Interaction 19 Conference Signage
450 location specific signs across 16 venues.
Signage Systems Lead
Based on my Conference App design presentation, the Interaction Design Association offered me the opportunity to lead signage for their Interaction 19 conference.
This conference was to be held in 16 different venues, and host over 1,000 designers from all over the world. The theme was “Design in the Wild.”
I was tasked with:
Creating the conference signage system
Designing the signage
Closely overseeing signage production
Leading 4 designers
Training volunteers on signage install locations
Roles: Project Manager, Design Lead, Information Architect, User Interface Designer
Timeline: 16 weeks
Tools: Pen & paper, Sketch, Google Sheets
Client Needs
The client: The Interaction Design Association’s Seattle chapter (IxDA).
IxDA needed a simple signage system that would translate across all venue spaces. Conference events were distributed across 16 venues around Seattle, with events occurring simultaneously. They came to me with no systems in place, and had a complex set of challenges due to the number and variety of venues. Accessibility was also extremely important to IxDA, and was a key theme of the conference.
After several conversations with board members about their visions for the conference, it became clear that in order to execute upon a high-level signage plan, I needed to begin with site visits.
Interaction 19 occurred across 16 different venues throughout Seattle. Some key venues include University of Washington, Amazon Conference Center and Microsoft. The number of locations posed an interesting set of design problems.
Site Visits
After discussing IxDA board needs and studying the Interaction 19 programming, I set off to do site visits. After each site visit I created a ‘site-flow’ which highlighted pivot points in conference space navigation. These were areas where navigation was unclear, or the attendee would need some supplemental information to find their way. Insights gained from the site visits were fundamental to the creation of a high level organizational system for mapping out signage needs across the conference footprint.
An example of one of my many ‘site-flows.’ I used photos from the site visits in these because it provided me with a visual reminder of the ‘pivot point,’ or place where a sign would need to be located.
Signage Inventory
The site visits and corresponding user-flows provided me with a foundation to create my signage inventory. I needed to organize, structure, and label signage. Attributes I considered were signage type, location, material, quantity, and content.
A snapshot of the signage inventory. Signage was organized by type, quantity, content and location.
Designing Signage
The ‘site-flows’ and subsequent signage inventory were an important foundation for the design process.
For the design process, the type of sign and content to include on the sign were the most important. Each signage type had a particular dimension, and these informed the aspect ratios I used in Sketch. The content of each sign obviously informed the interface design.
I created several iterations of signage designs, and every step of the way they were vetted by board members of the IxDA. It was extremely humbling to get feedback and encouragement from designers with decades of experience.
A snapshot to show the variety of signage designs I created. Each sign was carefully vetted by the board members of the IxDA.
A closer look at my designs. (from left to right) Podium design 1, Podium design 2, Showcard Closing party, Showcard Studio Tour.
Hoodies as signage
A delightful part of this experience was the creativity that was encouraged throughout the process. I was encouraged to think outside the bounds of what signage could be. In this instance, hoodies were used a signage. Volunteers would wear these ‘mobile-signs,’ as an alert to conference attendees that they could be approached for questions. I had the joy of designing these hoodies, and got to experiment a lot with the branding assets from the conference. I created several designs and the board members voted on their favorites. The hoodies were a huge success, and many attendees asked if they were available for purchase!
The winning conference hoodie design! The board members really liked the simplicity of this design. These “mobile signs” were worn by volunteers to let attendees know they could be approached for questions.
Here is another hoodie design that was in the running, but was eventually nixed by the board members. I had a lot of fun experimenting with the Interaction 19 shapes, while still keeping the hoodie very minimal and modern.
Leadership
Leading a team of four talented designers was a fantastic experience. There were so many moving parts to the conference that it was necessary to delegate tasks to other competent designers. The process of project management for a conference of this scale was an enriching and challenging experience. My biggest takeaway was the importance of over communication and establishment of clear deadlines in order for the designs to be sent to production in a timely manner.
An example of one of my team member’s designs. This was an 24” X 72” agenda kiosk for the Amazon Conference Space.
Designs in the Wild
After signage was vetted by all board members, it was time for production and installation. Below you can view images of my signage designs in the wild!
A Showcard for the Interaction Awards (this occurred on the the last day of the conference). This sign served as a beacon for the warm and inspiring Interaction Awards on a snowy day.
A Showcard for the the ‘Twitter Happy Hour.’ I wanted Twitter’s logo to be the focal point of this design, but still have the playful elements of the Interaction 19 branding.
A Sandwich Board leading attendees to the Amazon Day 1 space. The signs proved to be very useful during the snowy conference. Their weight and resilience was impervious to the changing weather.
A Meter-board thanking all of the sponsors. Because of each logo’s unique aspect ratio, it was difficult to place all the logos on the sign and still have it look harmonious. After many iterations, I was pleased with the result.
The hoodie ‘signs,’ on volunteers. It was rewarding to see all these ‘mobile signs’ wandering around the conference!
Bill Buxton, one of the pioneers in the human–computer interaction field, speaking behind my podium design was an honor. I was lucky enough to spend time with him during the conference. Receiving encouragement from him was a defining moment in my career as a designer.
Perhaps the most surreal experience of all was having Don Norman, whose book “The Design of Everyday Things” inspired me to become a UX Designer, speak in proximity to my design.
