“For the Curious!” Theme for TEDxNaperville

Overview

“For the Curious!” is a toast, a cheers, and a “thank you” to TEDxNaperville’s past and present attendees who, now at the event’s 10th anniversary, helped make it what it is today. To date, TEDxNaperville had launched movements, created fame, built careers, changed hearts and minds, and literally saved lives. The organization had tens of millions of online views across hundreds of speakers, thousands of attendees, and a huge fan following. So, the theme had to tip its hat to the people who built its legacy while still propelling us forward to new heights.

Concept Development

The theme always begins with mood boards built to embody whatever aesthetic or feel the team determines. We knew we wanted to do an aesthetic we hadn’t done before - something that pushed our organizational design forward but that was still beautiful and functional. The team wanted a fusion between old and new, acknowledging how far we’ve come while planning for the future. This eventually led to an aesthetic described as vintage, steampunk, Victoriana, or even a bit Willy Wonka. It would feel old, but look modern. It had to be a celebration 10 years in the making.

Visual Development

The theme style is meant to be bombastic, as though announcing it through a bullhorn at a circus in the 1920s with a Mid-Atlantic accent. Simply adding an exclamation (!) reinforces the excitement and energy the phrase and the event are meant to share. It’s ornate and busy, but with clean lines and natural gradients.

The colors follow a pastel palette from a mid-tone blue, through a series of teals and dull yellows, to a red-brown. These colors were chosen to accompany a steampunk aesthetic and not be overpowering like bolder, more saturated colors would be. They’re meant to be light and airy because the design flourishes are so busy. The background then takes these colors, makes them more transparent, and overlays them upon a foggy, grungy starburst pattern to appear as though they’re steaming through fog and smoke. This starburst pattern also makes it feel like the theme is jumping out at you.

Typeface: Countdown Ville by Licker Antony (with 25% rise)

Easter Egg in the Design

Being a special 10th anniversary, the event’s executive director requested some easter egg be added to the design. If you look very closely, you’ll see that the horizontal lines crossing the looping white banner are in fact written words. Those are the themes of each of the past 9 TEDxNaperville events.