Web Design / Interactive Experience
Client - Sheridan Student Union
Create an interactive website that promotes the Phantasia events happening in March 2025, serving as both an information hub and a digital experience that reflects the creative, playful nature of the physical event while clearly targeting an adult audience.
The Challenge
How do you create something that feels both playful and mature? Phantasia's website needed to capture the spirit of creative exploration while clearly communicating that this was an event designed for adults. The site needed to balance interactive whimsy with sophistication, providing a digital taste of the physical experience to come.
Adding to the complexity was the question of audience building: how do we get people excited to attend a new event without established brand recognition? The website needed to intrigue first-time visitors enough to convert their curiosity into attendance, while also serving as a digital extension of the experience for those who couldn't attend in person.
The Solution
This project centered on p5.js coding to create a website that embodies Phantasia's interactive essence rather than merely describing it. I developed sophisticated interactive sketches that strike the perfect balance between playfulness and maturity—delighting users without feeling juvenile. Typography became crucial in maintaining this balance, pairing expressive, creative fonts with sophisticated ones that complement the changing interactive elements.
The final design features a dynamic hero section that transforms with each visit, immediately communicating Phantasia's essence of discovery without words. Seven different p5.js sketches invite visitor interaction, each refreshing upon return visits for added excitement while maintaining an adult-oriented sophistication. Despite these creative elements, navigation remains intuitive, ensuring practical information about the March 2025 event stays accessible while the content builds anticipation. For those unable to attend, these interactive elements provide a meaningful digital extension of the Phantasia experience.
Expanded Further
Two Easter eggs extend the Phantasia experience: a hidden collection of innovative websites that positions the event within a broader creative movement, and a sandboxed p5.js editor allowing visitors to personalize the site's header—providing both a taste of creative agency and a preview of the coding workshops featured at the event itself.
These features reflect Phantasia's vision of attendees as active participants rather than passive viewers, fostering the same spirit of creative engagement that defines the physical event.
The Impact
The Phantasia website has successfully established digital presence for this emerging event, driving registration and communicating its unique positioning as an adult-focused creative playground. Visitor analytics show strong engagement with the interactive elements, with users spending significant time exploring and returning multiple times before the event.
The site now serves as both gateway and extension of the Phantasia experience, building a foundation for this new brand in the creative events space while clearly conveying that this sophisticated playground is designed for adults.