opportunity
Around the World in 80 Characters is a global conference series that celebrates typography’s role in culture and design. For its Dubai event, Ascend Beyond the Limits, the challenge was to create a visual identity that could capture the city's energy and unique blend of tradition and innovation, while also giving the conference a strong and recognizable voice of its own.
GOAL
As the brand and type designer, my goal was to create a bold visual identity that would make Ascend Beyond the Limits an unforgettable conference experience. Inspired by Dubai's spirit of ambition and innovation, I wanted to develop a custom design system that celebrated the city while encouraging designers to push beyond their current ideas of what typography can communicate.
Process
Sometimes the best ideas are hiding in plain sight. The conference title, Ascend Beyond the Limits, already contained the perfect design concept: the typographic ascender. I built a custom hand-drawn typeface around that idea, combining the geometric rhythm of Dubai's skyline with the flowing, interlocking forms of Arabic calligraphy. From there, the entire conference identity grew naturally across every touchpoint.
Outcome
The final identity gives Ascend Beyond the Limits a visual voice that's as ambitious as the designers it brings together. Anchored by the custom typeface and carried across every touchpoint, the brand transforms the conference into a unified experience, one that sparks conversation, and inspires attendees to push the boundaries of typography long after the event is over.
