Event
Arduino Blew My Mind at the Partners Conference
Created for:
Arduino®
in collaboration with
Giulia Loi, Fabio Ferrero & Arduino Team
Role:
Tools:
Figma, Adobe Suite
In 2023, we reimagined the visual identity for the Arduino Partner Conference—an annual event uniting partners from across the globe. My role was Creative Director, collaborating with Giulia Loi to craft a friendly yet impactful look that redefined expectations of corporate events. The result: a cohesive experience that strengthened transparency and openness between Arduino and its partners.
The Challenge
To break from the typical formal tone of corporate events, we embraced the theme “Arduino blew my mind at the Partner Conference.” This playful-yet-meaningful concept expressed Arduino’s shift toward more honest, open engagement with its ecosystem. Visually, this called for a bold but approachable aesthetic—one that could feel exciting without veering into tech clichés.
Concept & Strategy
We explored a minimal, stroke-based illustration style—led by Giulia Loi—that paired recognizable Arduino hardware with abstract, “mind-expanding” shapes. This lightweight system gave us the flexibility to scale visuals across print and digital formats, while ensuring brand consistency. A friendly, neutral color palette and modular layouts allowed for easy adaptation across deliverables.
Visual Development
& Design System
We explored a minimal, stroke-based illustration style—led by Giulia Loi—that paired recognizable Arduino hardware with abstract, “mind-expanding” shapes. This lightweight system gave us the flexibility to scale visuals across print and digital formats, while ensuring brand consistency. A friendly, neutral color palette and modular layouts allowed for easy adaptation across deliverables.
Execution
& Deliverables
Framer Microsite: exclusive portal for partners with event info and brand materials
Event Signage: directional, environmental, and promotional graphics
Presentation Decks: on-brand templates for all speaker sessions
Illustrated Merch: welcome kits featuring branded accessories and swag
Social Assets: teaser animations and recap visuals for online sharing
Roughly 80% of Arduino’s global partner network attended the conference. Many attendees shared visuals and impressions on social media, helping amplify the event organically. Internally, the updated brand system streamlined cross-team collaboration, from presentation decks to signage placement. The identity struck a chord, sparking new conversations around community and co-creation.
Lessons & Next Steps
Our choice to go minimal proved key: the pared-back visual language allowed us to produce last-minute assets—both print and digital—in minutes, without sacrificing consistency. This agility made on-site logistics smoother and highlighted the value of modular design systems in high-pressure environments.Looking ahead, this identity now serves as a blueprint for future events—demonstrating how design can reinforce not just aesthetics, but trust and transparency.
There’s something uniquely rewarding about seeing your work come to life in a live setting—watching someone pause at a sign, smile at a t-shirt illustration, or snap a photo of a deck slide. This project reminded me that even in corporate spaces, design can still surprise, delight, and—yes—blow a few minds.
