BOPP: Beer Design Conference was born out of a desire to connect and learn with the other folks who do the very specific thing that we do: branding and design in the beer space. There are plenty of design conferences, but not many focus specifically on beverage brands. And while beer conferences abound—we’ve found that the artists and creatives behind these brands are often left out of the programming.
This year’s conference branding is an exploration on what it’s like to be a working creative in the modern era. We call it “Planet BOPP.”
Sometimes it feels like we’re all floating on our own planets, obsessing over our work in our own little bubbles, only being interrupted by transmissions via the world wide web. The life of a creative can be frustrating and alienating — and it can be wonderful and inspiring. It can be boring and monotonous, and it can be exhilaratingly creative. It’s the highest of highs and the lowest of lows — and it’s rarely in the middle.
To bring this idea to life, the Stout design team did some literal world building. They designed a landscape full of different elements you’d see in the “creative space.” From the floating eyeball moon, to the building with bite marks, to the floating blue river — the overall affect is a sci-fi inspired dreamscape.
The guests include freelancers, small agencies and in-house teams, with three pillars of content:
Inspiration — guests should feel fired up about the work of their peers.
Personal Development — a deep dive into the craft.
Business Development — practical guidance on the business side.
The central icon of every year’s branding is the flower in a bottle. It represents the two parts of our world: the structure of cold hard glass, and the organic growth of the flower. It’s liquid and it’s beauty. This year’s flowers are alien yet familiar, and a little bit dreamy.
We knew that each year we would have many different pieces of design that needed to fit together — so we built the structure as a modular system. The different boxes and sections fit together in different combinations, and elements overlap those boundaries from time-to-time to create something with an overall cohesive look.
