So Alive Music Conference
Art Direction, Brand Identity, Graphic & Motion Design
So Alive Music Conference is a Balkan music industry conference that took place in October 2023.
Featuring a schedule packed full of panels, seminars, parties, events and performances SAMC provides a unique opportunity for artists, music industry professionals and fans to meet, network and further their careers from the up-and-coming artist to the seasoned music industry veterans.
The full logo of the conference (custom typography)
My work on the first edition of the festival started with building a brand identity and logo that would stand the test of time and be used for many years to come.
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For the logo I created a custom set of letters, each one comprised of blocks. The inspiration - the Bulgarian style of embroidery and the digital building blocks - pixels. When looked from a distance, the type reminds the embroidery style of 'shevitsa', with each letter contained within set of blocks. At the same time, the type carries a digital feel - a prelude to one of the topics of the festival - being an artist in the digital age.
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The next step was pairing the custom type with a beautiful and contrasting font that would carry all the different aspects of the festival. This lead to the creation of "sub logos" used to mark categories and topics.
With the identity coming together nicely, it was time for establishing the festival's online presence. The vibrant colour palette and the geometric graphic elements translated well into the social media channels.
Manifesto
My next task was to put the key art into motion and create animated clips which were aired into the public transport network. I did a series of animations highlighting the diverse programme of the festival, spanning from lectures and workshop to live acts and party nights.
As the countdown to the opening night drew close, it was time for a long list of print collateral - badges for the participants, posters, billboards, wayfinding system for the venues and festival merch.
A particular design challenge was fitting the long programme for the conference and the showcase into a print material that is easy to navigate and carry into one's hand. I came up with the idea of a classic folding A-size leaflet.
A folding conference programme - double-sided A3 folding into A5
Cross-branding fame wall
3D letters at the venue's entrance
