An Instrumental Piece: a Custom Design for the LA Phil

The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is a world-renowned orchestra known for its forward-thinking musical approach. Housed in the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl in the summer, the LA Phil pushes boundaries by blending the traditional with the contemporary. Thus when Story Spark was approached to develop an exclusive graphic t-shirt design, we were thrilled and humbled for opportunity to work with the LA icon. 

Given a few requirements and guidelines, Story Spark started the design process by researching the background of the LA Phil and understanding key facets that make it unique to its audience. One characteristic that emerged and became a focal point was the importance of the orchestra members. Each musician brings their own talents and artistry on an individual level while simultaneously contributing to the collective whole. This give and take relationship was an inspiring dynamic that applied not only to the musicians but also to those experiencing the artistic production. Thus we asked ourselves the question of how can the LA Phil experience remain in the hearts of its audience well beyond the walls of the concert hall?

In order to enable the audience to remember the orchestra's artistic production, we set our sights on honoring the endeavors of the musicians. A means of representing them on an individual level was through the technology used to express their work. Often times, the tools that we use can encapsulate our identities and passions. Thus we started looking the key musical instruments that best represented the four families of an orchestra: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion.

During Story Spark's research process, we came across an innovative and inspiring piece that LA Phil created through the use of virtual reality. Orchestra VR is a 360º 3D performance like no other. This is a prime example of their progressive thinking and how LA Phil is open to exploring the use of technology to enhance and bring people closer together. It certainly provided us with additional inspiration on how to capture the essence of the orchestra. Bravo!

With the goal of visualizing the essence of the orchestra, we looked at other unique and abstract examples to fuel our inspirations.

Once our research process has been fulfilled, we collected our thoughts and inspiration and began to sketch ideas. Much of the Story Spark illustration style is driven by the passion for clean lines and geometry. Thus when paired with the concepts that were developed, it didn't take long for something to emanate that we thought was unique and representative of LA Phil.

Titled as "Instrumental", the initial design was then applied in various color ways. With our past experience in identity and digital design consulting, we find it beneficial to provide multiple variations for consideration. There could be a unique perspective that may come from it, for everyone has their own individual story.

It's always fulfilling to see a design visualized in differing possibilities.

After iterating on the details of the illustration and color applications, the resulting design was finalized and ready for production.

We at Story Spark are very humbled and grateful for this special collaboration. As a boutique brand, we could not have imagined the possibility.

At the time of this writing, the LA Phil "Instrumental" graphic t-shirt is only available at the official LA Phil Store in downtown Los Angeles. We hope you'll attend an upcoming performance and visit the store to check out the result of our collaborative effort.

LA Phil
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Get directions

Interested in working with Story Spark on a custom graphic t-shirt design? Feel free to send an inquiry about your project via our Contact form. We'd love to hear your story.