Creative approach
Creating a cohesive event requires a common thread—a creative idea weaved throughout every visual and verbal element of the experience, from the first social post to the website to onsite signage graphics and beyond. Like our new brand, Autodesk needs to show up at events in a bold and distinctive way, and for visual components, our symbol enables us to do just that.
Parts of our symbol—or even its negative space—are a great way to frame our imagery. This treatment creates dynamic layouts and is quite versatile and adaptable, while still adhering to brand guidelines.
The symbol itself can also be used as a standalone graphic. This helps visitors make the visual connection between the full Autodesk logo and image frames. It acts as a powerful visual cue, ensuring that Autodesk gets recognized.
And remember, visuals alone don’t create meaningful connections with our customers. What we say is just as important, so speak with our voice. Make sure what we say and how we say things throughout our events is consistent with our brand narrative and voice guidelines. The reward is clearer communication and a stronger connection to our brand.
Event creative guidance
Dos. Here are some best practices to keep in mind when designing your event assets.
Use different parts of the logo as an image frame treatment across event touch points.
Use black and white evenly.
Use quality images that are still readable when cropped.
Allow generous space for content/text.
Always ensure the symbol and/or full logo are consistently positioned on pages/layouts.
Follow all brand system and voice guidelines.
Dont’s. Here are important things to avoid when designing your event assets.
Repeat the same image frame everywhere.
Make graphics all black or all white.
Use inferior quality imagery, or imagery that does not follow photography guidelines.
Crop images in ways that make the subject matter unrecognizable, especially at small sizes.
Crowd layouts or clutter graphics with too many elements or too much text.
Fixed and flexible elements
All Autodesk events should look and feel like they’re from the same company, while allowing individual events to be personalized to the needs of their audience. To achieve this, some design elements need to be treated consistently across events, while others can be customized to each event. We’ve categorized these into two buckets: fixed elements and flexible elements.
Fixed: Autodesk logo
The logo should always be in a consistent and prominent position to effectively signal ownership or endorsement of an event. Further guidance is available in the Logo section.
Fixed: Colors
Use black and/or white, along with accent colors for points of emphasis, interactive elements, or calls-to-action. Further guidance is available in the Color section.
Fixed: Typography
All text should be typeset in Artifakt, or in Arial where necessary, and follow best practices.
Fixed: Image frame treatment based on symbol
If framing an image based on our symbol, shapes should be derived only from the Autodesk symbol and no other.
Fixed: Treatment of event name or theme
A consistent approach to event names and/or themes is necessary to achieve a sense of familiarity between events. Additional guidance is available in the name/theme section.
Flexible: Choice of imagery
Imagery needs vary per event: some events may use a single image across touch points, while others require more. Whichever the case, the imagery selected should be high quality and licensed to Autodesk. Further guidance is available in the brand images section.
Flexible: Choice of theme and messaging
Make sure messaging throughout our events is consistent with our brand narrative and voice guidelines.
Flexible: Black/white combinations
Depending on the event’s focus or the content and/or imagery used, black may work better than white, or vice versa. Whichever you lead with, make sure you balance both colors across touch points. Note, however, that a white background is more suitable for components with heavy content.
Flexible: Use and position of symbol
The symbol itself can be used as a standalone graphic as long as the full logo is in visual proximity.
Flexible: Placement of image frame treatment
Choose frames that best fit your content requirements and show off the imagery. Vary how you use them across touch points to avoid overuse of the same frame treatment.
Flexible: Furniture and materials
Furniture or booth components sourced for an event should work together to exude beauty, quality, and promote our point-of-view as the leading design and make company. Be consistent with color and materials and choose the most sustainable options whenever possible. Try to incorporate materials that convey generative design, 3D printing, or other methods that help our customers create things.
Autodesk event name lockup + event theme (primarily for tier one events – with brand approval)
Autodesk logo + event name (no lockup)
Autodesk logo + event theme (no lockup)
Autodesk logo + event name + theme (no lockup)
AVOID: Autodesk logo + fanciful stylized event name + theme / lockups
- Avoid unique stylized treatments of event names or themes.
- Unless sanctioned by Brand, do not lock up the Autodesk logo with event names.
