M.U.R.A. Festival

Poster proposed for the M.U.R.A. Festival (Movimento Urbano Rete Artisti), which will take place in Genoa in September 2025 on the theme “Handmade”.

The visual is inspired by the Molo district, where the event is held, its shape echoed by a piece of dough being stretched by children. This gesture evokes both craftsmanship, the local focaccia, and the idea of sharing around a table.




Oktoberfest

Poster proposed for the Oktoberfest festival, which will be held in Genoa in October 2025.

On the poster, two beer mugs clash to celebrate the event. From their impact, a golden wave emerges, a nod to Genoa’s port identity.

Two sailors, a man and a woman, wearing hats adorned with basil leaves as feathers, dive in to be carried by this festive current. On board, two wild boars (a reference to those wandering the city streets), observe from a distance, torn between curiosity and caution in the face of the wave threatening to engulf them.




The branch of watermelons

Illustration created for I’M Market. The profits from this piece, along with works by a dozen other illustrators based in Genoa, were donated to an organisation supporting Gaza.

For this illustration, I drew inspiration from the symbol of peace, the dove carrying an olive branch in its beak.
If that branch of peace were to reach Gaza, it would grow far from human conflicts and give rise to watermelons.

Symbols of resistance, with colours reminiscent of the Palestinian flag, these watermelons would cover the land with promises of hope, renewal and freedom.




Logo design challenge

A week-long challenge to design one logo per day based on the prompt given by #dailylogochallenge.

For the animated versions, visit instagram @helenemcdonald_




Thought

Animated visual created during a workshop led by Tina Touli and Cookies Studio at the Graphic Days in Turin in May 2025.

The workshop, entitled Typography in Chaos, allowed us to further explore typographic animation on After Effects, and then mix the digital result with physical elements to create visual distortions.




DigitMi

Logo and visual identity created for the DigitMi project initiated by CEIPES Palermo, Italy (International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development).

The DigitMi project aims to initiate a transition to self-entrepreneurship by helping participants to develop their own business platform through micro-learning.
The logo is made up of three dots over i's, representing the icon of the wifi network, in a dynamic of digital connectivity and growth.





Intellectual Multiverse

Logo created for the Intellectual Multiverse project initiated by CEIPES Palermo, Italy (International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development).

The Intellectual Multiverse project aims to encourage active personal learning, based on the theory of the 9 intelligences described by the psychologist Howard Gardner.
In this logo, cosmic rings emanate from a face, evoking our way of thinking. The multiple intelligences complement and reinforce each other.





Gamedia

Logo created for the GAMEDIA project initiated by CEIPES Palermo, Sicily (International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development).

The Gamedia project aims to provide mediators with tools for training young people in media literacy and raising their awareness of misinformation. The logo is structured around a glitch effect and questions the legibility of information by introducing cyan and magenta pixels.





Uditore in Festa

Poster produced for the neighbourhood party organised by CEIPES Palermo, Italy (International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development).

This event brought together the residents of the Uditore district of Palermo to share sporting, musical and other leisure activities, in order to strengthen the NGO's social links with the locals.





Bridge

Logo created for the BRIDGE project initiated by CEIPES Palermo, Italy (International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development).

The BRIDGE project aims to innovate and promote green initiatives by social economy entrepreneurs operating in energy-intensive sectors. The logo shows three people working together to build a bridge to a low-carbon economy.





Last updated in July 2025
©Hélène McDonald · Graphic Designer