Event Design · Brand · Experience
AfroFusion After Dark was a Serotone party built around hip hop, afrobeat, and amapiano with a glow-in-the-dark theme. Arden, the founding DJ, started from the music, which people on campus had been voicing a wanting for, and an inability to find at campus bars.
I developed the concept and experience design end to end, working through everything from the glow execution, color direction, the menu, to how the room itself would feel walking in.
I created a diagram of the room to sketch out main venue builds (new stage, updated beverage station, main wall decals), and, since the party was glow-in-the-dark, mapped out the direction of blacklights needed to illuminate the room.
The music is the core of Serotone's brand, yet the DJ Booth lacked the energy that was coming out of the speakers, or identified Serotone as an organization in any of the photos.
Previous DJ Booth
I cleaned up the booth's visual so it signified the brand identity the moment someone looked over, drawing focus to the music and DJ instead of the venue's uncovered, unchangeable parts.
Reimagined DJ Booth
DJ's had an organized table area to work with when mixing.
Walking in used to mean getting hit with floodlights and stepping almost directly into the DJ booth, since it sat at the same level as everything else with no visual or physical divider. It was overwhelming for guests, and it meant the DJ couldn't see the room and most of the room couldn't see the DJ.
Guests stepping almost directly into the booth on the way in.
Floodlit and floor-level, no boundary between the crowd and the DJ.
A visual backdrop and a tablecloth read as a physical wall once the booth is elevated, giving it a real boundary. I also swapped the floodlights for bulbs installed into the fixtures that used to just get switched off, so the entrance is lit without being blinding.
The backdrop and tablecloth reading as a real boundary once elevated.
A distinct space and boundary between the edge of the crowd and the DJ.
DJ booth visible anywhere in the room after being elevated.
The corner was turned into a more relaxed area away from the music, lit enough to match the theme and energy from the venue, but not as intense as near the DJ booth. I additionally posed secondary activities (body paint markers and card games) for people who wanted to take a break from just music.
I utilzied the venue's previously unused TV as a secondary light source.
Secondary activities and earplugs for those who needed them, positioned away from the intense action.
Glow paint markers gave people a second thing to do besides dance, letting them tag themselves and each other under black light.
Nobody was guessing where to go once they were in, fixed with custom wristbands and directional cues.
Printing out branded blank signs was also super helpful for putting up last-minute directions and notices, like when people were having trouble finding the trash cans.
The stairs down into the space set the tone before anyone walked in.
Walking down unlit, before the fix.
The same stairs, lit before anyone even hears the music.
The old station was sticky, unlit, and unbranded, there was no separate water, and the person running it couldn't see what they were pouring.
The station before, chaotic, with people entering and items cluttering the floor.
Crowds bottle-necking due to slow drink preparation time.
Bartender flanked from all sides due to unclear entry point.
Rebuilding it meant jug pours instead of individual bottles, real lighting on the station itself, and tap-to-pay so nobody was fumbling with cash in the dark. Water got its own smaller cups, separate from the beverage supply.
One access point for the attendant, and a clear surface area with organized beverages.
Clutter removed from under the station, and station roped off to prevent guests from entering.
Pre-prepared poured beverages with sugar-rimmed cups kept lines moving without losing an elevated beverage experience.
All materials organized for a single attendant to manage.
Jug pours in motion, keeping the line moving.
At the first party, we were rushing to get the room set up before doors opened, and coats ended up dumped on the nearest dark couch since there was no time to plan for them.
The rest was making sure six people could run a four-hour night without anyone guessing what they were supposed to be doing. If something did go wrong, everyone already knew the code and the response instead of figuring it out in the moment.
| Time | Music | Beverage Station | Door | Float / Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00–9:15 | — | Maddie | Dean | Gabby |
| 9:15–10:00 | Ritvik | Maddie | Dean | Gabby |
| 10:00–11:00 | Arden | Maddie + Gabby | Ritvik | Dean (ice/trash) |
| 11:00–11:30 | Dean | Maddie + Gabby | Ritvik / Arden | Arden |
| 11:30–12:00 | Dean | Maddie + Gabby | Arden | Arden |
| 12:00–1:00 | Dean (closing) | Maddie | Arden | Gabby (safety/trash) |
I built out a content calendar with dates of filming, ordering, and releases in order to manage both prepping for the party and driving online engagement.
Once the event was live I wanted us posting stories all night, not just recapping after, so anyone scrolling could tell in real time and still had time to show up.
Both DJ tour sets were recorded, and a dedicated capture team shot photo and video all night. Since Serotone runs lean, we pieced the team together from a local festival connection, a friend shooting for free, and borrowed gear.
