When I was the Graphic Design Coordinator for the Cosplay & Costuming Club at NC State, I pushed for the expansion of the Mini-Con and led all visual design for the event! Through improved branding, marketing, and planning we over tripled the attendees and redefined the convention.
⚙ Photoshop, Illustrator, 3D Printing, Laser Cutting
Scaling Up
In the first years of the Mini-Con, the convention was hosted in only 3 classrooms instead of a convention space, with limited capacity for vendors, events, and other convention staples.
I pushed to expand the event into NCSU's Talley Ballroom, a more capable space. By charging a small fee for tickets, we were able to have 50+ artists, 450+ student attendees, dozens of panels, some at a larger scale like a cosplay contest!
Coming Up With The Brand
The goal with the Mini-Con was two-sided - keep it clear that it was a smaller, fun and approachable fandom convention, while making things feel more official and grand than previous years.
I took inspiration from other local conventions and landed on a simple, bouncy logo with rounded text and minty colors!
Designing the Website
Part of expanding the Mini-Con was going much heavier on the advertising & visual messaging for the event! The past events had a few flyers around campus, as well as limited social media posts.
One of our first goals was to create a website, where students and visitors could find information about the event and garner excitement for it. We used Google Sites to keep things affordable, but pushed the limits of its web editor to make something that fit our new brand and carried the fun energy we were going for!
Social Media Content
In the effort to circulate Mini-Con marketing, we pushed our social media output past anything we'd done for a prior event. Infographics about panels, virtual flyers for the artist alley, and general promotion to get people hyped for the event!
Promoting Around The College
While we knew social media would be an effective way to reach the local cosplay community and the student population, we had to make sure we were getting attention across campus as well so it still felt like a college event that represented all of the diverse interests people have at NCSU! We leaned on a lot of postcards, cross-club promotions, and even physical banners to advertise.
Physical Media & Signage
One of our main goals in increasing the scale of the convention was improving signage, navigation, and the overall immersion of the event. I designed and produced trophies, plaques, navigational signs, and more.
Cosplay Contest Trophies
(Laser-cut wood, 3D Printing + post-processing)
Event Map Display (+)
Trivia Champion Plaque
(Laser-cut wood)
Mini-Con Logo Photo Backdrop