GRAPHIC DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION > Beacon music festival Site map

Illustrated Festival Map | Beacon Festival

Illustrated map of festival layout in a clean-line style by Melbourne illustrator Natalie Ex

Client: Friendly Potential / Beacon Festival
Project: Illustrated Music Festival Site Map

Beacon Festival was a series of music festivals held at Queens Wharf in Auckland, New Zealand. The events were curated by Friendly Potential, a well-regarded event promotion collective and radio show known for championing forward-thinking electronic music. The festival showcased a diverse range of local and international artists, creating an inclusive and vibrant atmosphere for music lovers.

Project brief:
Create a site map that not only serves a practical purpose for festival-goers, helping them navigate the space with ease, but also complements and enhances the Beacon Festival branding. The design needed to align with the festival’s creative tone: vibrant, inclusive, and forward-thinking, with a playful edge that reflects the music and community spirit of the event.

Scope of Work:

  • Concept development and layout planning

  • Custom illustration of festival zones, stages, amenities, and key landmarks

  • Integration of branded typography, colors, and visual motifs

  • Ensure legibility and clarity across print and digital formats

Japanese-inspired illustrated event map showing main stage and attractions

    • Playful

    • Clean-line

    • Colourful

    • Music zones

    • Sponsor logos

    • Bars

    • Toilets

    • First aid

    • A0 size printed map

    • Web friendly map

    • Spot illustrations as separate pngs

    • Social media tiles

Detail of illustrated festival map in clean-line style by Melbourne graphic designer
Japanese-inspired illustrated map highlighting event areas and pathways

Beacon Festival 2020 Site Map

Custom illustrated map design by Melbourne illustrator Natalie Ex, clean-line style
iphone with vector illustrations
drawing of cats on a boat

Hand-drawn concept sketches

Design approach:
Given that the printed map would be displayed in a large-format, I chose a clean line vector illustration style to ensure clarity and scalability. This approach allowed for spot illustrations that remained legible and engaging, whether viewed up close or from a distance.

A major influence behind the aesthetic was my childhood love for Tokyo Disneyland and its iconic illustrated maps. These whimsical, character-filled designs sparked joy and excitement for exploration. I aimed to capture that same feeling in the Beacon Festival maps.

Since the festival was created by Friendly Potential, a group I also designed for, I integrated their visual identity into the map. I had previously created their beloved logo - a yin-yang symbol made up of two cuddling cats, and brought these characters to life as mascots throughout the map. The cats appear mimicking festival-goers: dancing, relaxing, exploring, and soaking in the atmosphere.

This mascot-driven theme helped create continuity and personality across both editions of Beacon Festival, in 2020 and 2023, reinforcing the brand identity while adding playful storytelling elements to the map design.

Let’s work together

Natalie Ex brings 23 years of experience in illustration, graphic design, and marketing. While she specialises in clean-line Japanese inspired styles, her adaptable approach ensures visuals are tailored to your unique needs.