Dundee Design Festival
Headless Greg was hired as the character designer for Dundee Design Festival 2021, an accessibility-focused arts festival produced by Agency of None.
The collaborative project involved many different outcomes, from printed posters to public art. Greg also produced a ‘Character Design System’ which allowed the festival’s creative partners and visitors to design their own characters.
This project was longlisted for a World Illustration Award in 2022.
Character design was used across the advertising campaign for the festival to create an aesthetic which felt engaging, fun and accessible to a wide audience. Every piece of design work was carefully considered. Communicating the idea that this design festival was not just for designers was a top priority.
Many of the characters were turned into public art installations. A team of local craftspeople turned 2D illustrations into spinning barrel-heads and a giant marble run.
Headless Greg also created a Character Design System (a library of geometric body parts, facial features and stylish accessories which other designers could incorporate into their work) that was used across all of the activities which took place during the festival, including clothes upcycling and boardgame design workshops.
Characters featured on the Dundee Design Festival website, too. This online hub guided visitors around the physical events and housed digital activities, which allowed people to take part from anywhere in the world.
Stobswellbeing Store was a character-building workshop which explored how creativity can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing. Visitors to the shop could build a colourful character for free as they thought about and discussed mental health.
Headless Greg designed the shop signage, the wooden parts and stickers visitors could choose from and an authentication stamp which the friendly shopkeeper used at the end of this mindful character-building experience.