design mne fest
About the client
Building brand identity for a creative community in transition
Design MNE fest is an independent event organized by the local community of graphic, UI/UX, and product designers in Montenegro to support creative professionals who have found themselves in immigration.
- Timeline:2 weeks
- Services:Branding
Presentation design
Web design
Web development - Website:designersmne.space
Problem Statement
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Community-based festival needs to have a vibe that speaks to creative people who relocated from the home country, and it needs to strike a balance between being professional and warm and inclusive.
We also know that such events need to be able to reach people both online (like on Telegram and Instagram) and in person at the festival.
Our role
The main goal was to create a visual language that resonated with the experiences of immigrant and nomadic designers. We wanted it to be reflected in every part of the brand – from the color palette and typefaces to the symbols and elements we used.
The idea was to create a sense of belonging and connection, both with Montenegro and with the design world.
— Polybox Marketing research
First ideation
We decided to start by creating 3D shapes to sketch out the brand's visual identity and then move on to more essential elements, such as a logo and colors.
logo anatomy
The Design MNE logo is a pixelated cursor, a common design tool that is filled with intentionally discarded letters, giving it a playful and creative feel.
The logo has been used in various ways, such as for swag items like 3D keychains and photo containers on social media.
Design Rationale
For this festival, we really focused on the uniqueness of the situation – branding for the immigrant/diaspora creative community. We didn't want to go with anything generic or corporate-y. Instead, the branding had to be bold and vibrant, reflecting the community-driven, grassroots nature of it all.
— Elizaveta Vakhrameeva
Brand designer
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Presentation for partners
To help establish the credibility of the festival, we created a presentation for potential partners and sponsors.
Website design and user experience
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Beyond the visual aspect of the event, we created a fully functional website using Webflow. We had two main goals: to be the online presence of the festival and attract attendees, and to make it easy for people to buy tickets and find information about the event.
- ManagerValeria Kozlova
- Web DesignerDenis Gurkov
- DesignerElizaveta Vakhrameeva
- PhotoAlex Popov