As the lead brand designer for Dillo Day 2023, I had the unique opportunity to steer the visual journey to "Planet Dillo," a theme that transformed the nation's largest student-run music festival into an otherworldly experience. This year, we left the familiar behind and ventured into the extraterrestrial, turning the lakefill into an alien landscape ready to be explored by over 12,000 attendees. My role involved crafting the festival's brand guidelines and orchestrating the visual narrative that brought Planet Dillo to life.

In this cosmic adventure, I embraced a palette of bold, warm primary colors, a vivid contrast to Earth's blues and greens, to depict the iron-rich deposits of this new world. The design language was a fusion of rugged, weathered rock formations and sleek space imagery, creating a backdrop where UFOs and armadillo constellations danced in dark blue skies. While some illustrations and copywriting were the work of talented team members, I ensured that every element adhered to the cohesive vision of a land both alien and familiar – a haven for the armored creatures and festival-goers alike.

Planet Dillo was more than a theme; it was a narrative that challenged our conceptions of habitable worlds and invited attendees to explore the unknown. Below you can find the Brand Book for Planet Dillo.