Montreal Bal Jam
Montreal Bal Jam is a fresh Balboa dance event debuting in Montréal, proudly celebrating the charm, wit, and quirky individuality. Created by a local dancer non-profit, it puts the spotlight on Balboa and its joyful nuances. Those tiny slides, unexpected shapes, and delightfully odd stylistic choices that make the dance unique.
Role: Graphic Designer, client communication
Project Context: Non-Profit
Product Type: Merchandise Design
Duration: 2 weeks, Nov 2025
Tools: Figma, Procreate, Adobe
Problem
Montreal Bal Jam is seeking branding materials that reflect the energy and style of their balboa dance event. They need a design that captures the spirit of the weekend, along with adaptable social media mockups that can promote the event consistently across platforms.
Solution
To represent Montreal Bal Jam, I’m exploring designs that convey a sense of circular movement to capture the “Ubuntu” energy of the event, incorporate jam or dance-inspired elements to highlight its connection to the name and partner dancing, and include musical motifs to reflect the “jam” aspect—clearly tying the branding to its jazz roots. The goal is a cohesive visual identity that’s vibrant, casual, and instantly recognizable across all platforms.
Mood board
The Options
The Montreal Bal Jam mood board draws inspiration from old black-and-white cartoons, vintage style to emphasize bold, legible design rooted in jazz history. We also take inspiration from the quirky jam & bread motif they have used consistently throughout their marketing. This aesthetic not only reinforces the event’s musical roots but also adds a playful, nostalgic tone.
💡 Bold 💡 Goofy
💡 Movement 💡 Casual
Branding
The logo and banners for Montreal were developed using the a basic color scheme. This provided a strong foundation for creating clear visuals, allowing for clarity across platforms while maintaining flexibility in how the designs are applied. With limitations of colors due to funding, the result left us with a 3 color limit, although I originally began with 5 colors due to the usual 6 color limitation for merchandise.
Designs
Sketches
Mockups
Flyers, T-Shirt, Bags
The mockups display how the Montreal Bal Jam design translates across key platforms, including Instagram and event merchandise. These visuals demonstrate the adaptability of the design—maintaining clarity and impact whether used on digital posts or printed on items like shirts and tote bags.
Final Designs
1 Final Asset
Reflection
What I Learned
Simplicity
From working on Montreal Bal Jam, I learned that sometimes simplicity is key to creating an effective and memorable design. Learning to limit a design to 3 colors was challenging and helped me focus on clarity.
Sketching
I realized the importance of a clear sketch as a foundation for clear client feedback, ensuring strong execution. Additionally, I gained new skills in Adobe with transparent shapes, which allowed me to be more efficient.