DevOps Dreamin’
Brand identity, illustration
Illustrator, Designer
Illustrator, Sketch, After Effects
2021-Now
Project
My Role
Software
Date
In late 2021, Gearset planned to create an industry first trade-show to help educate people in the ecosystem on the benefits of adopting DevOps and further assist those who already have.
As part of any potential visual identity, we had to ensure it was easily iterated upon for further versions of the trade show, with 3 events planned in 2022 alone. A simple distinguishing factor for each event (and key selling point) would be the city it was held in. I thought it best we highlight this, not through photography like most similar events, but through an illustration of the respective city’s skyline. That became the foundation of the branding, with my colleague creating the typemark.
A core component of the illustration is the sunrise, which facilitated the chosen colour palette, but more importantly reflected the name and the event itself. The event was something new and needed in the ecosystem, with the sunrise connoting a new beginning and also opportunity.
Expanding the visual identity
Conscious of over-using the illustration, and also wanting to add some versatility, I opted to develop an alternative design system using flatter colours and a cloud motif to sit alongside the bright gradient and detailed city that we had. This look sits slightly more ecosystem-adjacent, allowing the messaging to do the heavy-lifting or to allow for the speaker to take on more prominence.
Merchandising
Merchandise is a big part of the DevOps ecosystem with a particular fondness for collectibles owed to Salesforce’s efforts in the space. With that in mind, it was important for me to make the merchandise for each of the events distinguishable, and distinct to the city it was being held in. I consulted some of my colleagues in our Chicago office, and they provided me with some great insight into how they view their city which helped inform my design choices for the stickers. These events are also international, with people coming from all over the world to attend, so having references to the city its held in serves as a great commemoration of the event
Helping external vendors
After the success of the first event, we decided to hold it again in Chicago the following year. There was a much quicker turnaround this time, meaning an entirely new asset wasn’t possible, but I was afforded the rare opportunity to visit an old illustration and spruce it up to be reused. The colour palette had evolved slightly over the course of the year, shifting from a cooler blue into warmer purples as I’d felt the initial palette wasn’t warm and welcoming enough. It’s gratifying seeing the evolution of your work in such a tangible way. I had to then do the same for the second leg of London DevOps Dreamin’, with similar changes made to the illustration with regards to the colour.
We provided a slide deck template to all internal and external speakers, to ensure all brand touchpoints were consistent throughout the entirety of the event, and in the build up to it. This was a process that evolved after the first event, with some speakers (understandably) getting quite excited about the event, and taking design into their own hands. For all subsequent events, we made sure that these slide decks were readily available to them, and very accessible in their design, so that people were able to freely and easily edit them.
