Ira Ivanova designs vibrant wristband-inspired identity for Moscow music festival

Afisha is a Russian magazine and website that documents urban entertainment and shifts in culture. Afisha Picnic is a one-day outdoor festival held by the mag and is said to be Moscow’s biggest music festival, gathering together around 50,000 people.

Moscow-based designer Ira Ivanova created the identity for this year’s event, where “the grass has always been Picnic’s symbol and paper bracelets are linked to any music festival,” according to Ira. The designer has applied this notion to the whole of his identity by making posters, signage and programmes out of wristbands using a vivid palette of vivid green and glowing fuchsia.

The strip-like visual works well due to its adaptability which has been stretched, looped and wound around images of the artists. Ira’s attention to detail brings a sense of humour to the work, like the inclusion of the adhesive square which holds the date and various little icons like a palm tree and a cartoon thumbs-up.

In the identity, Ira uses two typefaces, one a blocky san serif and the other based on people dancing while they’re at Afisha Picnic, meaning Ira’s letters meander and gyrate around each other with flair. It’s another fun detail that brings a cohesiveness and energy to the festival branding.