At the beginning of the year, ‘CodeCashCrop is coming’ became a recurring phrase within our (Brand and Corporate Communications) conversations. It predominantly gave me mixed feelings; excitement at what could go right, trepidation at what could go wrong, and giddiness at the sheer notion of upscaling from the previous edition.

Everyone had a general idea of how we wanted the next edition of CodeCashCrop to evolve, the trajectory we envisioned, and the Pan-Africanism it was supposed to embrace. Personally, I had a level of visual identity in mind that I wanted CCC4.0 to embody. As the Art Director the task of achieving this lay on my shoulders. After months of planning and laying down the wireframe for the kind of event and experience we wanted to create, at the cusp of pre-publicity, it was time to define what the CodeCashCrop 4.0 brand was going to look like.

To create the visual brand for CCC 4.0, I conducted a one-day design sprint with the team. Following a design thinking process, we started by empathizing and then defining our expected target audience. We narrowed the target audience down to two age-based categories. Subsequently, we identified key attributes associated with both groups. Each attribute was represented by either a word or a phrase of not more than three words. We then began identifying and merging attributes that cut across both age groups and were desirable for our brand association.

One intriguing attribute merger for me was the fusion of two seemingly distinct qualities: 'Deep on vibes,' associated with one demographic group, and 'Deep on facts,' representing another. 'Deep on vibes' encapsulated cultural richness and a thirst for entertainment, while 'Deep on facts' signified a commitment to knowledge, research, and data-driven insights. The fusion of these two resulted in the singular attribute 'Deep.' In the end, we selected five defining attributes for the brand voice: Techy, Wealthy, Future-focused, Vibrant yet Minimal, and Deep.

The next step, which I as a designer eagerly anticipated, was defining the visual identity. For those unfamiliar with the term, this involves choosing a set of design and visual elements that collectively represent and distinguish the brand. Following the guidance of our already-established tone, we began ideating. Naturally, the board filled up pretty fast with numerous element suggestions, ranging from images to even accessories. An interesting suggestion was 'Adinkra,' an authentic African design that blends tradition with history and a little spice of spiritism. Although we ultimately didn't adopt it, it served as the foundation for our themed pattern of connecting lines. Additionally, we selected a color palette that reflected Africanism while resonating with our target audience. The design sprint, in general, was an engaging and colorful experience. Straw hats even found their way onto the visual elements board, perhaps because we wanted the designs in one piece 😉.

The design sprint was concluded with the documentation of our visual brand identity. With the principles laid out, I proceeded to start creating the logo and distinct background patterns. Every designer understands the challenges that come with projects like this, but after countless iterations, we had a logo and a set of patterns ready. Creative design is mentally intensive; creative design with strict design guidelines is even more demanding. However, the collective output of having a visual guide is always worth the effort.

One of the most rewarding moments for a designer is seeing their creations displayed. The highlight for me was reveling in the creative beauty of the event. The euphoria stemmed from remembering all the atoms that merged to form molecules that birthed organisms and created a beautiful visual experience. At the start, I had mixed feelings, but by the end, only elation and satisfaction prevailed.