When Design Speaks Music’s Language

When geometric abstraction meets spiritual ascension, you get Mikey Lavi‘s award-winning concert posters. His Gold-winning designs for The National and Young the Giant showcase two distinct visual vocabularies: one channels the bold revolutionary spirit of constructivism with sharp angles and electric reds, while the other evokes Art Deco grandeur through architectural frames and a reaching hand bathed in divine light. These screenprinted works prove that gig posters can be both a canvas for artistic exploration and a powerful call to gather.

By: Mikey Lavi, Multidisciplinary Designer, The Studio of Mikey Lavi

I love the “gig poster.” It’s unfussy compared to what you typically find in the canon of graphic design posters. Unfussy in that they’re not dictated by grids, immaculate typographic application, or caught between looking like an ad or an academic thesis (know what I mean?). 

They’re just plain fun. 

It’s a tradition, a cultural artifact, and a rite of passage for some. It’s meant to capture and commemorate a fleeting moment in time when a group of people have come together, united by their shared adoration for a musical artist, to get lost in a collision of sounds, visuals, and emotions. 

There’s something for everyone in the world of gig posters; it’s filled with artists, designers, and illustrators coming from all sorts of backgrounds and schools of thought. There’s no “right way” to design a gig poster, and that’s what makes them so special. 

With that said, I believe there’s one single rule for a gig poster to truly qualify as a gig poster: 

It absolutely MUST be screenprinted. 

Graphis invited me to write about the process behind my recent gig posters for The National and Young the Giant. I had such a pleasure designing these, but in terms of breaking down the brief, the process, the “solution,” and the results—there’s not much to say. Artists and their teams approach you for a few reasons: the artist genuinely loves your work, OR their management and/or merch team feels you would be a right fit for them. 

At least in my experience. 

They don’t necessarily provide a detailed brief unless there’s something very specific about that particular show. So, I thought I’d share my personal guidelines for designing a poster: 

● Make something in YOUR style. That’s why they came to you. 

● Tell a story. It doesn’t need to be complex, but there should be a sense of expression, emotion, or a loose narrative. 

● Does it feel connected to the artists’ values? Keep this in mind, but they’ll let you know after Round 1. 

● Lastly, and this one is more of a me thing. Don’t make it too “graphic design-y.” I feel this can alienate fans at times. Interpret this as you will; I have my own definition of it. I know it when I see it.

Mikey Lavi is a multidisciplinary designer based in Montreal. His practice focuses on the creative direction of musical artists, most notably serving as creative director to Grammy-nominated Noah Kahan. Mikey is driven by the belief that relationships, humor, and thoughtfulness are critical to great design. His clients include Young the Giant, The National, Dayglow, Republic/Mercury Records, AWAL, and more.

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