Based at the centre of Birmingham's creative quarter at The Custard Factory in Digbeth, Alfie Birds was a restaurant, club space and music venue. From the offset Alfie Birds was an ambitious undertaking, with the sole intention of returning Birmingham's famous Custard Factory back to its heyday as a leading UK music venue.
Built on the site of the former Medicine Bar, the three storey restaurant and club space operated for three years before switching back to office use as part of a larger project. I was approached by the venue owners as I completed my degree to work as creative lead, following my involvement as a DJ and promoter with the venue in its previous iteration.
Art Direction
Print Design
Digital Design
Working as part of a multi-talented team I was initially tasked with matching the brand's look and feel to the decor of the newly renovated space, developing an identity robust enough to cope with the venue's eclectic clientele, as well as successfully navigating the venue's launch event and cementing its place in the city's music scene. I was responsible for all outgoing visual material, producing all artwork for the restaurant, gig posters, club events and a number of small scale music festivals during a two year period.
This project is one of the few that required me to work onsite full-time as part of the wider promotional team - something that just would not be possible with PDCo's workload today. Liaising with booking agents and music promoters and creating artwork that kept all parties happy was a difficult but ultimately satisfying experience in which I thrived. I feel privileged to have played my part in successfully launching and maintaining a brand that served as an important part of the city's musical heritage. Working in a high pressure environment with incredibly tight deadlines equipped me with the necessary skills and foresight needed to carve out a successful freelance design career.
