TEDxAtlanta 2023 Event Design
Humanity’s capability to tackle the big difficulties of our day through powerful ideas is how we have thrived in the face of adversity. Today, we find ourselves in the midst of towering obstacles and formidable problems that demand, as TEDxAtlanta describes it, “bigger, deeper questions.” Understanding what this current moment needs, TEDxAtlanta 2023 was a platform to spotlight “the extraordinary ideas and initiatives that launched, that thrived, and that persevered despite the odds.”
In May 2023, a diverse group of thinkers, leaders, and innovators gathered at TEDxAtlanta to unite and celebrate resilience and ingenious audacity.
Elevation teamed up with TEDxAtlanta to create a complete Event Design package. Our task was extensive, covering the creation of promotional materials, speaker posters, conference booklets, pre-roll animations, and speaker introductions.
But our most important role in this project was to create a visual identity that embodied the event’s theme of "We Rise" - a call to our collective ability to rise above adversity and innovate.
Setting the Stage for a Hero
Our development kicked off with exploration of the hero image, as it was the highest priority to have early for event promotion, and could inform the design of the rest of the event.
Elevation Art Director Dianne focused on gradients and waves with climbing, directional movement from lower left corner to upper right for a lifting feeling, embodying our theme of "rising.” We utilized this thematic element throughout the rest of the event design.
Past, Present, and Future
Once individual elements from the hero image exploration were selected, it was time to create a cohesive look for the rest of the event. And we drew major inspiration from time itself.
We created a mood board and direction guide to inform our design process moving forward. We included colors inspired by our home base, Atlanta.
We put a lot of careful thought into the language and metaphors in this document. It emphasized the power of three as it related to time (past, present, future), as well as the climbing inclines of the design representing forward progress across a linear timeline.
We also added texture within the elements to contrast with the organic, fluid nature of the light gradient.
This direction guide outlined the major pieces of the event, such as the Social and Website images, Speaker Posters, Name Tags, Booklet, and Swag that would all be integral to the experience of TEDxAtlanta.
The Rise of Colors
Just as TEDxAtlanta knows the power of ideas, we know the power of a color palette.
We envisioned light waves drift up in a colorful spectrum of warm to cool tones. The brilliance of the colors is in striking contrast to the surrounding darkness, symbolizing hope and resilience in the face of adversity.
The visual is designed to evoke the rhythmic cycle of the day and the beauty and possibility of a new dawn.
The Booklet - Your Guide to Ideas
One of the crucial elements was the booklet, a unified guide listing everything the attendees needed to know about the event. We ensured that the event design in the booklet was engaging since it was going to have the most interaction with the event-goers.
Speaking Through Posters
Designing the speaker posters was a challenge due to wide range of styles and sizes of the pictures each speaker provided.
In order to give all 16 speakers a cohesive look, we experimented with different stylizations that would be flexible enough to look equally as good as a tiny 100 x 100 pixel thumbnail as it would a 2’ by 3’ poster.
In the end, we landed on a highly stylized image trace that harmonized well with the event design gradient, while still providing an interesting (and flattering) likeness of each speaker.
We Rise In Motion
Finally, our hero image was put into motion as a pre-roll ahead of each talk. We accentuated the feeling of climbing, rising with an upward motion - not only of the camera, but also the light gradient, the event logo, and even the speaker’s name.
Once the design was established, we provided a toolkit for easy versioning for the rest of the speakers.
This year's TEDxAtlanta 2023 was was a testament to the power of ideas and humanity's resilience. To be able to design an event dedicated to ingenuity and connection was so energizing to our creative spirits.
It’s an inspiring reminder of humanity’s ability to rise and thrive against all odds. We are so thankful to the team at TEDxAtlanta for the opportunity to collaborate with them.
Credits
Client: TEDxAtlanta
Licensee / Organizer: Jacqui Chew
Printing Consultant: Brigitte Cutshall
Production Company: Elevation
Executive Creative Director: Stephen Cocks
Producer: Alina Klopach
Art Director: Dianne Frisbee
Designer/Animator: Justin Betham
Designer: Zoe Filutowski
Designer: Annemieke Leverenz