Introducing Re:design
View the old website for more in depth info.
Re:design was an event/exhibition we created to inspire, expose, and drive Canadian artists. The intention of this exhibition was to develop a continually growing voice and to generate an international presence for Canadian design.
For more photos click here.
By focusing businesses on upcoming Canadian talent in the areas of design, photography and new media we can begin creating massive amounts of exposure for the cutting edge work being produced in our country. Furthermore, businesses that operate on international scale can provide excellent opportunities to expose Canadian talent, and in turn gain exposure for themselves by having Canadian designers create and communicate for them.
Over 300 guests attended an evening gala at the Vancouver-based art gallery, Sugar and Sugar, a unique, multi-level designer space.
The exhibition included print work, photography, industrial design, product design, fashion, traditional media, as well as select interactive installations. All pieces were original work donated and created by Canadian artists, designers and photographers, as well as some renowned international designers such as Stefan Sagmeister and John Fluevog.
The event also featured keynote speakers: Stewart Butterfield, Russell Taylor (Architect/Senior Lecturer) and Ron Wakkary (Designer/Associate Professor) discussing creativity, innovation, and the future of Canadian design culture.
Breakdown of Process
Problem
The constraints on the Re:design event were tight from the start: less than 2 months, no upfront funding and very limited human resources. With the concept being formed only months before the latest possible event date, time was tight. Though the profits from the event went to local students studying abroad, all initial funding came from the event management team. With time tight, personal reputations and dollars on the line, the event had to come together like clockwork and go off without a hitch.
Solution
We began by branding the event in order to create a strong, unified image to present to our potential supporters. The branding effort extended past aesthetics to values and goals which would show through in all our written communications. To facilitate our promotion we created a website, fliers, b+w posters with spray-paint, 3′x6′ billboards, e-fliers, a media kit and a stationary and business card set.
We then requested support from design legends and local design heros to add gravity and credibility to the event. We succeeded in gaining submissions and funding from design greats such as Stephen Sagmeister, John Fluevog and winning Stewart Butterfield (Flickr) as a keynote speaker.
From there we began promoting the event to potential participants. A great deal of our promotion took place online through design community sites including NewsToday and DiK. We canvassed local campuses looking for student work to compliment the professional work that would be shown. After a selection process we accepted pieces from over 30 artists.
Over 100 members of the media were sent press releases and media kits. Our efforts to find sponsorship funding on extremely short notice landed us support from companies including VanCity Bank and Ticketmaster.
The exhibition included media installations, paintings, print work, industrial design, fashion design, photography and 3 talks on various aspects of design. The event sold out the 300 person event space and succeeded in raising its target sum for local design students.
Role
Event Management. Branding. Guerilla Marketing. Graphic Design and Advertisement. Illustration. Photography. Public Relations.
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