printed on recycled materials to support sustainable brand values.

Set of CoastCon branded stationery including a letter, an envelope, and a folder with roller coaster and tropical leaf designs, laid out on a white surface with soft shadows.A three-day program schedule with keynote and other speakers listed for November 12-14, including vendor advertisements and special breaks.Four CoastCon 2021 business cards showing logo on two cards and contact details for Sarah Jane Smith, VP of Marketing, on white and orange backgrounds.Tri-fold event brochure detailing a three-day conference schedule with keynote speakers, other speakers, special breaks, and vendor advertisements from Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Publix, Chobani, and Taco Bell.
Logo featuring a stylized black pen nib with the word GRAPHIKA next to it and three colored swooshes in blue, magenta, and yellow at the bottom right.

Acknowledgment

While I led the art direction and design for all showcased assets, this project was supported by talented colleagues whose collaboration and coordination helped bring the vision life. Special thanks to the amazing team I was priviliged to be part of, Graphika.

Paola Garcia
Marcello Orrico
Anica Baloy
Jeff Janelle

Awards & Recognitions

Categories:
Cross-Platform, Integrated Advertising Campaign - Consumer
Online/Interactive Advertising Promotion - Web Banner Ads

CoastCon Virtuality project was honored with two ADDY Awards, recognizing the project strong project's creative direction, cohesive branding, and engaging digital experience.

Text reading American Advertising Awards in black capital letters with lines separating each word.

This project is a personal interpretation of a real event. All event names, logos, and brand references are the property of their respective owners. The work shown reflects my individual design contribution and art direction.