Mainframe Studios First Friday

Mainframe Studios is one of the largest non-profit art studios in the nation, providing permanent, affordable workspaces for hundreds of artists in Des Moines, Iowa. They are known for their vibrant creative community and their visually iconic building.

The studio needed a unique poster design to advertise their First Friday event. A monthly opportunity for local people to tour the facility and view art. The primary challenge was to capture the essence of their most recognizable asset, the colorful, geometric-painted exterior, without simply resorting to photography.

To solve this, the design process began with an in-depth analysis of the studio's exterior, deconstructing its geometric patterns and bold color palette. These core shapes and angles were then abstracted and systematized to build the letterforms of a new custom display typeface.

The resulting poster provided Mainframe Studios with a powerful and original piece of visual communication that was a true extension of its physical identity. The design was highly successful and received significant external recognition, winning an award at the 52nd Annual Juried Student Exhibition.