CodeCamp Waterloo

Secret Message

Having worked with Camp style unconference identities in the past, Will approached me to create the identity for CodeCamp Waterloo and this is a bit of insight into that process.

Unlike other BarCamp type events, there was little visual consistency or equity established for the CodeCamp series under that umbrella of unconferences. This gave me a blank slate to work with, allowing me to deviate from the trappings seen in the PodCamp series of events, and create a new visual language for this subset of BarCamp culture.

So with that freedom I decided on two key elements I wanted to include within the identity for CodeCamp. The first being programing and development and the second the camp association. The former proved to be a bit more tricky then I anticipated, initially working out as a textural element before growing into it’s own element. The latter however was much easier to develop, focusing primarily on a literal camping theme (BarCamp originating from actually camping at the event overnight). It was also a great way to allude to the fire used commonly in BarCamp logos.

With a bit of refinement however, the raging fire became a single flame, a nod to that idea igniting in your head like a match being lit in a dark space, and the code element came into it’s own, hiding a message in the mark (+10 Bonus points for the first commenter to decode it). The last piece of the puzzle was the type, using the usual BarCamp arrangement and typeface, and borrowing the maple leaf element from PodCamp London to emphasize the country of origin.

The end result is a great little mark that is versatile and unique to CodeCamp Waterloo, and a great jumping off point for future CodeCamps.