KNOWLEDGE (Copy)
Branding, Events
LIVE EXPERIENCES
Knowledge is ServiceNow’s annual flagship event. This is the place where shared learning happens and connections are born. It is where ServiceNow’s customers and partners realize how they can address the biggest challenges facing their businesses today.
COMPANY
TEAM CRED
Annie Liao—Motion Designer
Annie Wei-Hsin Lo—Designer
Jingsi Chen—Designer
PROJECT SCOPE
Visual Identity, Guidelines, Environmental Signage, Registration Pages, Events App Assets, Swag, Social and Paid Media Assets, Presentation Slides, Illustrations, Animation
MY ROLE
Art Direction, Design
2022 RESULTS
14,041 attendees from 81 countries
$2.867B worth of pipeline attended
152 new logos in attendance
PARTNERS
In May of 2022, the world rejoiced as we finally kicked off Knowledge IRL. After two long years without live events, the excitement hung heavily in the air, but this year, we had something special in store. Rather than opting for a single mega-event in Las Vegas, we decided to take Knowledge on a global journey, hosting it in four different locations around the world: NYC, The Hague, Sydney, and, of course, Las Vegas.
In addition to bringing Knowledge to their customers and partners worldwide, we used the event platform to unveil ServiceNow’s 2022 brand refresh and positioning by reinforcing the core message that “The world works with ServiceNow.”
At ServiceNow, my primary focus revolved around immersing our brand into both the physical and digital event spaces, helping to shape and enhance the entire attendee journey - from the first touch point to the very last.
I worked alongside and helped guide a team of skilled creators. Together, we collaborated closely fostering strong relationships built on trust and effective communication. By working in tandem with these essential counterparts, we were able to maintain synergy with our brand's vision.
The team created scalable design systems through the development of asset libraries and supporting guidelines. These resources served as the backbone of the company’s brand consistency and allowed for efficient and effective implementation across the various event platforms and touch points.
By continuously refining and expanding these systems, we helped ensure that the brand continued to evolve and adapt, while maintaining a cohesive and recognizable identity throughout the entire attendee journey.
ServiceNow’s photography represents the world at large. The impact their technology has on society and the people in it. It’s a world powered by people from all across the globe, each representing unique cultures and communities, working styles, and locations. It’s a ecosystem viewed through an authentic lens, paints a portrait of the working world as it is, not only as we wish it to be.
In this effort, the photography focused on an editorial approach in which the photographer is an unacknowledged observer. The camera is placed at the heart of the action to capture moments that depict people living in their environments in a way that’s genuine and unfiltered.
The photography we curated for Knowledge was divided into four supporting categories that could be combined together in layouts to create engaging portrayals of the people and worlds the ServiceNow platform empowers.
People
Work
Places
Industries
We applied our brand illustrations to numerous touch points throughout the event including social, web, and print.
The integration of motion-enhanced content into keynotes, digital signage, and social brought a new level of impact and engagement. By successfully marrying form and function, these animations added vibrancy and visual appeal, making the content more dynamic, which helped gain and keep the audience’s attention.
We worked on a range of webpages, interface components, and elements that catered to the diverse needs of attendees. User-friendly navigation and the integration of interactive elements enhanced event registration and attendee engagement. The result was a comprehensive suite of solutions that not only facilitated the smooth management of events, but also amplified the overall experience for organizers and participants alike.
Extensive research and testing of various materials, furniture, and foliage, ensured we were making the best choices for our event environments. From durable metals to versatile plastics, wood finishes, and fabrics we carefully considered each material's unique characteristics and suitability for the specific application.
Using a variety of substrates added an extra level of customization. This approach to material selection and substrate utilization enabled us to achieve outcomes that not only enhanced the overall functionality of ServiceNow’s events, but also elevated the aesthetic appeal of the brand.
After the success of Knowledge 2022, where we integrated ServiceNow's renewed visual language, we were thrilled to expand our collaboration to the entire events portfolio. We adapted and scaled the brand elements that were well-received at Knowledge 2022. By integrating these elements, we ensured a consistent visual identity across the company’s extensive events lineup. This not only enhanced the overall branding of each event but also improved efficiency and created a unified experience for attendees.
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VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES
When the lockdown began in March 2020, Knowledge was scheduled to start in less than two months. The team had to quickly pivot from a live event in Orlando, Florida to a virtual broadcast experience.
TEAM CRED
Annie Liao—Motion Designer
Jono Heath—Designer
Frank Vera—Designer
MY ROLE
Art Direction, Design
PROJECT SCOPE
Visual Identity, Webpages, Broadcast Toolkit,
Social and Paid Media Assets
RESULTS
100,000 attendees worldwide
1 million minutes viewed
145 hours of customer-led content by PepsiCo, Under Armour, Subway, the
State of Kansas, Levi Strauss, and hundreds of other companies
PARTNERS
RECOGNITIONS
The Webby Awards - Honoree
The initial disappointment of cancelling the live event in 2020 was palpable. Months of careful planning and preparation had gone into creating an immersive and engaging experience for attendees. However, the team knew they had to adapt and find a way to bring Knowledge to the masses, even if it meant doing it in an entirely different format.
Technology became our greatest ally in this endeavor. We tapped into the power of video streaming, virtual meeting platforms, and interactive tools. Our goal was to ensure that attendees could engage with the content, connect with fellow participants, and actively participate in discussions, albeit from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
Animation added energy and visual interest, effectively reinforcing key points. By imbuing the brand with personality, dynamism, and a bit of fun, these workflow animations helped elevate the content, making it more memorable, relatable, and enjoyable.
We implemented animations that demonstrated collaboration and seamless workflows. Subtle and playful gestures brought life to our brand illustrations, making the characters relatable and approachable. These movements gave a sense of empathy, depth, and connection. Showcasing characters working together, sharing knowledge, and exchanging ideas helped exemplify ServiceNow’s belief in the strength of teamwork. They emphasized that ServiceNow is not just a provider of technological solutions, but a facilitator of innovation and synergy within organizations.
Partnering with IDW, we were able to develop and implement a photography program aimed at capturing vibrant and stylized portraits of not just ServiceNow employees, but also their valued customers and exceptional leadership teams spread across the globe.
This creative initiative showcased the diversity and uniqueness of ServiceNow’s workforce. We were then able to systemitize this program, ensuring that every portrait exuded the perfect blend of professionalism, creativity, and individuality that sets ServiceNow apart from the competition.
SNAPSHOTS OF THE DESIGN PROCESS
With the first virtual Knowledge successfully behind us, we scaled the events platform and broadcast solution to unify all of ServiceNow’s 2020 and 2021 events into one high-impact brand experience, including their annual Sales Kickoff, Employee Kickoff, Fall events, and product releases. With rapid training, the toolkit enabled global agencies and internal partners to develop consistent localized keynote and session experiences.
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