Horizon '26

Horizon is UC San Diego’s annual winter quarter concert, and this year was the first time third year designer Mellicent Cabanes took on the role of Creative Lead after joining AS Graphic Studio. She had previously worked as a designer for University Centers, but Horizon was her first major ASGS project and her first time shaping the full visual identity for a large music event. ASCE came in with a clear sense of the vibe they wanted, which included an electric nightlife atmosphere, neon inspired visuals, city light energy, and distortion as a recurring visual element. They also wanted the branding to stay mostly within a blue color palette. Early drafts explored blue and orange combinations and heavier glitch effects, but through feedback and refinement  the direction shifted toward a cleaner and more cohesive look. The final identity focused on a monochromatic blue palette with distortion that felt energetic without becoming overwhelming. Mellicent created the main branding, promotional graphics, and merchandise designs, and she collaborated with Serene Wang and Angela Hu on the website. One of her biggest challenges was stepping away from her usual illustration style and adapting to a more atmospheric festival aesthetic, which pushed her to rethink how she approaches visual design. The final outcome shaped the entire look of Horizon 2026 and reflects her ability to interpret direction, explore multiple concepts, and land on a polished identity that fit the event.

ASCE’s Horizon merch collection included zip-ups, beanies, and keychains. The zip-up design drew inspiration from acid-wash apparel, featuring two figures running hand in hand with a distorted “Meet us at the horizon” graphic on the back. This concept went through multiple iterations, exploring different colorways, graphic shapes, and layout options before the final design was adapted into a halftone effect for screen printed production. The beanie design focused on large-scale distressed graphics with a spray paint inspired look. The design was first illustrated in Procreate, then further refined and distressed the graphics using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. The keychain design was developed from the original Horizon logo, simplified into an outlined form and paired with Horizon’s signature sparkle symbol.

Conceived through the collaboration of our web developers, Serene Wang and Angela Hu, the website balanced striking visuals with intentional user interaction. At its center was a live glassmorphism-style countdown timer leading up to the concert, which also served as the ticket registration portal. Drawing inspiration from the branding’s distortion and gradient motifs, the site featured an “Aurora Borealis”-inspired animation that responded to cursor movement, creating a dynamic nightlife atmosphere. The background contains a grainy effect with blurry stars in the background to add to the distortion effect. Buildings from the main poster were incorporated with subtle pulsing light effects to reflect the event’s electric energy with a rotating star above in the branding’s orange and blue palette. Together, these interactive elements transformed the website from a simple landing page into an immersive digital extension of the Horizon identity.

A.S. Graphic Studio
Mellicent Cabanes, Serene Wang, Angela Hu

Triton Outfitters
Israel Magallon, Ella Winter, Andrew Alvarado

ASCE
Olivia Tsou, Andy Tran, Jiya Patel, Ishani Solanki, Unice Liu, Saanvi Tiwari

Photographers
Justin Tanaka, Jackson Manansala