SIGGRAPH 2018
Client: ACM SIGGRAPH | Role: Art Director, Designer
SIGGRAPH is the annual gathering for enthusiasts, newcomers, and professionals working within the space of computer graphics and innovative technologies. Making its return to Vancouver, a hub in the industry, I sought to, as Art Director, create a memorable theme and brand for that conference year.
Together, the team I led and I put together a plethora of materials for the conference, ranging from the brand itself, as well a marketing materials and promotional swag to be given out to attendees.
The Approach
Beginning with the conference theme, my team and the client landed on “Generations”. This name functioned in two ways: speaking to the knowledge passed down from veterans to novices, and to all of the innovative technology “generated” by the conference itself.
Taking place in Vancouver, the conference chair wanted to pay homage to the visual storytelling tradition of the First Nations people, while remaining purely referential and not appropriative. Inspired by native artwork, we created a roundel that housed a series of icons that sought to sum up conference-generated content and include Easter eggs for those returning attendees. To represent the years and history of the conference, we placed a moiré pattern throughout the logo and brand, reminiscent of rings within a tree.
Brand Application
Throughout the brand materials, the logo and, specifically, the roundel was the star of the show. As a secondary element, we pulled in the moiré lines to guide the viewers’ eyes through each piece. This brand was applied to apparel, posters, promotional materials, printed brochures and guides, environmental graphics, and branded collateral.
Web Experience
The best example for the brand as a whole is the website, which we designed to be as immersive as the technologies present at the conference. Iconography, color coding, and clear navigation led to an increase in site traffic and retention. Having never applied personas to their user stories, SIGGRAPH also saw an increase in engagement and attendance over the previous year due to content that spoke directly to targeted specialties within the fields represented.
Conclusion
The first in a three-year engagement with ACM SIGGRAPH and the beginning of an upward tick in attendance and site engagement, the 2018 conference year set the standard by which future conferences would be held and created memories that, thanks to commemorative merchandise, would last for generations to come.