One of the most fun jobs as a WordCamp organiser is picking a theme that you will use to give your WordCamp a brand identity.
This is important on so many levels and merits a few paragraphs on why…
Why is picking a theme a big deal for a WordCamp?
Firstly, did you know there were 149 WordCamps in 2018? Have a look at the full list of past WordCamps if you want to check for yourself. With so many other WordCamps happening, it helps to set ourselves apart from one another so we don’t give the impression that WordCamps are just following a cookie-cutter template. Every WordCamp is different as the organising team are local, and whilst needing to work within guidelines, have complete freedom to organise a WordCamp that best reflects the needs and uniqueness of their local area.
Another important part of choosing a theme is to give others the opportunity to get an impression of what your city or local area is like. For many going to a WordCamp is a chance to visit a new city with instant friends, who will be delighted to visit the sights with you or show you the best hidden parts if they are local. Anyone as excited about WordCamp Europe 2019 in Berlin as we are? For anyone putting on a WordCamp, you are likely to be as proud as punch of your city and want others to know that.
Another factor, perhaps less important is to help set your WordCamp apart from others years if you are a city lucky enough to have had several WordCamps grace your streets.
Introducing our theme, ‘street art’
Bristol is well-known for its street art, graffiti and creativity. Most people have heard of a pretty famous guy called ‘Banksy’ who also hails from our fair and colourful city.
It seemed a no-brainer that we should choose street art as our theme. Not only does it reflect well the values and culture of Bristol (arty, creative and a little bit edgy) but we also knew that we could create a really fun and colourful brand.
How we created the visual identity
We are super lucky to have the fabulous Ben Hamilton, from Atomic Smash as our design lead for WordCamp Bristol 2019.
Ben has written a really interesting and in-depth article on how we took our theme of street art and turned it into a brand that we are all so very proud of. Click the button below to visit the Atomic Smash website and read all about it.