In Focus Festival
Bringing photography into the streets of Melbourne’s west
In Focus is a public photography festival held across Footscray and Yarraville, transforming everyday spaces into places for art, storytelling and connection.
Liz at Studio Hibiscus created the festival identity and visual system, designing a flexible brand that could work across streets, libraries, cafés, laneways and public spaces while allowing the photography to remain the hero.
The identity was rolled out across large-scale street banners, posters, signage, digital assets and promotional material, creating a consistent visual presence throughout the community.
The brief
The brief was to create a visual identity for a new photography festival that celebrates local creativity and encourages people to explore their neighbourhood.
The system needed to be bold enough to stand out in busy public environments, but flexible enough to support many different photographers, stories, locations and formats.
The design needed to work everywhere - from large street banners and outdoor signage to small-scale digital communication.
The problem
Public events compete with a lot of visual noise.
The challenge was creating a recognisable festival identity without overpowering the photography itself.
The design needed to connect a diverse collection of artists and images under one festival brand, while keeping each photographer’s work at the centre.
Design intent
Inspired by the aperture of a camera lens, a consistent 15° axis informed the logo, typography and graphic elements.
The design system included:
• a bold festival logo
• aperture-inspired graphic shapes
• a flexible colour palette
• strong, highly visible typography aligned with Council guidelines
• poster and banner templates
• social media and digital assets
• a cohesive event rollout system
The result was colourful, contemporary and highly visible in the streetscape.
The insight
The design became a visual thread connecting artists, audiences and places.
The outcome
In Focus launched across Footscray and Yarraville with a strong public presence across banners, posters, libraries, cafés and outdoor spaces.
The flexible identity brought together a wide range of photographic work and activities while maintaining a clear and recognisable festival experience.
The project demonstrated how design can support arts and culture - helping stories move beyond traditional gallery spaces and into the everyday life of the community.
