Designing Curiosity: How BeFunky Helps New York Adventure Club Stand Out
For Corey William Schneider, exploring New York City started as a personal mission – a way to escape the routine of bars and brunch and discover the city’s forgotten corners. When he began turning those discoveries into immersive experiences for others, he turned to BeFunky to show what words couldn’t.
BeFunky has allowed us to give people a better (and quicker) idea of what to expect for each of our events (both in-person and virtual), while also giving a signature style to our brand's digital presence.
From historical photo restoration to signature collage layouts, BeFunky became a key part of how Schneider tells each story visually – helping New York Adventure Club build curiosity, consistency, and recognition with every event he launches.
From Weekend Explorer to Full-Time Tour Creator
In the early days of 2013, Schneider posted weekly roundups of interesting things to do in NYC, hoping to get his friends excited about exploring new neighborhoods and venues. “Unfortunately, I was speaking to myself in the group as the idea of going to some far-flung neighborhood on a weekend morning was not their idea of fun.”
He decided to organize a few private tours of places he had already visited. To hedge his bets, he promoted one of the tours through a local blog. “When my article went live, 100 strangers joined the group asking how to get a ticket, prompting me to immediately Google ‘how to sell tickets online.’”
That moment marked the beginning of something bigger. “It was the catalyst that showed there were other urban explorers out there just like me.” By 2016, New York Adventure Club had become his full-time job, and by 2025, he was coordinating more than 20 unique in-person and digital experiences each week.
How BeFunky Enhances NYAC's Workflow
Schneider first discovered BeFunky more than a decade ago while searching for a quick way to create collages. But it soon became his go-to design platform. He now uses the Collage Maker, Photo Editor, and a range of AI-powered tools for nearly every image on his site, emails, and social media.
A Visual Identity That Starts With a Collage
With BeFunky’s Collage Maker, Schneider can highlight event locations and details in seconds, helping establish the signature visual identity of New York Adventure Club. “As an event organizer, I wanted to use a collage for our event page images as it allows for more information to be conveyed than one photo ever could."
Over time, that collage approach evolved into a recognizable style that people now associate with New York Adventure Club. “When people see our unique collage, they instantly recognize it's a New York Adventure Club event."
Enhancing and Editing With Speed
Many of Schneider’s events feature historical or archival photos, which means he often relies on BeFunky’s editing and AI tools to prepare them for a modern audience. “ . . . integrated AI tools are fast becoming my favorites, specifically Deblur/Old Photo Restorer/Upscale. Since many of our events surround historic moments and sites, I'm constantly trying to make old photos attractive in the digital age.”
Even newer photos benefit from small adjustments that make them pop on event pages. “I access the Exposure and Color options for almost every photo – a must have!” For Schneider, that consistency across visuals is just as important as the speed of creating them. “The ‘Open Image in Editor’ is a key tool in my toolbox, as it allows me to quickly edit photos within my Collage Maker.”
BeFunky helps me speed up my event page creation process, which in turn gives me more time to work on other aspects of the business. As the only full-time employee of the company, every second counts!
Designing Visuals That Drive Attendance
For the New York Adventure Club, imagery is key to making a great first impression for an event – and often the deciding factor in whether someone clicks through. BeFunky gives him the tools to design collages that explain an experience at a glance, restore historic photos that capture attention online, and keep every event page consistent with the New York Adventure Club brand. That visual language has turned what started as a side project into a business that now engages more than 50,000 members.
Ready to go on your own adventure? Try BeFunky today and create visuals that make your story unforgettable.
