Front Conference

Building a brand identity for a product management and product design conference.

Front, an annual conference for product managers and UX designers, needed a fresh theme to better capture their vision. The brand’s previous look and feel didn’t resonate with the specific group of professionals who attended, and it was time to make a change.

We first worked to understand the audience, namely the product managers who, from initial concept to product shipment, act as the connective tissue for design projects. What could best represent such critical points of convergence?

We played around with the idea of a physical roadmap, the type everyone used to carry everywhere to get anywhere before smartphones ruled the world. Then we considered building blocks, which seemed like a better fit. This concept showed how the UX designers and product managers work together, and how their roles build on top of each other throughout the life of a product.

To support Front’s social media and email marketing efforts, we created customizable templates that they could easily build upon. The biggest challenge was making them as simple and as streamlined as possible so that anyone could execute the theme at a high level.

We worked the building blocks pattern throughout the program, using it to frame speakers, content, and even act as a mask for contextual images.

Each attendee received a badge with the conference schedule, stickers, and a t-shirt after they registered on the first day of the event. The building pattern paired nicely with their geometric logo and worked to keep things feeling fresh and organic.

One of the challenges for any conference is helping attendees navigate the venue. We utilized previous Front conference stands and did a walkthrough with them to make sure it was easy to locate food, snacks, talks, and—most importantly–how to register on day one.

Getting people in and out of seats when speakers rotate is no small feat. We made a five-minute counter that flashed on screens throughout the venue before the each speaker took the stage, along with rotating slides of featured presenters for the morning and afternoon sessions.

When the conference finally arrived, Front invited us to be a part of the on-site action. Since collaboration is at the heart of everything we do, we joined forces with a local carpenter to build a coffee cart and teamed up with local coffee makers, La Barba, to serve their tasty brew on-site.

We met a ton of talented people and started relationships that are already leading in exciting directions. The one thing we might do differently next time? Make it clear that, while we love coffee and the people who make it, Underbelly is not actually a coffee shop. We are, however, better equipped than ever to put our best foot forward in any location—and to help our clients do the same.

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Underbelly’s ability to create cohesive branding through design systems, authentic video, and rich content that enhances an in-person experience is everything we were looking for in a partnership with helping Front’s brand presence to continue to grow along with our events.