The 2024 Deem Symposium, Designing for Dignity: A Convening of Possibilities, was a hybrid event presented by Deem in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The gathering brought together cultural workers and community members to explore themes such as Dignity, Pedagogy, Equity, Place, and Climate Change.
The visual identity system was carefully designed to reflect the energy, diversity, and expansiveness of the conversations at its core. Intentional choices in layout, color, and typography contributed to an atmosphere that felt both cohesive and dynamic. A vibrant yellow served as the foundation of the visual language, symbolizing optimism and connection, while unifying the identity across print, digital, and spatial applications. This foundational hue provided consistency across platforms and created a sense of warmth and welcome for attendees.
An expressive secondary type system gave each program a distinct visual voice while maintaining overall cohesion. Varied typographic treatments and hierarchy allowed individual sessions to speak directly to their themes, emphasizing nuance and specificity. Secondary color palettes were implemented to further differentiate sessions, offering visual cues and reinforcing the content’s thematic diversity. Custom typography, developed in dialogue with the event’s themes, introduced a sense of rhythm and movement, echoing the flow of conversation and exchange throughout the symposium. Motion graphics brought the system to life across platforms through animated transitions and typographic treatments.
Together, the design system balanced theme and variation: offering clarity to the identity, holding space for multiple perspectives, and inviting engagement through vibrant, intentional visuals that underscored the symposium’s broader mission.