This year, Three Furies worked with our clients at Physician Affiliate Group of New York, P.C. (PAGNY) to design a visual identity and environmental graphics for their flagship event, Research Day, which is like a professional science fair for clinicians who are also leading critical research projects in NYC's public hospitals. It was held in November at the New York Botanical Garden.
Here are some tips and learnings:
1. Start with a plan. We articulated the goals for the event and then mapped a full communications strategy and scope of work that supported that strategy. From PR to social media to the brochures and name tags, everything was accounted for early on. We left room for creativity of course, but we knew our "must haves" before we started the design phase.
2. Invest in design. Design makes all the difference when you want to elevate an event. Smart graphics that tie together all audience touch points, strategic placement of banners and other signage, attention to details—it all conveys care and intention, and signals professionalism. The investment paid off: participants and attendees noticed and gave positive feedback.
3. Think sustainably. Most of the signage we created is being repurposed for job fairs and other events in 2024. Ditto with other printed items. The program template can be used again next year with update images and content, which will save money. We've also planted seeds for more digital applications to cut down on waste.
4. Let go of perfectionism. We provided templates for presentations and even the exhibits, knowing that they wouldn't look as good as if we touched every piece. But budget and time didn't allow us to touch every piece, so a consistent logo was a pragmatic solution.
5. Have fun with it. We came up with a handful of ways to use the icons (most of which were already in our toolkit) and then settled on a few that would make the event feel special, like printed tissue paper to elevate the gift bags (which can also be used throughout the year). Next year, we'll lobby for the stickers and buttons because who doesn't like stickers and buttons?
Always a pleasure to work with long time collaborator Adam Snetman and meticulous project manager Isabel Gilmour. And we couldn’t have done it without design support from Maria Sofia Motta.
Three Furies is a certified woman-owned business, brand, and content strategy agency with deep experience in the legal marketing sector, including digital marketing analysis, brand and digital design, communications strategy, and advertising campaigns. We also produce bespoke wine tasting experiences for client development and employee resource groups through our sister company Tipsy.