TED Director Bruno Giussani gave us his thoughts on this year’s TEDGlobal theme: “Exploring the ‘Stuff of Life’ means of course exploring who we are: from biology to culture to feelings. But it also means looking into the ‘stuff’ that allows us to be who we are and supports life — energy, say, or infrastructure — and makes life meaningful — art, for instance.”
As with most conferences, TEDGlobal has a program book, and for the first time, TEDGlobal has introduced a conference iPad app, both of which were designed by San Francisco-based Hybrid Design.
Of having both printed and digital collateral, Bruno says, “We always adopt this eclectic approach in curating our conference programs. True insight and understanding come from the meeting of a variety of fields and points of view. The program book and the iPad app help us develop this approach by providing background and context to what happens on the TEDGlobal stage and around the conference spaces.”
With TEDGlobal as a centerpiece for larger-than-life technological and innovative thinking, we asked Dora Drimalas of Hybrid Design about the relevance of print as a medium. “The printed program is an integral part of the conference experience. It’s a keepsake. TED is all about interactivity. The program book provides tactile interactivity. Conference goers are encouraged to take notes, mark pages, and journal about the amazing things they see and hear.”
The book is printed in traditional four-color process with a second hit of black for the rich solids. The front and back covers use a two-level sculpted emboss to give life to the wood blocks that make up the title. Dora says — and one can see by looking — that the die maker “went nuts” on the die; the detail in the wood grain and surface of the blocks is so realistic it looks and feels real. “By embossing the front and back covers we made the book a more visceral experience, more of a ‘thing.’ We made it part of life’s ‘stuff,’” she observes.
Speaker spreads, like this one for biological oceanographer Paul Snelgrove, are used throughout the book to give “Tedsters” a brief introduction to TEDGlobal 2011 speakers. Each speaker spread has a section designated for note-taking.
Another TEDGlobal 2001 speaker, Jetman Yves Rossy, flies through the air with wings and jet engines strapped to his back.
The printed program is the exact size of an iPad, and not by accident. Although it was Hybrid’s assignment from the get-go to do a book, Dora and her team suggested the iPad app. (Hybrid first introduced an app for the 2010 TEDWomen conference.) “Many TEDsters will be carrying their iPads, so the size of the book ‘families’ perfectly. It’s full of conference information, but it’s still portable and functional,” Dora says.
The app is the program book, come to life. There’s so much information connected with TEDGlobal that it’s hard to fit it into a program that’s still a manageable size. The app isn’t limited as to the amount of content. “The conference has layers of information, and the app mimics that,” she says. “It allows for a deeper dive than is possible in print. If you’re reading about a speaker and want to visit his website, it’s right there. A link, a video, photos — the user has instant access to additional content.” One example of this interactive capacity is the Rezero Ballbot Diagram, an interactive diagram showing the components of Rezero, a robot that travels on a single ball (below).
TEDGlobal program books always have a map of the conference in the back. The app provides an interactive map of Edinburgh, which toggles between a static and Google map depending on the availability of an internet connection.
Producing a conference program is a constantly moving target. Speakers drop out, speakers are added, schedules change. And content coming from every different direction is a challenge in itself, as in assembling photos of different sizes and styles into a cohesively designed program. Dora says the printed piece comes first, because the lead time for it is longer. Besides, getting down to final approved copy makes flowing text into the digital application that much easier.
TEDGlobal is a mountain of information that must be organized and boiled down into substantive yet consumable content for TEDsters. The complexities are expected, says Guissani. “For us it always really comes down to making information accessible. Truth is, our work with Hybrid and frog [sponsors of the program book] on the book and app is often about what to leave out — about what good ideas we will have to sacrifice in order to make the book and the app readable and the information in it easily accessible, while providing all the necessary context so conference attendees can get the most out of their participation.
“It’s a difficult balance to achieve, because the temptation to add decorative elements — or even useful ones, or just to add more — is always there. But sometimes ‘more’ is the enemy of ‘better.’ With my colleague and co-editor Emily McManus, I believe this year we found a great balance, and I’m very proud of this program book and the team that created it.”
In addition to the program book and iPad app, Hybrid also developed a style guide, signage templates and speaker slide show. Hybrid Design was founded in 2001 by husband and wife creative directors Brian Flynn and Dora Drimalas. At Hybrid, the belief is that design can take you on a journey, create lasting relationships, and even change culture. A few companies whose stories Hybrid has helped develop are Nike, Apple, TED, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and Sony.
More on TED this week: In celebration of TEDGlobal 2011, we’re asking notable creatives to share their favorite TEDTalks. Hybrid’s Brian Flynn is the first to reveal the talks that inspire him.
Photos courtesy of Hybrid Design.
