Overview
A visual fusion of modernist architecture and cultural vibrancy.
Services
Creative Direction: Conceptualizing a visual identity rooted in the city’s world-renowned modernist design legacy.
Event Branding: Development of a comprehensive visual system including custom typography and color systems.
Digital & Print Collateral: Design of high-fidelity posters, handouts, and promotional assets for multi-channel use.
Social Strategy: Creation of a strategic social media content calendar to guide the inaugural season’s digital rollout.
Graphic Design: Producing specific digital marketing assets tailored for social platforms and press kits.
In Brief
Columbus, Indiana, is a global modernist capital, home to architectural landmarks by legends like Saarinen and Pei. Invited by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation (IJF) and the Columbus Museum of Art & Design (CMAD), FG Studios was tasked with creating a brand for a new concert series that spoke the same “design language” as the city. With a board composed of museum directors and architectural leaders, the creative needed to be more than promotional—it needed to be a cultural contribution. We delivered a sophisticated visual identity that bridged the gap between the city’s design history and its musical future.
What We Did
- Architectural Visual Identity: Drew direct inspiration from Columbus’ public art and architecture, using geometric abstraction and dynamic grids to suggest both musical and architectural rhythm.
- Bespoke Typography & Color: Implemented a system inspired by Exhibit Columbus and modernist principles, ensuring the brand felt native to the city’s aesthetic.
- Strategic Content Mapping: Provided a detailed social media content calendar that allowed the client to execute a professional, consistent digital strategy despite lean internal teams.
- High-Touch Print Collateral: Designed 11×17 posters and A5 handouts that functioned as both information and collectible art for the design-conscious community.
- Press-Ready Assets: Prepared specialized graphics for regional media outlets, resulting in featured coverage in The Republic News and WFIU Public Radio.
Impact & Results
Our creative work provided the visual credibility required to launch a new series in a design-heavy market.
- Hundreds of attendees for the inaugural 2024 event at 4th & Washington Streets.
- Significant press response and regional media support across Indiana.
- Strengthened brand alignment between the Jazz Foundation and Columbus’s elite museum and design institutions.
- Scalable Creative: The 2024 visual system established the foundation for the series’ expansion into 2025 and beyond.
Why It Matters
By anchoring our work in “place-based design,” we proved that FG Studios could meet the exacting standards of institutional leaders. It wasn’t just about making posters—it was about creating a visual pulse that allowed Columbus to feel like a jazz town, honoring the modernist passion of its community leaders.
See how we manage the full project ecosystem for the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation.
