SevenGen 2024:
A Design Journey
Project Overview
As part of the Student Energy team since 2022, I’ve had the privilege of contributing to SevenGen, a transformative initiative focused on empowering Indigenous youth in the clean energy sector. What began as supporting marketing materials for the 2022 Summit evolved into managing the entire design process for the 2024 Summit in Iqaluit, creating a visual identity that bridges traditional Indigenous culture with contemporary design.
Delegate Package
The 13-page delegate package embodies the summit’s spirit of connection and guidance. Set against pristine white backgrounds, the layouts balance professionalism with accessibility, featuring crucial information about the event in both English and Inuktitut. The package includes thoughtfully designed maps, daily schedules, and practical information that helps delegates navigate both the summit and Iqaluit itself. The consistent use of turquoise accents throughout the document creates a visual thread that connects all elements while echoing the colors of the northern lights.
The Vision
SevenGen’s mission of “Infinite Voices, Shared Futures” deeply resonates with my creative approach. The initiative aims to restore pace towards a sustainable future through Indigenous leadership, community engagement, and resilience. This vision guided every design decision, ensuring that our visual elements would authentically represent both the program’s aspirations and the rich cultural heritage of Iqaluit.
Design Process & Inspiration
Summit Banners
The event banner captures the essence of the North in a striking composition. Against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, the design features a mesmerizing gradient that evokes the aurora borealis, transitioning from deep turquoise to gentle blue hues. The banner’s bilingual title “Infinite Voices, Shared Futures” appears in both Bebas and Inuktitut syllabics, floating above a winter landscape. The SevenGen Energy logo, featuring two polar bears, anchors the design, while partner logos are respectfully positioned at the top, demonstrating the collaborative nature of the initiative.
Name Tags
The delegate name tags marry functionality with cultural respect. Each tag features clean, minimalist design elements with text in both English and Inuktitut, ensuring inclusive identification. The addition of a QR code adds a modern touch while maintaining the summit’s sophisticated visual identity. The turquoise color scheme continues here, creating a cohesive connection to other summit materials.
Canva Brand Kit
The Northern Lights:
A Cultural Canvas
Typography & Bilingual Design
A crucial aspect of the project was finding typography that could effectively support both English and Inuktitut text. After extensive research and testing of ten potential options, I selected Pigiarniq for its superior readability and balanced weight distribution, ensuring both languages were presented with equal prominence and clarity.
Brand Integration
While incorporating Student Energy’s signature blue and green colors into the logo design, I developed a broader visual system that celebrated Iqaluit’s identity as a traditional Inuit fishing location. This involved creating overlays and effects in Photoshop and InDesign that merged the ethereal quality of the Northern Lights with practical summit content.
Practical Applications
The design system came to life across various materials:
- A comprehensive delegate package featuring a custom-designed map of Iqaluit
- Color-coded name tags with integrated QR codes linking to the summit program
- Marketing materials that maintained consistent visual identity across all platforms
- Website design that seamlessly connected with physical materials
Technical Implementation
To ensure accessibility and usability, I:
- Created branding kits in Canva for team collaboration
- Utilized Photoshop for image manipulation, enhancing the vibrancy of Northern Lights imagery
- Employed InDesign for layout and special effects, creating seamless overlays between cultural elements and summit content
- Developed an interconnected system of physical and digital materials through strategic QR code integration
Slide Deck
Proposals
Collaborative Development
Working with Indigenous Voices
Collaboration with the Indigenous council was fundamental to the project’s success. They provided creative freedom while offering precise feedback that helped ensure cultural authenticity. This partnership extended to working closely with the communications coordinator on logo development, where I helped guide the creative process and provided technical support in vector conversion and refinement.
Impact & Outcomes
While I couldn’t attend the summit in person, feedback from colleagues indicated that both the council and participants responded positively to the materials. The name tags and delegate package received particular praise for their functionality and design integration.
Learning & Growth
This project deepened my understanding of inclusive design and the importance of cultural authenticity in visual communication. Working with a small team taught me to be more decisive in design execution while maintaining open channels for feedback and iteration.
The experience has influenced my subsequent work, particularly in developing comprehensive visual identities for other Student Energy summits. It reinforced the value of thorough documentation and clear communication in achieving design objectives that serve both practical and cultural purposes.
Looking Forward
The SevenGen Summit 2024 project demonstrates how thoughtful design can support cultural celebration while meeting practical event requirements. It stands as a testament to the power of collaborative creation and the importance of respecting and amplifying Indigenous voices in the clean energy conversation.
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