Sonic EXPO: Atlanta is a celebration of past and present wrapped in a big fan convention, featuring not only Sonic the Hedgehog but a wide array of SEGA franchises. As Sonic EXPO returns to Atlanta in 2026, I had the privilege of serving as their Designer and Design Coordinator. I crafted core visual assets and oversaw the entire visual identity for the convention while directing and collaborating with design and video volunteers to bring this event to life.
Designer & Design Coordinator at Chaos Creators (Organization)
Received 15 Sponsors
Gotten ~260 Submissions for the Lazy River Character Rave
More to Come....
It starts with mood boards my team and I created to find a good medium for the visual theme, drawing inspiration from old-school summer post cards, and the classic arcade game Out Run.
My team and I coordinate with art volunteers, encouraging them to illustrate their favorite SEGA characters in a style that best fits the theme and the moodboards.
Once we had the art direction and visual style locked in, we began creating iterations like social statics. We also created art guides to help volunteers execute the theme consistently.
These social assets were designed in various sizes for multiple platforms. The statics feature distinct color schemes and character pairing to ensure each guest has their own unique spotlight.
The event features a wide array of merch and signage, with some merch items created by our volunteers. I outlined detailed assignments for the design volunteers, providing them with references, specifications, die templates and usable assets.
Credits:
Dreamcast Style Enamel Pin (wizardhat), Tote bag (derangedspaz), Postcard / Poster (BeastOwl), Shirt (Zara), Badge (CitiStreets), SEGATHON Logo (Speendlex)
One of the convention’s most popular highlights is the SEGA and Sonic Rave held on Friday and Saturday nights, featuring DJ sets paired with stylish and vibrant visuals. A fan-favorite project we created is the character collabs, which gives people from the community the opportunity to draw their own characters and have them showcased on the big screen. For 2026, we brought everyone together by placing their characters on inner tubes, cruising down a lazy river. Character base template by SnaggyPeetz
The video features over 260 user-submitted characters.
