Next Gen_Talks was an event activation created for Swinburne Open Day, inspired by the energy and format of TED Talks. The experience featured academics delivering bold, future-focused talks across technology, innovation and social impact.
Company
Swinburne
Timeline
2024
Role
Lead Designer
The challenge
Open Day is Swinburne’s largest annual event and is constantly evolving year on year. The challenge for 2024 was to create an activation that showcased the university’s strongest asset, its academics, in a way that felt engaging, contemporary and accessible to prospective students and parents.
Inspired by the energy of TED Talks, the activation placed Swinburne academics and their technology-focused topics at the centre of the experience within a bold, immersive environment. Visitors were also invited to engage directly with speakers through live Q&A sessions following each talk.
My Role
I led the visual identity and campaign rollout across stage design, signage, social media and printed collateral, as well as the art direction for photography and video content.
The resulting visual language was designed to feel bold, energetic and contemporary, reflecting the excitement and impact of the talks while positioning Swinburne academics as thought leaders within their fields.
The Approach
After curating a shortlist of five disruptive and thought-provoking topics from academics, I developed a visual identity that reflected the bold themes of discussion while remaining aligned with Swinburne’s core brand guidelines.
The campaign system was then extended across social media assets, stage design, event signage and the art direction of photo and video content to create a cohesive experience across all touchpoints.
Outcome & Reflection
The final activation successfully drew large crowds and strong audience engagement throughout the day. Visitors actively participated in the live Q&A sessions following each talk, and the activation received positive feedback through the Swinburne Open Day survey.
The visual direction was also praised by senior stakeholders and is intended to be further developed for future university events.
Next Gen_Talks was an event activation created for Swinburne Open Day, inspired by the energy and format of TED Talks. The experience featured academics delivering bold, future-focused talks across technology, innovation and social impact.
Company
Swinburne
Timeline
2024
Role
Lead Designer
The challenge
Open Day is Swinburne’s largest annual event and is constantly evolving year on year. The challenge for 2024 was to create an activation that showcased the university’s strongest asset, its academics, in a way that felt engaging, contemporary and accessible to prospective students and parents.
Inspired by the energy of TED Talks, the activation placed Swinburne academics and their technology-focused topics at the centre of the experience within a bold, immersive environment. Visitors were also invited to engage directly with speakers through live Q&A sessions following each talk.
My Role
I led the visual identity and campaign rollout across stage design, signage, social media and printed collateral, as well as the art direction for photography and video content.
The resulting visual language was designed to feel bold, energetic and contemporary, reflecting the excitement and impact of the talks while positioning Swinburne academics as thought leaders within their fields.
The Approach
After curating a shortlist of five disruptive and thought-provoking topics from academics, I developed a visual identity that reflected the bold themes of discussion while remaining aligned with Swinburne’s core brand guidelines.
The campaign system was then extended across social media assets, stage design, event signage and the art direction of photo and video content to create a cohesive experience across all touchpoints.
Outcome & Reflection
The final activation successfully drew large crowds and strong audience engagement throughout the day. Visitors actively participated in the live Q&A sessions following each talk, and the activation received positive feedback through the Swinburne Open Day survey.
The visual direction was also praised by senior stakeholders and is intended to be further developed for future university events.