Cre8 Conference: Designing the Future of Human-Centered AI

My role: Head of Brand

Timeline: August 2023 - Present

I embarked on a journey to shape Cre8, a design conference, rooted in the belief that design and AI together can empower humanity. As the Head of Brand, I steered the project through its inception, nurturing it into a beacon for designers navigating the AI landscape. This project reflects my comprehensive approach to creating a brand identity that resonates with innovation, empowerment, and human advancement in the digital age.

My ambition was to create a space where the transformative power of design meets AI. Cre8 became that vision actualized, a conference designed to place product designers at the heart of AI innovation, steering the conversation towards pro-human outcomes.

The journey from concept to execution mirrors the conference's narrative: a story of harnessing AI's limitless potential to enrich the human experience.

Paul Bryan - Founder&CEO

Raphael Bryan - Brand Strategist

Orathai Samitanon - Project Manager

Benjarong Milman - Content Producer

Sirinapa Jeamwarakul - Communications Manager

The creation of Cre8 was a collective symphony of ideas and expertise, with a core team that included Paul Bryan at the helm as Founder & CEO, Raphael Bryan as the Brand Strategist and me as a Head of Brand. The pivotal point of our collaborative efforts was the single, well-orchestrated workshop that I designed and facilitated. This workshop was a melting pot of our collective wisdom, a place where our diverse skills and insights converged to forge the path forward for Cre8. It was here, through intense brainstorming and strategic planning, that we laid down the foundational stones of our brand's future.

In collaboration with CEO and brand strategist, our mission was set clear: to assert the role of design in the age of AI. At the heart of Cre8 lies our desire to redefine the nexus between technology and human-centric design, shaping a future where technology amplifies human potential. Our philosophy is grounded in the belief that innovation should empower and inspire, fostering a world where design and technology coalesce to enhance the human experience.

Our strategy revolved around core values of empathy, innovation, and empowerment, ensuring these principles were interwoven into every facet of Cre8. Throughout the development, the project maintained a close synergy with the overarching themes of the parent ESP brand, ensuring that every visual element aligned with the foundational principles of human empowerment.

Urgency in Mission: Recognizing the critical need to integrate thoughtful design into AI, we're driven by a pressing timeline. Our goal is to influence AI with design sensibilities before we reach a point of no return, ensuring technology evolves with humanity at its core.

Clarity over Exhaustiveness: We choose focus over fretting about exhaustive coverage. Our narrative doesn't meander through every possibility; instead, it remains direct and unequivocal, resonating with those who appreciate decisiveness.

Provocation as a Standpoint: Our perspectives aren't just opinions—they're statements. We draw bold lines in the sand, marking our stance in a way that challenges norms and invites conversation.

Guiding Principles for Designers: As a North Star, we're selective in our focus, targeting insights and trends that truly impact mid to upper-level designers, rather than getting lost in the minutiae of every emergent AI trend.

Primacy of the Human Element: Our ultimate measure is the human outcome, not the sophistication of the technology. We prioritize designs and discussions that enhance human experiences and interactions, underscoring the belief that technology must serve people, not the other way around.

This approach has defined the Cre8 brand, ensuring that every piece of communication and every strategic decision aligns with these foundational attitudes.

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The tone of voice for Cre8 was crafted to be direct, insightful, and occasionally provocative, aimed at sparking conversation and reflection on the role of design in AI. It strikes a balance between being thought-provoking and educational, ensuring that our message is not only heard but felt and understood. It's about speaking with conviction without alienating those new to the conversation.

Content is curated to inspire, inform, and call to action. It ranges from insightful articles and case studies to interviews with industry leaders. The strategy is to provide content that resonates with the core values of our audience, driving engagement through relevance and reliability, and establishing Cre8 as a beacon for the future of design in AI.

The visual identity of Cre8 marries the precision of technology with the organic beauty of human creativity. It's a celebration of design's power to humanize AI, showcased through a sophisticated yet approachable aesthetic. Each visual element reflects our mission to infuse AI with design sensibilities that prioritize human experience.

The logo stands as a beacon of Cre8's identity: minimalistic yet profound. It incorporates a stylized flower from our unique floral pattern, symbolizing humanity and the blossoming of ideas. This emblem is not only a testament to our design-centric approach but also a clear indicator of our domain, with "cre8conf" seamlessly integrated. This addition ensures instant recognition and understanding that Cre8 is at the forefront of design conferences, where creativity and technology converge.

Our visual identity's color palette was selected with great care, reflecting the dual spirits of warmth and innovation that Cre8 champions. While we initially experimented with a red tone, we decided against it due to its overly aggressive connotations that didn't align with our ethos. Instead, we chose a vibrant shade of pink to symbolize the melding of human-centric design with future-forward technology — a hue that encapsulates boldness without the edge of aggression. It represents a shift from traditional aggressiveness to a nurturing, empathetic approach, mirroring our vision for a future where AI serves to enhance human experience.

The palette is further enriched with a sunny yellow, a color that speaks to nature, optimism, and the human spirit. This yellow isn't just an accent; it's a beacon of creativity and humanity, representing the sunlit paths of innovation we aim to travel. It brings a balance to the palette, softening the intensity of pink with its earthy, grounded symbolism. Together, these colors don't just define our aesthetic — they define our approach: daring yet human, innovative yet grounded in nature's beauty.

The use of floral patterns in our visual identity is a nod to the organic and the human, symbolizing growth, creativity, and the natural evolution of ideas. It represents the harmonious blend of human touch with technological advancement.

The inception of Cre8's website began with a bold ambition — to step away from the conventional and journey into the extraordinary. In our design exploration phase, we delved into unique concepts that would distinguish Cre8 from traditional conferences. The objective was to craft a digital experience that wasn't just a website, but a journey through our philosophy and values.

This exploration was marked by brainstorming sessions where creativity knew no bounds. Concepts ranged from the avant-garde to the minimalistic, each with a narrative of their own. We considered layouts that broke the grid, typographies that defied norms, and interactive elements that invited engagement and curiosity. Every idea was a stepping stone towards a design that would embody the pulse of Cre8 — a hub for thought leaders and changemakers in the realm of AI and design.

This process was not about choosing the right answer but discovering a design language that could evolve with our brand's dynamic nature.

In the finalized design for the Cre8 Conference website, we struck a delicate balance between the precision of technology and the warmth of human touch.

The finalized design is a visual symphony of minimalism to depict the tech aspect, harmoniously intertwined with hand-drawn elements and vibrant floral patterns to capture the essence of humanity. The interactivity element was a centerpiece, with dynamic flowers animated to float across the pages, symbolizing life's beautiful chaos and imperfections. This design choice underlines our belief in a world where technology enhances human life without overshadowing it. The final iteration of the website became a testament to a future that is boldly human-centered, inviting engagement and reflection.

Framer was chosen for its robust prototyping capabilities, allowing us to create a highly interactive, responsive website that is not only visually compelling but also provides a seamless user experience, mirroring the innovative spirit of Cre8.

The legacy and impact section of the Cre8 Conference is envisioned to echo the central ethos of the brand, which is the harmonious fusion of human-centric design and technological innovation. As the head of brand, my ambition is to cultivate Cre8 as a beacon of inspiration for product designers, a catalyst for change in the industry, steering the conversations about pro-human AI.

It's about setting a precedent for future design conferences to aspire to — where the measure of success isn't just in the execution of the event itself, but in the ripple effect it has on encouraging designers to push the envelope of ethical AI applications. Through Cre8, we hope to champion a shift towards more life-affirming technology, empowering creators to envision and craft solutions that prioritize human well-being and societal advancement.

Your brand is the story you tell and the experiences you deliver. With the success of Cre8, a landmark design conference, I've demonstrated the power of a cohesive brand identity paired with an impactful digital presence. As the Head of Brand, I brought this vision to life, fusing innovative web design with strategic branding to create an unforgettable experience.