Design Week Sacramento Conference 2025
The beautiful mess of creativity
Hosted by Capital Creative Alliance, Design Week Sacramento is where the region’s creative community gathers each year to unpack the thinking behind the work, peeling back the layers of process, exchanging ideas, and exploring the craft that shapes our city. As the creative team behind the conference, we developed the event’s visual identity and produced the environmental graphics to curate the spaces and moments that showcased the region’s creative spirit. Industry leaders, workshop facilitators, and discussion hosts explored the processes that power successful projects, diving into design thinking, practical skills, and the business side of design. From hands-on workshops to candid conversations with the area’s leading makers, Design Week is where designers connect and push the boundaries of what’s possible together.
Client
Capitol Creative Alliance
Services
Branding
Social Media Campaign
Printed Advertisements
Environmental Signage
Stage Design
The Challenge
Designing a Cohesive Event Experience
The visual identity for Design Week Sacramento required balancing the needs of a diverse creative community, from established industry leaders to emerging designers, while celebrating the core theme of process across a variety of design fields. The system needed to be flexible enough to support social media and digital marketing campaigns, as well as large-scale environmental graphics. We also had to address practical challenges on-site: easing the flow of a crowded conference check-in, curating two distinct spaces with clear visual storytelling, and designing wayfinding graphics to help attendees navigate the event seamlessly. Each solution needed to be visually engaging, informative, and consistent with the conference’s overall identity.
Concept 1
A bold visual identity that combines expressive graphics, layered textures, and playful typography to represent the iterative nature of the creative process.
Concept 2
A process-inspired identity that utilizes familiar design tools and interface elements to celebrate creativity in action.
Concept 3
A vibrant visual identity that uses geometric forms and graphic symbols to celebrate creative discovery and collaboration.
Our Approach
Storytelling through design for broader impact
To meet this challenge, we:
01
Conceptualized multiple visual approaches that illustrated the creative spirit and passion of Sacramento’s design community.
02
Partnered with Capitol Creative Alliance to cultivate a theme inspired by the experimental process and the collaborative nature of design.
03
Established a comprehensive toolkit, containing design elements, visual examples, and usage instructions to share with third-party vendors and volunteers.
04
Organized an extensive social media and print advertising campaign that showcased the various speakers, guests, and workshops.
05
Transformed venue spaces into creative hubs through curated design solutions.
The Solution
Designing for a Multifaceted Audience
Designing the visual identity for Design Week Sacramento required balancing the needs of a diverse creative community, from established industry leaders to emerging designers, while celebrating the theme of process across multiple design fields. The system needed to be flexible enough to support both social media and digital marketing campaigns, as well as large-scale environmental graphics. On site, we addressed several practical challenges, including streamlining a crowded conference check in, curating two distinct spaces through visual storytelling, and designing wayfinding graphics that helped attendees navigate the event seamlessly. Every element needed to be visually engaging, informative, and consistent with the conference’s overall identity.
Environmental Graphics
Large-scale schedule banners provided attendees with a clear overview of sessions and key event details, helping them navigate the conference experience with ease.
Signage Displays
An alphabetized check-in system organized attendee registration, creating a more intuitive arrival experience and reducing congestion during peak check-in periods.
Wayfinding System
Pre-printed name badges created a personalized welcome experience, reinforcing the conference identity from the moment attendees arrived.
Badges + Lanyards
Large-format stage graphics extended the conference brand into the presentation space, creating a cohesive backdrop for keynote speakers, panels, and discussions.
The Results
Campaigning for Creativity
The campaign transformed promotion into participation. Leveraging an adaptable design system across print, digital, and social platforms, we connected with audiences and amplified the conference message. To extend the campaign’s reach, we developed a customizable social media toolkit that empowered speakers to promote their own sessions while maintaining a cohesive visual identity across every channel.
The Response
Curating Meaningful Moments
To encourage community and participation, we designed a series of curated experiences throughout the conference. A dedicated photo activation, complete with themed props and an on-site photographer, provided attendees with an engaging way to document and share their experience. These intentional touchpoints transformed passive attendees into active participants, strengthening connections both during and beyond the event.
It was a phenomenal experience to work with Page Design Group on our theme design and branding for this year's Design Week Sacramento. It was such a collaborative experience, and they incorporated all of our feedback while adding their own style and embellishments to the design. The Page Design team participated in our venue walkthroughs to ensure that every printed and environmental element was tailored to the space and supported the overall experience. I look forward to working with them again in the future!
Amanda Sanchez
Co-Director, Capitol Creative Alliance. Program Director, Design Week Sacramento
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