Dysarium Design Conference

Yura Bakay – Creative Director, Сo-founder Dysarium Solomiia Marchak – Art Director & Lead Designer Sasha Bobrytska – Designer Viktoriya Doroshevych – Junior Designer  Juliana Savruk – Сo-founder Dysarium Yuriy Haliuk – Key organizer of Dysarium

Dysarium is the largest non-commercial nationwide design conference in Lviv and Ukraine, focused on the development of design. It brings together the most talented representatives of Ukrainian and international design for growth, inspiration, and experience exchange. The event’s theme, "Community," was based on the unity of hearts and minds, aiming to unite like-minded individuals for collective growth and achievement. Collaboration, team spirit, and community-building are important cultural values embedded in this project. Brief and Design Solutions For the second year in a row, our team not only worked on the visual identity of Dysarium but also carried out the full organization of the conference — from concept to implementation. The main goal we envisioned was to speak about the power of community-building through the lens of our unique experience. All of us, the designers of Ukraine, are somewhat like dinosaurs — we grew up without access to design schools, without enough literature or information to build our knowledge. Yet, for the second time, Dysarium has become a place where all of this becomes accessible. Our aim was not only to explore the theme of community but also to inspire collaboration, the creation of joint projects, and the support and development of the design community in Ukraine. In 2023, we gathered an incredible number of people around us, and we could not ignore this momentum. Creative professionals from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, and Odesa traveled to Lviv for the second time to unite, co-create, find like-minded individuals, and strengthen the design community. The experience of the 2023 event helped us realize that the "dinosaur" concept — symbolizing designers — resonated deeply with our audience. Therefore, for Dysarium: Community 2024, we created a new series of whimsical and creative dinosaurs using artificial intelligence, graphic design, and other visual tools. This time, we also introduced a pink, slightly quirky mascot that embodied the spirit of the event. The idea of community was conveyed through the arrangement of all the dinosaurs (representing designers) gathered around the pink character (symbolizing design itself), highlighting harmony and creative interaction within a shared space. To ensure a cohesive visual ecosystem, we created vibrant background images — endless fields and blue skies — evoking a sense of openness, vastness, and limitless possibilities. Additionally, small but impactful cursors became an essential element of the visual identity. The cursor, a familiar daily tool for designers, symbolizes collaborative work — where many cursors move together within a single creative environment, much like what we often see in Figma, Miro, and similar platforms. Cultural context In 2024, the theme of Community became central to Dysarium, reflecting global trends towards increased collaboration and interaction in creative industries and society as a whole. For Ukraine, this theme holds special significance. In times of challenges and change, we have become more aware of the importance of uniting, supporting each other, and strengthening bonds that help us endure, create, and grow. Our conference embodied this idea of Community. Dysarium became a space that unites, turning interaction, knowledge, and inspiration into tools for change and mutual support. Project execution & Media The task in this project was to deliver comprehensive branding for the initiative. We developed the following components: naming, positioning, key messaging, communication strategy, copywriting, and full visual support, including logo design, font selection, creation of a brand character and a unique design world, system development, the project’s core grid, and all graphic elements. Additionally, we created social media design, outdoor advertising, merchandise, printed materials design, and more. In promoting the project, the main communication channels included the event’s social media platforms (Instagram & LinkedIn), the official website, outdoor advertising, targeted ads, and national media channels. Results For the second year in a row, we achieved something incredible by organizing a large-scale, unique event with an inspiring team of enthusiasts. On October 5, 2024, Dysarium took place, bringing together over 4,500 in-person participants and 20,000 online viewers. This amazing number of people united by a love for design and creativity is truly inspiring. We gathered an incredible lineup of speakers, including Stefan Sagmeister, Andriy Fedoriv, Pavlo Vresh, and many other prestigious Ukrainian names. It was an unforgettable experience for all designers to meet such high-level figures. As part of Dysarium: Community 2024, we collaborated with the fashion brand Why Me to not only create event merchandise but also launch a full collection.