Fanfara is the largest student marketing conference in Slovenia, with over 300 participants, a 19-member organizing team, and one great passion – marketing.
This event offers a rich and informative program, showcasing talks from prominent local and international marketing experts and providing hands-on experience through a range of marketing workshops. The conference gathers marketing enthusiasts, fostering a supportive community that encourages learning and knowledge growth. Attendees also get invaluable insights into the strategies of successful companies and individuals in the marketing industry.
This section outlines how we developed the visual style for the 14th Fanfara conference. Through workshops, we set clear design goals, brainstormed ideas, and created a mood board that guided the overall look and feel. The final key visual captured the three main qualities we focused on: fun, youthful, and dynamic, aligning well with both the student audience and the conference theme, "Changes through your eyes."
As the team lead, once we had the conference theme set, I led a workshop with my design team. We talked about our target audience, set clear design goals, and decided on the voice and tone we wanted our visuals to have. I also guided the team in brainstorming ideas for the key visual, giving us a solid starting point for our design work.
After the initial brainstorming in the first workshop, the second session was more focused and outcome-driven. Our goal was to move beyond ideas and start finalizing the visual direction. We worked closely on defining the color palette and creating mood boards, which laid the foundation for the final key visual. This workshop marked the transition from exploration to execution, ensuring we had a clear vision for the design.
The final design for the 14th Fanfara conference focused on fun, youthfulness, and movement (dynamism). Since the conference’s theme was about change and evolving perspectives, we used a variety of bold and vibrant colors to represent that transformation. The design also incorporated simple graphic elements (squares), which changed and shifted to further highlight this theme of change. Each color shift and movement of the squares symbolized transformation, adding a sense of dynamism to the design. This playful and youthful style made the visuals feel lively and well-suited to the student audience.
The creative work showcased here highlights the main visual materials developed by my talented design team—Monika, Sara, and Taja. Together, we brought the conference’s identity to life.
We decided to promote the 19-member Fanfara team to build a personal connection with the audience, strengthening trust and engagement. The design team organized a photoshoot, with art direction featuring the team in black and white to create a strong contrast with the vibrant conference theme. In post-production, we adjusted the photos to align with the conference’s vibrant visual identity.
In addition to the main materials, the design team also created the following: email headers and signatures, sponsorship proposals and reports, visual assets for all conference communication and promotion on Fanfara’s Instagram and Facebook profiles, a presentation template for speakers, thank-you notes for speakers, and signage for the live stream (including an intro video, speaker names, break messages, etc.).
Leading a team of three talented designers as Head of Graphic Design taught me the importance of balancing leadership with strategic direction. I found it essential not only to recognize and support each team member’s unique strengths but also to create an environment where they felt empowered to contribute their best work.
Managing the recruitment process, from designing tasks to interviewing candidates, gave me a deeper appreciation for building a team that thrives on collaboration and shared goals. One of the key lessons I learned was the importance of clarity in leadership. By providing clear direction and making sure each team member understood their responsibilities, I was able to foster a sense of ownership and accountability within the team. At the same time, establishing transparent workflows helped create a more organized, less stressful environment where productivity could flourish. This role was not just about overseeing project, but about building trust and synergy, both within my team and in our collaboration with other departments
A big part of my role during the 6-month conference project was creating and improving how our design team collaborated with other departments, such as marketing, programming, and sponsorship. Building these connections from scratch showed me how clear communication and good organization within our team and across departments helped everything run smoothly and ensured our designs aligned with the project’s goals. This experience taught me how important good teamwork and strong relationships between departments are for the success of large-scale projects.
Supporting my team was always a priority, whether it was giving guidance on projects or helping with technical or creative challenges. I played an active role in creating work plans, ensuring they were executed, and holding regular meetings to keep the team aligned and update other team leaders on our progress. This approach showed me how important it is to be both a leader and a teammate. By staying involved, I ensured everyone felt supported, and our work stayed on track, building a strong sense of teamwork.
