The Project at a Glance
The Client: Gold n'Links and its subsidiary, ALITHUB.
The Goal: Creating a brand identity for a new tech hub in Albania, and designing a complete graphic envelope for an international tech conference in collaboration with embassies and the Municipality of Tirana.
The Deliverables: Logo design, establishing a web visual language, dozens of print and digital assets, and a mobile app interface.
Location: Tirana, Albania (Remote collaboration with international stakeholders).
The Challenge: Building a Brand from Scratch for a Massive Event on a Tight Deadline
It all started with a request to design a logo for ALITHUB, a subsidiary of Gold n'Links, intended to be the hub for Israeli business and tech activities in Albania. But a logo is just the beginning.
The real challenge followed immediately: The client announced a massive business-tech conference in Albania, in collaboration with the Israeli Embassy, the Albanian Embassy, and the Municipality of Tirana. We had to take a newborn logo, translate it into a complete visual language, and produce dozens of physical and digital assets on a tight deadline to represent Israel honorably on the international stage - all speaking the exact same visual language without any deviation.
With a keen understanding of the project's vision, I embarked on a creative journey to craft a logo that would encapsulate the essence of ALITHUB. The final design seamlessly blends elements of cutting-edge technology with the vibrant colors that symbolize the spirit of Albania. This strategic branding exercise not only visually represents the company's mission but also positions it as a dynamic force in the Albanian market, poised for growth and innovation.
Our Strategy: The Visual Language Comes First
A common mistake many businesses make is just "slapping" their logo on various items. At IC-Design, we work differently. Before designing a single item for the conference, we insisted on establishing a solid Brand Language.
Acting as an external design consultant for the agency building the ALITHUB website, I ensured the site reflected a clean, modern approach - a white background with amorphous shapes in red and black (representing Albania and technology). Once we finalized the fonts, colors, and image style for the website, we created a "rulebook". From that moment on, every future deliverable had to align with these rules. That’s the secret to branding that looks professional and large-scale.
The Execution: A 360° Premium Experience, From the Flight to the App
Armed with a tight visual language, we set out to produce a massive list of items with millimeter precision for the conference in Albania. The work involved diving into the smallest details of the user and guest experience:
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The Flight and Hotel Experience: Headrest covers for the airplane seats featuring the company logo, lapel pins for the flight crew, and branded window stickers for the hotels and the university hosting the event.
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The Physical Conference: Name badges for attendees, a large screen welcome sign, roll-ups, 2 Press Walls for official photos, backgrounds for the giant screens behind the speakers, and a podium design.
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Marketing Materials: Table maps, conference agendas, presentation templates, postcards, pens, folders, notepads, backpacks, and even branded stickers for Albania's national drink (Raki), given to the guests.
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The Digital Space: Designing the website interface and graphic assets for a dedicated mobile app for the conference (which facilitated live chats, meeting scheduling, and agenda tracking).
The Results on the Ground
The conference was a resounding success. Thanks to our systematic work and uniform visual language, every touchpoint - from the moment guests boarded the plane in Israel to the moment they raised a glass in Albania - projected luxury, technology, professionalism, and authority.
As a design professional with over 21 years of experience, flying to the conference in Albania myself and seeing the studio’s work come to life in front of ambassadors and business leaders was an incredible experience. It proved, once again, that the right design breaks geographical boundaries.
Igor's Pro Tip:
"International projects require a team that knows how to work systematically against complex technical demands. Don’t compromise on building a consistent visual language immediately after designing the logo - that’s what ensures even a massive project with 50 different deliverables looks like one cohesive, premium brand."
