Case Study: Helia

Creative Direction with AI Collaboration

Role: Creative Technologist
Focus: Brand development, storytelling, event design, physical production
Tools Used: AI-assisted writing, visual prototyping, creative planning
Website: Helia Design Document

Project Overview

Helia & Halo is a two-part event series: Halo, a weekly club night, and Helia, a seasonal, high-production rave. I set out to create something that felt visually distinct, culturally rich, and immersive—a brand-first experience that could grow into a community.

This project brought together all of my creative disciplines—event design, storytelling, visual branding, and physical fabrication—into one cohesive vision. To stay focused and move quickly, I used AI as a creative partner to help me shape ideas, write content, and explore visual directions while I focused on building the real-world experience.

What I Set Out to Do

  • Build a strong, recognizable brand around a themed weekly event

  • Develop a larger seasonal event that felt like a ritual or celebration

  • Create characters, visuals, and language that felt unique and immersive

  • Avoid traditional social media marketing and find a more personal, creative approach

  • Bring together my skills in design, music, fabrication, and storytelling into one unified brand

How I Used AI

The initial goal was to create a unique club night for a DJ that would stand out and attract a dedicated audience. I had a vague idea of what would work for an audience and feel current and curated, but I wanted to quickly iterate through ideas. I sat down to brainstorm some names and themes for a night I could pitch to an upscale hotel. Once we started collaborating, it became easy for me to feed the inspiration back into Copilot, and Copilot quickly generated the copy I needed to develop a design document.

As Copilot got a feel for what we were doing, I was able to generate AI imagery and ideas that I could transform into usable vector graphics. Copilot took the place of my sketchbook in this case. As our design document became more and more fleshed out, it became easier to get usable results from Copilot. We then designed a prompt for an AI agent named Soleia. Soleia begins conversations fully briefed and tuned specifically for the Helia concept, making it faster to develop new ideas and finish fleshing out the brand concept.

  • Naming & Concepts: Brainstormed event names, themes, and character ideas

  • Storytelling: Co-wrote lore for mascots like Helia, Halo, and The Aspirant

  • Copywriting: Drafted website sections, brand values, and pitch materials

  • Visual Prototyping: Generated concept art and moodboards to guide design

  • Event Planning: Outlined technical needs, production formats, and booking info

  • Social Strategy: Developed a nontraditional approach based on mystery and real-world interaction

What I Gained

Using AI allowed me to stay focused on the creative direction while saving time on writing, formatting, and ideation. That time went directly into hands-on work: designing visuals, building physical elements, and refining the in-person experience.

This workflow gave me the space to think bigger, move faster, and stay aligned with the brand’s tone and vision—without getting stuck in the weeds.

Why It Matters

This project shows how AI can support creative work without replacing it. I stayed in control of the vision, but used AI to help me connect ideas across disciplines, stay organized, and bring a complex brand to life—both online and in the real world.

Helia herself.

Meet Soleia