Client:
St. Petersburg School of Conference Interpreting and Translation, Herzen University
Context:
IV UN–MoU Universities Conference, St. Petersburg, April 2015
Scope:
Visual identity, logo system, conference website, bilingual programme booklet, article collection brochure, delegate badges
Role:
Sole designer, concept through final production
The Brief
Herzen University hosted the fourth UN–MoU Universities Conference, bringing together institutions that train language professionals for international organisations. Its theme was expressed in four words: Learn. Teach. Coach. Mentor.
The English/Russian event brought together UN representatives and universities from over a dozen countries. The identity needed to communicate clearly to this international audience across both languages.
The Design Challenge
Create a distinct conference identity that could sit alongside the UN emblem, Herzen University’s seal and the SCIT logo without competing with them. The system needed to work across web, print, signage and personalised delegate materials.
The four-word theme had to work both as a tagline and as a recognisable visual element across these formats.
Design Constraints
The full bilingual title had to appear on official materials. Its length made clear hierarchy difficult, particularly in Russian:
IV Конференция университетов, подписавших Меморандумы с ООН о взаимопонимании в вопросах подготовки переводчиков для сдачи квалификационных экзаменов / Обучение переводчиков для международных организаций
The title occupied substantial space on programme covers, brochures and the website. It fulfilled institutional requirements but was too long to anchor the visual identity.
The shorter Learn. Teach. Coach. Mentor. became that anchor, used in the circular logo, website header and badges. The official title remained intact, while the slogan gave the materials a recognisable focus.
Concept Exploration: Three Directions
01
Interlocking Ribbons
Four interlocking ribbons formed a circular badge around the Roman numeral IV, with the theme words in an outer ring. The mark suggested connection, but lacked a specific link to language training or mentorship, so it was not taken forward.
02
Contour Form
A layered contour shape paired with bold typography suggested depth and accumulated knowledge. It was visually distinctive, but could just as readily represent a technology event or geography symposium. It was not selected.
03
Figure Mark (Selected)
Exploration began with the MoU letterforms and the open book as a symbol of education. A Soviet-era school badge combining a book and rising sun helped suggest a human figure within the form. The resulting mark brought together an open book, an M for MoU and a handshake, linking education, the programme name and partnership.
The simple geometry stayed legible at badge size. A circular lockup placed the four theme words around the symbol, bringing the conference message into the mark itself.
Identity System
The selected mark was developed into a system covering:
- Primary lockup — circular badge with full theme ring
- Symbol — standalone figure mark for space-constrained applications
- Monochrome variants — for single-colour print and embossing
- Colour variants — light backgrounds, dark monochrome backgrounds, photographic backgrounds
- Colour palette — UN institutional blue as the primary anchor, with a warm secondary for contrast applications
A geometric sans-serif unified the materials, with clear typography in both Cyrillic and Latin scripts.
Deliverables
Conference website
Design and development of 2015mouconf.herzen.spb.ru, customising a WordPress theme for the programme, participant listings and registration. I handled the visual design and WordPress implementation.
Bilingual conference programme
A 15-page English/Russian booklet covering the two-day schedule, speakers, sessions and rooms.
Article collection brochure
Cover and interior layout for the conference papers, co-branded with UN, Herzen University and SCIT marks.
Delegate badges
Personalised badges combining the event identity and institutional marks with each participant’s name and affiliation.
Outcome
The conference took place as planned in April 2015, with attendees representing UN offices and universities from over a dozen countries.
The identity was subsequently used for the 7th MoU Conference, hosted by UN ESCWA in Beirut in 2021, and the 8th MoU Conference, extending its use beyond the original event.
Conference websites: 7th MoU Conference, 8th MoU Conference and the original 2015 event.