Conran Design Group rebrands Design Nation Conference

Conran Design Group partnered with the university's student-run, undergraduate-focused business organisation Business Today to craft the bold new identity, which looks to celebrate "its commitment to fostering inclusivity and diversity of voices within design".

The Design Nation Conference was founded to bridge the gap between growing awareness of "design" and that which is taught in design education, as well as addressing the lack of diverse perspectives in the field of design.

The conference is now in its fourth year, and this rebrand "seeks to support the programme's mission to help a broader range of students gain a deeper understanding about and greater access to career opportunities in design," says Conran Design Group. Past speakers from cross graphic design, technology and fashion include Adobe, Spotify and Diane Von Furstenberg.

Conran Design Group was brought in by Business Today, having led a seminar at the 2020 conference. The agency worked alongside Princeton University students to develop the strategy, logo and complete visual identity, including a new colour palette, typeface and iconography. The result aims to be fresh and colourful, embodying "the spirit and energy of ambitious college students while reflecting a professional business setting," says Conran.

The lively and energetic colour palette supports an identity that aims to be versatile across numerous formats, including social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The system was designed to allow for flexibility and customisation based on each year's conference theme and content while also ensuring consistency across each event from year to year.

"The conference was looking for an identity that could signal a new year and a new direction for the event while still building equity through the main wordmark," says Conran senior designer Annie Yang, who spearheaded the project. "The concept was inspired by the name of the conference itself: Design Nation. It doesn't just refer to this particular conference, but to a collective of people who share the same passion for design.

"No matter where they come from, what field they work in, or what experience they have, Design Nation is one nation formed by a community of people who understand the importance of design and its role and impact in the world. This new identity is unapologetic and acts as a battle cry for this community."