Introduction/Overview

My name is Kit and I'm a student of graphic design at Sacramento State University. In this project, students were asked to improve a physical user experience design by designing five touchpoints of the experience: awareness, planning, waiting, the experience itself, and follow-up.

I designed the experience of attending an open-air vintage market, called Sacramento Antique Faire. I chose this event because I personally enjoy attending regularly, but its design could be improved. I researched the overall experience with a SWOT analysis. This analysis revealed that the pain points of the event include its lack of wayfinding and signage, poor distribution of event information, and its weak branding system.

The goals for the improved experience were that users could find their way, plan their visits, and access accommodations. Users would no longer miss the event simply because it slipped their mind. Users would also experience an event with a brand they can connect and engage with.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

• Variety of vendors
• Large inventory
• Outside location is COVID-safe
• A strong base of established and returning users (locals)
• Low cost of admission
• Consistent monthly event
• Inventory is always changing and creating new interest
• Local event connected to Sac community
• Large venue with ample parking

Weaknesses

• Little way-finding and signage
• No traffic flow indicators
• Scoping out vendors and event details ahead of time is difficult
• No strong sense of brand
• Not enough food vendors
• Few amenities provided
• Finding and recording information prior to the event is difficult
• People often forget that the event is occurring because "second sunday" is not as easy to orient oneself around compared to a numerical date.

Opportunities

• The Sacramento creative community is large and diverse
• The rise of social media as a way to spread event information
• Creative way-finding that adds visual interest to the event and helps showcase all of the antique treasures rather than clashing with them
• Local food trucks/ pop-up restaurant industry
• Many creatives use notebooks to express and keep track of ideas, SAF can create something event-specific like this.

Threats

• The rise of e-vintage platforms
• Pop-up markets are everywhere all of the time
• Poor public transportation in Sacramento
• Climate change is making outdoor events more extreme
• An environment in which germs are easily spread
• A busy world can miss a local event if it's not marketed consistently

Action Items

• Develop a cohesive brand and apply it to all event touchpoints.
• Provide more information to attendees prior to their visits.
• Design a strong way-finding system to help reduce fatigue & frustration.
• Develop a low-cost method for note-taking and business interaction for visitors.

Current Brand

This type is so small! It won't reduce well. Its difficult to read even at its full size.

The board is the wrong size for the frame.

This sign isn't colorful or fun to look at and the plastic makes the a-frame look cheap.

To address these issues, I started with a bit of rebranding. The current logo for Sac Antique Faire is only represented on the website, and the overall website design is a different mood and feel from the logo., which is a different mood and feel from the event itself.

Rebrand

To create a strong branding system, I chose three typefaces, a five-color palette, and a designed new logotype solution.

Because the Antique Fair includes Sacramento, California's capital, as a part of its brand, I considered California history for aesthetic inspiration. The event which catalyzed Sacramento's establishment was the Gold Rush in the 1849-50s. Artifacts of design that inspired the branding aesthetic included type posters, lithographs, wood-cut type, and western wear. Art images from the 1850s often utilized muted colors, black linework, and hatching. I chose the main colors being used in color lithographs and tweaked them a bit to be brighter and more playful. These elements were reflected in the design of physical advertising, email campaigns, signage, and merch. The intent of the brand is to create a space that gets people excited about antiquing and the way objects cycle through history. It also helps cement the Sac Antique Faire in their mind as a complete experience and event, rather than a forgettable market.