Music and visual art go together like peanut butter and jelly. So, when StLouisArts.org collaborated with the Evolution Festival to invite local St. Louis artists to submit a design for limited-edition, VIP festival merch, it was a no-brainer. Incredible designs inspired by the music festival, Forest Park (the locale of the festival), and STL’s music scene started pouring in shortly after the competition opened.
It was a very close contest. Congratulations goes to the victor, Annie Finan, St. Louis-based graphic designer and owner of A Fine Co., described here as your ultimate destination for expertly positioning your brand and crafting your narrative. It’s not too late to get tickets to this year’s Evolution Festival and, if you go, you’re likely to catch a glimpse of Annie’s amazing design!
As the winner, Finan received $1,000 and two free weekend passes to the festival.Congrats to all of the finalists – Bailey Crouch, Sandra Ure Griffin, Erin King and Elizabeth Simons – who also submitted truly phenomenal artwork.
We caught up with this creative contest winner to ask a few questions.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START AS A DESIGNER?
My career began in marketing, but I was always drawn to the creative aspects of the field. For several years, I taught myself design while working in various marketing roles. In 2022, I decided to pursue a more structured education and enrolled in a certificate course at the Shillington School of Graphic Design. This program connected me with like-minded individuals in a similar position as me and enabled me to shift my career towards my true passion: graphic design.
WHAT IS IT THAT DREW YOU TO DESIGN AS AN ARTISTIC MEDIUM, AND IN WHAT WAYS HAVE YOU EVOLVED SINCE YOU STARTED?
What drew me to graphic design was its blend of creativity, psychology and functionality. With a background in marketing, I’ve always been intrigued by how effective design can convey messages, evoke emotions, and enhance user experiences while remaining visually appealing. The ability of design to shape perceptions and behaviors—whether through a striking logo, an intuitive app interface, or captivating packaging—hooked me from the beginning. Each year, I grow more confident in my design skills and have learned immensely from my experience working as a graphic designer at a local agency. Seeing companies and people using your designs never gets old. It’s a magical feeling to create work that you are proud of and knowing you are helping improve businesses by driving brand awareness and trust through design.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR DESIGN WORK?
There’s so much inspiration everywhere! I love the mix of modern and vintage. Something that evokes nostalgia. I’m drawn to old signage, photography, textured paper, and playful patterns. Fundamentally different, but similar in providing visual solutions, interior design styles like mid-century modern and contemporary, provide lots of inspiration. Having an interest in a little bit of everything can go a long way in the design field. The list could go on and on, but Pinterest never fails!
DESIGN IS AN ART FORM THAT’S ALL AROUND – FROM DIGITAL, TO PACKAGING, TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT SURROUNDS US. WHERE DOES DESIGN SHOW UP IN OUR DAILY LIVES THAT WE MIGHT NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT?
Design impacts many facets of our lives, often blending seamlessly into the background while significantly enhancing our daily experiences that we may not think of on a daily basis. More obvious forms include product packaging at grocery stores to the lesser obvious such as public signage, automotive design, and household products.\
WILL YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR WINNING DESIGN FOR THE EVOLUTION FESTIVAL CALL FOR ART CONTEST?
Elements of music and the city of St. Louis are on full display in this design, grounding it in simple, modern and retro roots. It’s a mix of the past and the present, an approach to capturing an essence of a bygone era of the ‘70s and ‘80s, an exciting time when popular music genres exploded on the scene. I love how influential graphic design has been linked to the history of music so I created a logo that represents the Evolution Festival brand and the musicians performing at it. Inspired by the neon lights popular in dance venues of the day, the use of a multi-line typeface instantly evokes the vibrant energy the Evolution Festival will bring to St. Louis this September. While there were plenty of visually busy designs during the ‘70s, there was also a minimalist movement that had been going strong since the ‘60s. I tried to incorporate the simple bold shapes of nature and music icons. To tie everything together, I used the established Evolution Festival brand colors and paired them with some complimentary colors.
WHILE WE’RE ON THE TOPIC OF THE EVOLUTION FESTIVAL, WE HAVE TO ASK – WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GO-TO MUSIC ARTISTS OR GENRES TO LISTEN TO WHILE YOU’RE DESIGNING?
I like listening to all types of genres (a typical answer you probably don’t want to hear), but it’s true! Having parents who grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, I got a steady diet of classic rock and roll. My grandparents played a lot of Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and ABBA. I also picked up a greater appreciation of Country Western music as a college student who attended school in the South. I feel like I have a great admiration for all types of music! Plus, having had an older brother who listened to The Killers non-stop in the ‘90s growing up will make this year’s headliner band all the more exciting for me to watch.
IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HIRE YOU FOR SOME WORK, WHAT SERVICES DO YOU OFFER AND HOW CAN THEY FIND YOU?
I love working with small businesses especially local to St. Louis, but I offer branding and website design in addition to any other custom projects you may need, like print and digital collateral. You can submit project info on my website: www.a-fine.co or email me directly at annie@a-fine.co. You can also follow along my design journey on Instagram at @a.fine.co.
See some portfolio samples from Annie Finan below, beginning with the winning design from the Evolution Festival call for art contest.
