2020 TD Ottawa Winter Jazz Fest – Inspiration Behind the Design

The 2020 TD Ottawa Winter Jazz Fest poster design has elements of fluidity, topography, and connectivity. The idea was to create an arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features on the surface, underlining the connection of music with technology underneath.

The fluid design elements such as background topography lines define the state of being unsettled or unstable, yet it also represents changeability that resonates throughout the creation of jazz music in particular.

The state of music being connected to the natural world and our surrounding is also incorporated in the design through elements of stars and constellations, representing form and pattern. The two constellations seen in the poster are Orion and Ursa Major, both not only visible in our region but two of the most conspicuous constellations in the night sky. This not only represents the connection between musician, instrument, and music created as a result, but also the interconnection of platforms, systems, and applications in today’s digital world.

To tie it all together, the colours chosen for the design are on the cooler spectrum representing the winter setting surrounding the Festival.

The typeface chosen for the design is a strong, clean, and linear sans-serif to contrast the flowing background. – Adi Cajo, Operations Manager, TD Ottawa Winter Jazz Fest.

From Jan 30 – Feb 1, 45 musicians, 14 expert panelists and 16 delegates from Europe, across Canada and the United States will delve into the challenges faced by artists in the Digital Creative Music Summit (DCMS) Initiative, consisting of 4 panels. Running concurrently with Winter Jazz, shows and panels will take place at ODD Box at Arts Court Ottawa over 3 days.

This event, made possible by the Canada Council for the Arts, is free to everyone but due to limited space is first-come-first-served.

Download the TD Ottawa Winter Jazz APP!