ECSTATIC
DANCE
DEN HAAG
Ecstatic Dance Den Haag is a non-profit organization that holds ecstatic dance events in The Hague. They approached Taken By Storm to design a new corporate identity.
My role in this process was to create a visual style for the new corporate identity and to design and develop a mobile and web version of the website using WordPress.
The main challenge was to design a suitable website and mobile version that would attract people to attend their events and purchase tickets.
DEBRIEF
The client sent a message detailing the deliverables they requested and the visual style they liked. My colleagues explained ecstatic dance to me, as I was unfamiliar with the concept.
I felt it was important to first understand what it was, why people do it, and what the motivation behind it is. This allowed me, as a designer, to better empathize and understand the participants' reasons for engaging in it.
RESEARCH
My goal during the research phase was to explore which visual style we could use for the new corporate identity. It was important to connect the visual style to the purpose of Ecstatic Dance. I did this research by looking at different visuals and clustering them into concepts.
My visual research centered on imagery, inspiring a mandala motif that
I later refined for the final design.
Based on my research, I developed visual concepts where every color,
font, and graphic directly reflected the core meaning of Ecstatic Dance.
My visual research centered around images, which inspired a mandala motif
that I later refined and integrated into the final design.
IDEATION
During the ideate phase, I explored how the users’ needs could be translated into the design.
The users’ need was to understand
what Ecstatic Dance is before signing up.
To meet this need, a page was created to
explain what Ecstatic Dance means.
Version 1
Version 2
Another goal of the website is to attract more visitors to the organisation. To achieve this, nudges such as location information, a playlist to listen to, and banners for upcoming events were added.
Version 1
Version 2
Version 1
Version 2
RESULT
The final result was a completed WordPress website. The Mandala and Inner Journey concepts from my visual research were incorporated into the website.
The Mandala and bright colors symbolise the mental peace that a dancer experiences through Ecstatic Dance. The bright colors also represent the energy that dancing gives.
The website should leave users feeling more informed and convinced. This is achieved by presenting all the information in a clear and structured way, something the client was not able to do on their previous website.
