Last week, the Eclipse Foundation community came together for the first ever Open Community Experience (OCX). This new flagship event brought together innovators, developers, and enthusiasts from around the globe.
As a new event, we had the opportunity to develop and unveil a comprehensive campaign and visual identity that represents not only OCX but also its collocated events including EclipseCon (rebranded), Open Community for Java, Open Community for Automotive, and eSAAM. With over 100 design elements in this new brand, we are excited to share the creative journey behind this ambitious effort.
Concept Development to Visual Identity
The journey began with a series of brainstorming sessions, where our team gathered to explore themes that would encapsulate the spirit of OCX. Inspired by the concepts of innovation and collaboration, we settled on a theme that emphasizes collaboration and community.
Using circles and crescent shapes in our design effectively emphasizes collaboration and community. Here is the rationale behind our theme design:
- Circle as a Symbol of Unity: Circles represent wholeness and unity. Use large circles to create a central focal point in your design, where community members or collaborators can be visually represented.
- Interconnected Circular Shapes for Growth: Utilize crescent shapes to symbolise growth and progression. They have been placed around the circles to suggest movement and development, reinforcing the idea of evolving together as a community.
- Overlapping Circles: Create overlapping circles to represent interconnectedness and collaboration. This can visually demonstrate how different individuals or groups work together, forming a larger community.
- Dot Patterns: Use dots within or around the circles to signify individual contributions to the community. Different sizes and colours of dots can represent various roles or levels of involvement.
These themes became the foundation of our visual identity. The OCX and collocated event brands feature vibrant colour palettes drawn from the associated working group brands and complimentary colours that reflect the energy of the event. We chose bold colours to symbolise creativity and innovation, complemented by a modern, sans-serif typography that enhances readability and appeal. The logo designs incorporate elements that signify connection—intertwined shapes that represent the diverse community coming together at OCX.
Bringing the Vision to Life
Over the past year, we have rolled out more than 100 design assets across various platforms – from eye-catching social media graphics to oversized banners and posters onsite. Through infographics, wayfinding signage, urban graphics, website and application graphics, and videography, the brand evolved and was refined with each element. Each platform presented unique challenges, but we tailored our designs to fit the specific needs and aesthetics of each medium, ensuring a seamless experience for our audience. In the end, we were able to provide an immersive experience at the event that truly made an impact.
From the very first moment, attendees were immersed in the OCX brand, setting a high-energy, welcoming tone for an unforgettable experience.
With branded screens, podium, and directional signage for breakout sessions, our keynote stage embodied the OCX brand from every angle.
Halle 45 provided a vibrant setting with endless branding possibilities. Many designs featured 360° elements, like these pillar wraps.
We invited our community to unleash their creativity on a paint-by-numbers wall, featuring OCX branding, elements of Mainz, and the Eclipse Foundation tagline, 'It’s in our code.'
Continuing to Evolve
OCX 2024 was our first year under this new brand, bringing with it a lot of challenges. Balancing the diverse needs of our stakeholders, creating a cohesive brand and adapting the brand for various formats was extra challenging in this first year. While we anticipate similar challenges as we prepare for OCX 2026, the strong foundation we've established will help ease the process.
We look forward to building the OCX and collocated events in the future, and we would appreciate any feedback you may have. Reach out to the design team at marketing@eclipse.org if you have insights to share.
