pin conference
4 min read

Finding the right balance: Merging tradition and modern design for a conference brand’s visual identity

Visual Identity
Social Media
Print

PIN Conference (Prawo, Innowacje, Nauka - Law, Innovation, Science) is a 2-day event for scientists and professionals working on higher education and industry collaboration.

The client approached me to create a visual identity for a brand that organizes conferences and science workshops. After conducting interviews, research, and creative exploration, I developed the brand’s direction, strategy, and visual identity, along with all the promotional materials needed for their event. A key challenge was balancing tradition with a modern feel while ensuring the new logo aligned with the existing foundation’s branding.

Timeline
Dec 2022 - February 2023
Role
Brand Designer
Tools
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
Client
Scientia Thorunensia

Although this project was tailored for the Polish market, all content is presented in English for this case study.

discovery and define

Establishing the brand’s direction through client interviews

I started by conducting in-depth client interviews and workshops to get a clear understanding of the brand’s goals and personality. I prepared a detailed form covering questions about the brand’s mission, values, personality, target audience, and preferences. These insights laid the groundwork for the brand direction and visual identity.

1     Brand mission

Brand Goals

Collaboration

Foster collaboration between academia and industry.

Knowledge

Create a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange and networking.

Innovation

Encourage innovation by highlighting cutting-edge research and industry insights.

Partnership

Strengthen partnerships between higher education and the professional sector.

Value Proposition

Platform

A unique platform connecting professionals and academics for collaborative innovation.

Experts

Expert-led sessions and keynotes offering practical insights and future trends.

Networking

Interactive networking opportunities designed to forge lasting professional relationships.

Relevance

A balanced focus on theory and real-world application, blending academic rigor with industry relevance.

Brand Promise

Seamless experience

Easy-to-use platform for professionals and academics.

Engaging and informative

Provides meaningful insights and networking opportunities.

Actionable outcomes

Attendees leave with new ideas, collaborations, and strategies for their work.

Message

PIN Conference is a gateway to meaningful collaboration between higher education and industry. Attendees can engage with thought leaders, gain fresh perspectives, and connect with peers across sectors. Whether someone’s looking to explore new trends or build lasting professional relationships, PIN Conference is the place where innovation meets action.

2     Brand personality

Atributes

Key words

progress
experiment
idea
technology
knowledge
DNA
protection
search
shield
foundation
connection
tradition
relationships
business
university
learning
elegance
curiosity
exchange
trust
stability

Value Proposition

Professional and authoritative

Communicates with confidence and expertise, without being intimidating.

Inclusive and approachable

Speaks in a way that is easy to understand, avoiding jargon.

Collaborative

Encourages open dialogue and knowledge sharing between professionals and academics.

Forward-thinking

Focuses on innovation and progress, aiming to inspire and educate.

3     target audience

Researchers

Seeking to share their work and gain insights from industry experts.

Industry professionals

Interested in collaborating with academic institutions and leveraging new research.

Higher education administrators

Looking to build partnerships between academia and industry.

Entrepreneurs and innovators

Exploring the latest trends in science and technology.

4     additional client requests

Client required that the conference logo be easily associated with the foundation's existing mark. To create this visual link, I focused on specific design elements that maintained consistency between the two logos while giving the conference its own identity.

The goal is to design a visual identity that reflected the professionalism of the conference, balancing tradition and modern feel, while maintaining a connection to the foundation’s logo.

This included creating a logo that balanced the conference’s key themes (law, innovation, science), an elegant and professional color palette, and consistent design system that works.

exploration

Visual exploration started with quick symbol brainstorming

My goal was to capture the simplest and most recognizable elements for each sector, to avoid confusing or over-complicating the design. This exercise gave me a solid foundation to start sketching potential logos.

Sketching phase gravitated around merging these symbols

My focus was on merging symbols for law, innovation, and science into a unified logo. I used the shield shape as a key element since it resonated with the foundation's existing logo, fulfilling the client's request for consistency.

Goals for this phase

Merging Three Symbols

Rather than directly representing the conference, I chose to merge symbols from the three main sectors—law, innovation, and science. This approach felt like the best way to clearly represent the core themes in one unified mark.

Focusing on the Shield Shape

Since the client wanted a connection to the foundation's existing logo, I concentrated on incorporating the shield shape to symbolize law, aligning it with the brand’s visual identity.

Striking the Right Balance

Combining three different symbols while keeping the design simple and clear was a challenge I embraced. My goal was to create a logo that was visually straightforward but still meaningful.

After some digital refining, I finalized the logo, which combined a DNA strand, shield, and upward arrow. This achieved a balance between clarity, elegance, and symbolic representation.

Achieved goals

Merging 3 symbols together

Focusing on the Shield Shape

Striking the Right Balance

Outside inspiration resulted in  moodboard creation

Till this point I tried to stay away from outside inspiration as I wanted to have a clear head while sketching. With the core logo concept established, I created a moodboard to guide the overall visual direction. I collected images and colors that aligned with the brand's values and goals, focusing on professional, modern aesthetics.

After deciding on the symbol I started looking for the best typography for the logo

I knew the font needed to be simple and not detract from the symbol, while maintaining readability and professionalism.

museo sans 700
museo sans 500
indivisible regular, medium

Simple sans-seriffs

Professional but not too technical and cold

Friendly without too much roundness

Polish letters + free

Aiming for consistency between new conference logo and the existing foundation’s logo

The client required that the conference logo be easily associated with the foundation's existing mark. To create this visual link, I focused on specific design elements that maintained consistency between the two logos while giving the conference its own identity.

Goals for this phase

Similar Composition

Both logos feature a similar composition—using a signet on the left and layering the text on the right. This parallel structure ensures that users can quickly recognize the connection between the two entities.

Prominent shield shape

The shield symbol in the foundation’s logo represents security and strength, which I felt was an important element to carry over. I used a modified shield shape in the conference logo, creating a direct visual link between the two organizations while maintaining the new identity’s unique feel.

Color palette

The conference logo needed a refined, elegant color scheme. I drew colors from the foundation’s shield and adapted them to create a more subdued, professional palette for the conference. This not only maintained a visual connection but also set the conference apart as a formal, high-profile event.

Logo Variations and adaptability

To ensure the brand’s flexibility, I created several logo variations. These variations allowed the logo to be responsive, fitting into various formats and contexts without losing its impact.

Color palette was a result of few findings and conclusions

Once the logo was finalized, I focused on creating a color palette that would complement the brand’s visual identity. The colors needed to reflect the professionalism and elegance of the conference, while maintaining a connection to the foundation’s existing palette.

Color palette decisions

Subdued tones

Softened versions of the foundation's colors for a more professional look.

Elegance

Darker, muted shades to convey seriousness and sophistication.

Moodboard influence

Images from the moodboard guided the final selection of colors.

summary

Final thoughts and lessons learned

Balancing simplicity with meaning is key when merging multiple symbols

Merging symbols from three distinct fields into one cohesive logo required careful thought. I learned that stripping down elements to their simplest form not only made the design clearer but also more impactful. The balance between being minimal while still representing each sector was critical to the project’s success.

Consistency between a new logo and an existing brand was crucial for building trust

The client’s emphasis on connecting the conference logo to the foundation’s brand helped me realize the importance of visual consistency in building trust. By using similar elements like the shield and the color palette, I ensured that attendees and stakeholders would immediately associate the new conference identity with the established foundation.

Sketching and brainstorming early on saves time in the long run

By starting with quick sketches and brainstorming symbols early in the process, I was able to explore multiple ideas and refine the best ones without getting too attached to any single concept. This approach allowed for flexibility and creativity at the start, which made the transition to digital design much smoother. As a result, the clients were so satisfied with the direction that there were no major revisions needed.

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Thank you for your time

If you have any questions, thoughts, or want to know more about the process behind the project, I'd love to connect. Don't hesitate to reach out - I'd love to hear from you.

tekieniewska@gmail.com
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