:NextStep 22:
ROLE: Creative Director
AGENCY: Studio Dumbar
THE BRIEF BRIEF: Create a bold, energetic identity, that supports the tagline: ‘where the future of software develops’.
NextStep 2023 was OutSystems' first in-person conference since COVID. A key opportunity to reflect how much the brand had grown during the lockdown years. The goal was simple: Make the experience feel fresh, bold, and genuinely worth showing up for.
In the past, the event played it safe. The creative was bland, the messaging was forgettable, and the swag often ended up in donation bins. Internally, stakeholders were used to this formula and couldn’t envision a different path forward.
That’s where we stepped in, not as the hands-on designer, but as creative strategists and directors. This project required navigating a lot of internal leadwership politics. Along with the global ECD, we helped reframe the opportunity, wrote a provocative creative brief, and aligned leadership around the idea of taking a bolder swing. We brought in a high-end design studio to push the boundaries visually and strategically, and we led the internal charge to help stakeholders see what was possible.
We told the team, “We are leaders in our industry, we should look like other industry leaders!”. Taking cues from brands like Nike, Apple, and Google, aiming for clean but bold visuals, sharp messaging, and a cohesive brand experience across every touchpoint, from stage design to swag.
The results spoke for themselves. The event won honors from The One Club, ED Awards, and the Type Directors Club. More importantly, it helped reintroduce the brand with new energy and confidence.
<home
