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CLIENT displate
EVENT anime expo 2025
ROLE art director
art direction / concepting / experiential design / content / graphic design / social strategy / onsite creative direction / event production
welcome to the district
welcome to the district
Art direction, experience concept, and on-site creative leadership for Displate’s Anime Expo debut, transforming a 40' × 40' booth into a neon district built for product discovery, collecting, and community.
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NEON
LAYERED
TACTILE
HIGH-ENERGY
FUTURISTIC
NEON
LAYERED
TACTILE
HIGH-ENERGY
FUTURISTIC
Displate prides themself on having officially licensed artwork across more than 200 fandoms. For its first Anime Expo, the challenge was to establish credibility in the category while creating an experience that went beyond the typical marketplace booth. We created a destination that gave fans multiple reasons to enter and explore.
As Art Director, I developed the booth concept and carried its narrative from early development through the live event. I shaped the visual direction and guest experience, partnering closely with the design and production teams to translate that point of view across the space, graphics, and content. On site, I oversaw the creative through install and the full event weekend, approving the final environment, reviewing live content, and maintaining creative consistency across talent moments and programming.
As Art Director, I developed the booth concept and carried its narrative from early development through the live event. I shaped the visual direction and guest experience, partnering closely with the design and production teams to translate that point of view across the space, graphics, and content. On site, I oversaw the creative through install and the full event weekend, approving the final environment, reviewing live content, and maintaining creative consistency across talent moments and programming.
welcome to the
An immersive space inspired by the energy of anime cityscapes, balancing polished futurism with the layered imperfection of a lived-in city.
brand
Inspired by Japanese neon signage, the identity is designed to scale across each zone. High-contrast lightboxes cut through the visual density of the show floor.
A custom sticker set applied onsite added an extra layer of personality and sheen across various surfaces.
passport
To drive exploration, a collectible passport turned each area into a stop to remember. Discover the product, spot favorite franchises, create content, and connect, all within one cohesive world.
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Inspired by Japanese goshuincho stamp books, fans collect a custom stamp at every destination, unlocking a prize at checkout.
The stamps balance simple line-work with kanji typography, housed in badge-shaped language to represent each zone.
Inspired by Japanese goshuincho stamp books, fans collect a custom stamp at every destination, unlocking a prize at checkout.
The stamps balance simple line-work with kanji typography, housed in badge-shaped language to represent each zone.
guest journey
A free-flow layout organized the 40' × 40' footprint into six key zones. We married demo with design, with interactive demos, modular displays, and lighting reveals that emphasized key features: mount, swap, and transform.
A. LIMITED EDITION SHOWCASE
B. COLLECTOR’S GALLERY
C. DEMO ZONE
D. PHOTO MOMENT
E. HANGOUT ZONE
F. GLOW ALLEY
G. CHECKOUT
Mounted Displates layered over the key visual gave the facade physical depth and placed the product directly into the architecture. Neon signage, graphic texture, and saturated light helped the District read as a glowing city block from across the convention floor.
exterior
A. LIMITED EDITION SHOWCASE
Upon arrival, the Limited Edition posters act as a central focal moment. Three custom, dual-sided display cases used specialty lighting to spotlight the UV-reactive and textural qualities of the Anime Expo exclusives.
B. COLLECTOR’S GALLERY
C. DEMO ZONE
D. PHOTO MOMENT
A stylized Tokyo metro platform used props, perspective, and environmental graphics to create a scene fans could step into rather than a standard branded backdrop.
E. HANGOUT ZONE
F. GLOW ALLEY
A dark tunnel-like room designed to display specialty glow-in-the-dark posters under UV lighting. Over the weekend, word of mouth made the alley a booth favorite.
G. CHECKOUT
Checkout reimagined a futuristic street counter. Suspended lanterns, layered posters, and illuminated signage kept the final transaction inside the world.
Checkout reimagined a futuristic street counter. Suspended lanterns, layered posters, and illuminated signage kept the final transaction inside the world.
collateral
content capture
On-site content capture and daily edits extended the District beyond the show floor, sharing creator appearances, product moments, and fan reactions in real time. Special programming with fan-favorite talent created natural peaks of traffic and participation throughout the weekend.
credits︎
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ART DIRECTOR
DESIGN DIRECTOR
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
PRODUCTION
FABRICATION
PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO
VIDEO
ART DIRECTOR
DESIGN DIRECTOR
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
PRODUCTION
FABRICATION
PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO
VIDEO
priscilla gomez
marley crawford
mike zoppo
cynthia bacall
phil driscoll
C2 imaging
ethan klein
yusuf rowser
marley crawford
mike zoppo
cynthia bacall
phil driscoll
C2 imaging
ethan klein
yusuf rowser