Forge DevCon
What is Forge?
Forge is the powerful cloud-based developer tool from Autodesk. Forge unlocks the power of design and engineering data so you can connect teams, workflows, and build new services to address today’s connected user.
Process
DevCon has been in existence for three years and approaching its fourth in 2019. There is no sign of stopping, but there are past events to reference what has been successful and what was not. The big overarching goal was to grow attendance and engagement while balancing a new-found partnership with Connect and Construct. It was important to consider first the timeline and then how to execute accordingly to reach those goals.
Project Scope
Asset Management
Advertising and Content
Brand System
Event Strategy
Event Brand Identity
Event Guidebook
Environmental Design
Marketing & Advertising
Production Design
UX + Visual Design
The process of DevCon began with the website. Forge’s logo utilizes the Autodesk Orange while the Autodesk Blue is the primary color. The thinking was to continue to use a blue-to-orange gradient that was introduced in 2017 and take ownership of this look on the website. The website was one of the few places where Forge’s personality could really shine and there would be fewer limitations on the look and feel. With this in mind, I worked closely with the Forge Marketing team to capture all of their content, present it in a way that made the most sense as the user engaged with the site, and anticipated the site changes as updates would occur. These updated would be a voting section for classes, registration once you could buy tickets, and event information and scheduling once the event got closer. The website lent itself well to be used as a marketing tool and most of the marketing assets created resembled the site branding and appearance closely to create a consistent look and voice.
Once the website was nailed down, it was time to address to combination for Forge Devcon and BIM 360 Connect and Construct. In the past, both events had their own word mark but we were tasked with combining it. At first, it seemed difficult as their symbols didn’t align and words were longer than the other, but then we began to slowly pick away at the lock-up and create a very simplified version, using only the names of the events in the Autodesk Artifact Legend typeface. A simple dash in-between made it clear that these events were separate ideas, but apart from the same technological sphere. The lockup was created.
The next and final step to consider was the event space itself. It was crucial to work closely with the event staff to ensure that I understood exactly what production and digital signage were needed, where it would go, and the dimensions of the space. Wayfinding is crucial in an event space, and this space was the first time that DevCon would be placed there. They had more room than before which meant an exciting opportunity but also more room for error. Once I had a visual read on the space and a better idea for how the user would navigate and engage, I began to suggest assets for the event space. Through this process, the event team was able to better see how the event creative could tell a bigger story and the result was a successful collaboration to provide the right material and messaging for the event.
Solution
Overall, the DevCon event was a success. From start to finish, there was a lot of ground to cover but it came together nicely when working with the entire Forge marketing team. I was fortunate to have peers who had done this event before explaining to me best how I could anticipate this project and therefore how to accomplish everything. It was also enjoyable to take the event from absolute start to finish. Building from the website flowed nicely into marketing, which then helped guide the signage design rounding out a well-thought-out event.
