SDN Next Gen Conference

The SDN Next Gen Conference (#SDNNextGenCon) is an international virtual event run entirely by volunteers, organised by the SDN Young Talent Board (YTB). Stepping out of its previous futuristic theme on “Beyond Service Design”, I took on the visual identity for the 2024 edition, themed "Infinite Threads: Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Unlock the Power of Service Design."

I started with a FigJam file to gather opinions and suggestions from other volunteers as a shared mood board. Next, for graphic devices, I reviewed the existing infinite symbol. #SDNNextGenCon is a young and fresh version of the Service Design Global Conference (SDGC). Therefore, I decided to keep this infinite symbol as a legacy from SDGC, but to put our youth vibe into it. It served as the primary identity for key messages, including posters, banners, and a landing page. The conference is designed to run 24 hours non-stop across multiple time zones, so I explored the clock hands as the secondary graphics, supporting on-site event promotion materials.

DM Sans is chosen as the brand’s typeface for its low-contrast geometric sans serif design. It serves well for screen display purposes with its letters’ openness, bringing a vibrant and flowy look and feel. After a final touch of a bright colour palette and simple-to-adapt composition, we launched the new identity to kick off the 2024 conference.

Overall, the new identity supported the conference in attracting 600+ attendees from 45+ countries to attend 60+ sessions within 24 hours. Noticing its representative imagery of the YTB’s vision, they decided to use it for their standing brand.