Behind the Design: Branding of TEDxUbud 2017

This year we really wanted to design the event materials with bright colors for TEDxUbud. Focusing on the event theme of 'Make the light' and exploring the play of light as night falls, we created these three color gradients for the TEDxUbud 2017 branding. Blue for the last light before night falls, purples for sunset and dusk, and green for the elusive aurora lights. 

The experience banners were printed to hang from trees throughout the event venue—to help attendees navigate the area and let them know about all the cool things that were happening off the stage. 

With our speaker flyers we wanted to include white space to give the layout balance and chance for the eye to rest. We wanted the attention to be on the speakers themselves—the 'spotlight' of the design. The inclusion of a subtle unique constellation was a nod to the event being held under the open sky at night. Many of the traditional TEDx design elements were incorporated, including use of Helvetica and the red/black/white colors for the logo. 

Finally, our quote postcards. A fun way to surprise attendees—we leave them hidden around the venue on the day for attendees to find and take home. 

Behind the Design: The TEDxUbud Stage

One of the most exciting aspects of working with the stage at Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets was the sheer size of the wooden outdoor space. 

Working with an open air stage gave us incredible opportunities to combine high tech and nature to create an amazing design for TEDxUbud. The theme of the event was ‘Make the Light’ and the design rooted itself firmly in playing with light and dark, as the event was held over 7 hours, from late afternoon into the night. We worked with Hatiku Indonesia and Antida Music to bring our vision to life. 

Within an increasingly urbanized Indonesian society that doesn’t spend that much time outdoors, we felt it was important to reconnect the audience with the natural landscape—to enjoy the play of natural light and wildlife flying overhead. We also wanted to connect the content of the TEDxUbud talks with environmental elements such as starscapes and nocturnal animals in the line with speaker subject matters.

We deliberately did not create a backdrop as the ‘backstage’ area opened directly onto a beautiful ricefield and a wall of coconut palms. We chose to light the palm trees in order to create a ‘living backdrop’. Designed to work with the setting sun and a range of decreasing light, the technology, including the 6mx4m LED screen, and lighting was carefully utilized to ensure the entire amphitheater could be part of the experience.

The use of projection mapping on to stage elements and shadow theatre when it became full dark was also a key element of the design. Iconic TEDx elements were also incorporated, including a 5-meter long hand-welded aluminum TEDxUbud logo made in Java and shipped to Bali by boat, and the 4-meter diameter ‘red dot’ carpet.

More 'behind the scenes' design stage details: 

The very first sketch

Event: Threads of Life x Biku

What: Tea and Textile Tales

Where: Biku

Client: Threads of Life

Press: Ubud Now and Then

A perfect collaboration between famous Seminyak institution and tea house, and an Ubud establishment. The event included a one day pop-up exhibition & store and afternoon lecture on Indonesian textiles accompanied by an incredible high tea.

Once the high tea had been delivered (the menu included salak poached in cinnamon and star anise, Vietnamese spring rolls, curried egg sandwiches, Middle Eastern orange cake, pineapple and mint agar-agar and more, all on tiered silver trays), William embarked on his talk. Draping various textiles along his rather substantial wingspan, he took us on a journey that spanned 2000 years of textile production. He explained key cultural and social influences on the motifs and uses of the textiles along the way, displaying wares from Toraja, Timor, Central Flores, East Java, Jogjakarta, Sumba, and Bali. - Catriona Mitchell, Ubud Now and Then

A pop-up store event combined with a afternoon teatime lecture on textiles in Indonesia presented by Threads of Life.