Lasteabi 15 conference "Koos on hea!"

Lasteabi celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024 by organizing a conference at Kumu on Children's Day for its partners and their families. The conference featured various workshops, multiple speakers, and performers. The day concluded with a surprise concert and a shared cake.

I had the opportunity to design the necessary graphics for the conference and assist with IT at the main stage on the day of the event.

E-invitation

I began the graphic design process for the conference by gathering the main content and arranging the overall layout. The first step was creating e-invitations, which needed to be sent out almost immediately after receiving the task. Therefore, I focused on designing these first. Initially, the plan was to create an invitation that included a schedule overview. However, since the schedule was quite extensive and ultimately decided to be included separately in the email, the invitation needed to be simplified and made more compact. I opted for a simple and short design, using Lasteabi graphics and colors to create a soft gradient effect.

The initial design did not meet the Social Insurance Board's communication standards, as it did not adhere to the Government of the Republic's visual identity, and the Social Insurance Board logo was not presented in original or secondary colors. Additionally, the overall style was too informal, and the text did not clearly mention the Social Insurance Board. As a result, I made several adjustments and created different color combinations to match both the communication department's requirements and Lasteabi's style. After discussing with my supervisor, we decided to send new versions with pink and yellow backgrounds to the communication department. Despite the less formal design, it was approved, and the service manager chose to use the pink background design. Later, minor adjustments were made to the invitation, adding the conference title "Koos on hea!" ("Together is Good!").

Before sending the e-invitation, I needed to create an illustration for the registration form's greeting to ensure the web form did not appear too formal.

When the service manager started composing the invitation email, a problem arose as the design did not fit well within the email format—it was too large and cumbersome, overshadowing the email content. Therefore, I adjusted the invitation design to better fit the email format.

Finalized e-invitation that was sent out:

Name Badge

After sending out the invitations, I began creating the remaining graphics for the conference. First, I needed to design name badges and figure out how to add participant information to them. Due to time constraints, it was decided that the badge information would be entered manually since there was no time to learn and implement new technologies.

Since it would not have been practical to manually prepare hundreds of name badges alone, I had to find a solution to create a badge design accessible to others for adding participant information and downloading print-ready files. We used Canva's capability to create print-ready files in CMYK color profile with bleed. I adapted my initial designs to ensure Canva could correctly generate the bleed. I set up the files in Canva with text fields so that the person entering information could do so in a consistent style without having to figure out the placement and format.

Finally, I converted all graphics into print-ready PDF files in Canva. Since I had no prior experience with such tasks in Canva, it was a great opportunity to test the program's capabilities for more professional work. Additionally, I learned about Canva's limitations in preparing designs for print. If we had more time and the badge information had been handled differently, I would have prepared the print files in Adobe Illustrator. However, Canva proved to be a very convenient tool for reviewing designs with colleagues and adding information as needed. I initially created the designs in Figma, downloaded them in SVG format, and then uploaded them to Canva for print preparation since Figma does not support CMYK color profiles.

Agenda, Workshop Signs, and More

Parallel to the invitation design, I was also creating the agenda, entrance, and workshop signs. Since the e-invitation was in pink tones, we decided to design the information for the conference day in the same style. I had already prepared the basic designs, so only final adjustments and adding the design remained. I created four versions of the agenda so colleagues could choose the best fit for the conference day to provide sufficient information while remaining visually appealing.

After making the necessary changes, the fourth version was selected, which conveyed enough information while being airy and easily understandable at a glance. The workshop signs were also designed to be simple and minimalist. For workshops such as fantasy instruments, silence minutes, play corner, graphic printing, and badge creation, I created entirely new illustrations, and for others, I used already created ones to ensure all workshop signs were in a consistent style while still unique.

Additionally, I prepared a sign for the KUMU entrance so visitors would know where to go and what event was happening. I created directional signs for the workshops to facilitate navigation for conference attendees. I also prepared background and speaker introduction slides for the conference day, along with video interludes, and was responsible for the smooth running of the presentation on the day of the conference. Furthermore, I designed badges for the conference badge workshop and meal vouchers for the volunteers.

Conference Day

On the day of the conference, my main task was to manage the speakers' slide presentations on the main stage. Additionally, I advised the lighting technician on choosing the appropriate lighting solution and assisted with the setup and cleanup of the conference.

The day went smoothly, although speakers sent their slides at the beginning of the day, causing some confusion with the slide timings. Ultimately, everything ran smoothly with no major issues. The printed graphics looked amazing. It was delightful to see attendees wearing the name badges I designed and my workshop signs and schedules displayed throughout the conference area. Later, I also received pictures of the badges made by attendees in the workshop, which I had designed.