The RGD (Association of Registered Graphic Designers) DesignThinkers conference in Canada needs to attract designers from across the country – designers who are full of hubris and have an “I can design it better than you” attitude. This high-profile annual event is a must-attend for designers everywhere and brings in a diverse range of backgrounds and disciplines.

Each year, the RGD asks one creative agency to design the identity for that year’s conference, pro bono. When it came to creating an identity for the 2018 conference, originality and innovation reigned supreme. The resulting ‘Speak the Truth’ theme was unexpected and unconventional, creating a substantial impact and delivering momentum over the course of 11 months.

Along with the foundational challenge of creating excitement and increasing attendance, RGD’s objectives also included driving traffic to the brand’s website to increase ticket purchase intent.

With our design peers as the target audience, the pressure was on to deliver a conference identity that would not only encourage attendance, but would be endorsed. To get their attention, we tapped into the stereotypes and clichés we've all come to associate with design. We let the truth become our identity.

Every aspect of the world of design, including designers themselves, was mined for insight and humour. ‘Speak the Truth’ acted as a representation for the hundreds of unique pieces of content that focused on how many designers approach their craft: bold and without apology. It was a concept that exposed the truths behind design, in a humorous, relevant, and provocative manner – which was achieved through select typography and every designer’s favourite colour – black - as the backdrop

Since the truth is often black and white, the conference materials followed suit. Using just words, we turned design clichés into truthful posters, conference materials, lanyards, t-shirts, even truthful tote bags – executed in glorious black and white.

The uniquely crafted headlines and Roslindale typeface are nods to the old days of advertising – a type of throwback that challenges the notion that the ‘headline is dead.’

A microsite was created for prospective attendees, designed to reflect the fact that there’s always two sides to the truth. Each page was divided in half: The Vancouver edition on one side and Toronto on the other, one black and one white, with each side scrolling in opposite directions.

Finally, a series of short videos subjected top industry leaders in design to a full-on lie detector test and was shown to the attendees as a kickoff to both conferences in Vancouver and Toronto.

The ‘Speak the Truth’ theme for the 2018 conference broke through and earned the respect and attention of designers across Canada, successfully exceeding expectations:

• Increase traffic to the website: Over the course of the campaign, RGD noted an incredible 65% increase in website traffic, compared to 2017.

• Strong ticket sales: Compared to 2017, RGD collectively saw an increase of over 15% in attendance for both Toronto and Vancouver. They also noted a 25% increase in paying tickets – which applies to both 2016 and 2017!

The theme even struck a chord with the global design community. Legendary designer Aaron Draplin weighed in on this year’s identity by stating the following:

“It's a scary time.

There's an assault on truth.

And yet, truth still prevails.

The Speak the Truth theme was perfectly on point.”

- Aaron Draplin