Creating an event for an organisation that has little or no visual identity is a great opportunity for a designer but full of ambiguity. We built an entire identity system and application guidelines began fabrication of stage and sets, produced marketing materials and participant packs for a three day event… and then the client changed their mind on the look.
With a pretty uninspiring logo to build off we decided to position the WMS visual as a master brand element. It would provide a visually supporting role to a new, fully fleshed out brand identity system we would develop for the event itself. The subject matter was rich with possibilities and the “Future of News” lent itself to experimentation and something a little more daring and boundary pushing than most events of this scale.
Working closely with my small team, we put together some very fresh concepts and embarked on multiple rounds of pitches of our strongest ideas to the internal committee, internal stakeholders and then on to the WMS committee itself. The concepts were well received by all and we developed a brief for everything required for a high profile three-day event including; printed and digital marketing materials, sponsorship packs, sign up and entry web forms, a mobile app to navigate the event itself and the multiple meetings, conferences, presentations and committees as well as extracurricular excursions.
While this was going on, our fabrication workshop and environment team were preparing the interior for the event itself before the venue was even confirmed. All was set, sponsorship packs had gone out, the sign up and info sites were online and the client decided they no longer liked the concept (after a long flight and a short meeting I discovered a major sponsor had objected as the color and style was similar to one of their main competitors’ recent campaigns – impossible to predict). After some emergency sessions and meetings with the committee it was agreed to present a new option before any further work on the event and marketing.
Myself and my Senior Designer worked 24/7 to come up with a concept based on identity, and ‘radio’ waves of communication using concentric lines echoing fingerprints and water ripples. We developed this further into a visual representation of digital communication and radio waves expanding from devices. The visual combination of familiar “stock” photography with augmented, digital information lines created and powerful and meaningful story of the future of news and media and how it is consumed and transferred. The client was happy. And so were we.
With this in place we went to work on the sign up and information websites. Having already implemented a complete set of designs for the original identity, we again found ourselves working against the clock to create a whole new set in time for development to take place.
Set and environment designs followed quickly and with digital and print offerings in place the WMS summit was ready to go.
The feedback from attendees and the Summit Committee confirmed that we had taken the quality of the event to a new level and turned around a dry, corporate and bureaucratic conference into an internationally recognised experiential media event.