Hell’s Ink was a multi-city tattoo shop takeover tour designed to bring Diablo IV into the real world through free flash tattoos, fan meetups, and high energy community events. Ahead of the tour’s expansion in 2023, I was brought on to explore a new visual direction for the campaign, a look and feel that blended tattoo culture, Diablo iconography, and the gritty atmosphere of the shops hosting each stop.
While another direction was ultimately chosen for the final rollout, these concepts remain a favorite exploration of mine, for their raw style and attitude.
How It Started
Background
The brief was to develop a visual identity for the Hell’s Ink tour that felt authentic to the tattoo world while still speaking the language of Diablo IV. The concepts needed to work across posters, signage, social assets, and environmental applications inside the participating tattoo shops.
My focus was on building a look that paired bold, graphic forms with the texture and edge of traditional tattoo culture. Something that could stand out at street level and feel right at home in a shop setting.
Layout Design Logo Design Concept Developement Typography Collaboration
Tools
Photoshop Illustrator InDesign
Who Made It Possible
Collaborators
Emily Crosby Nikki Scoggins Michael Carrillo Rachel Siteman Daniela Rodriguez Laura Miller
What makes packaging worth saving?
GRAV’s original packaging was practical, but it lacked the personality to match the company’s innovative products. We set out to create a system of packaging that would jump off the shelves and that customers would want to keep.
Creating the Building Blocks
Original Illustrations
Lastly I created custom illustrations to give each package its own personality while still feeling part of a unified system.
Backgrounds
After the company updated from Grav Labs to GRAV, I updated the logo by refining the shapes so that the wordmark felt bolder and more balanced.
Shape Language
Inspired by the free-spirited past of counterculture and the clean lines of today’s smoke shops, I chose fonts that blended retro and contemporary styles to give the system a distinct yet flexible voice.
Patterns
Bright, bold color palettes with unexpected pairings pushed the brand further, turning every package into an opportunity to catch someone's eye.
Foliage
Bright, bold color palettes with unexpected pairings pushed the brand further, turning every package into an opportunity to catch someone's eye.