Last week we had the pleasure of attending OFFF Sevilla. OFFF hosts design festivals across the globe, originating in Barcelona in 2001. The annual circuit has now expanded to also include the likes of Vienna, Mexico City, Tel Aviv, and, of course, Sevilla. Having attended OFFF 2022 with a few members of our design team, we had an idea of what to expect. This time round, we were fortunate enough to be able to make the trip with the majority of the agency: graphic designers, web designers, marketers and our directorship.

OFFF Sevilla excels in its ability to cover an extremely wide cross-section of creative niches through the speakers it hosts. As creatives, we often become so engrossed in our own work that we fail to notice or appreciate what’s happening in adjacent fields. Stepping back and listening to people talk about their diverse creative endeavours, often unrelated to the type of work we do at Kenshō, was extremely refreshing. It provided a real opportunity to see creativity and design through a broader lens than we typically do.

With that said these were our highlights from the two days:

Graphic Design & Branding

DixonBaxi‍

Global heavyweights DixonBaxi were one of our must-see’s coming into OFFF, and they did not disappoint. Boasting a client list filled with the likes of The Premier League, AC Milan, Hulu and Eurosport, they are the gold standard of brand identity design. Founders Simon Dixon and Aporva Baxi delivered a relatable talk, in which they took the audience on a retrospective look at the agency’s humble beginnings, and broke down some of their most recent, high profile projects.

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‍Sarah Boris

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‍From working in-house at world-renowned cultural institutions and publishers, to starting up her own studio, Sarah Boris demonstrates an admirable desire to never remain content with the status quo. Taking us through her diverse portfolio of work, across a dizzying array of mediums, Sarah’s design career serves as a true source of inspiration for those of us keen to push our creative practice beyond our comfort zone.

3D & Motion Design

Media.Monks

‍Amsterdam based Pierre Nelwan of Media.Monks was one of the most charismatic speakers across the two days. Representing a creative agency of over 8,000 employees lends itself to feeling imposing and potentially disconnected, but Pierre managed to make his talk extremely personal and relatable, with a focus on career trajectory and growth.

NotReal‍

NotReal’s presentation was a true visual treat, running through a portfolio stacked with work for the likes of Nike, Microsoft, Ebay and Squarespace. Their 3D, animation and CGI work takes on a dreamlike quality, bursting with vivid colour, personality and practically tangible textures.

Local Talent

Justa y Rvfina‍

An aspect of OFFF that we particularly enjoyed was the inclusion of local speakers. This created a platform for Andalusian creatives to connect with an international audience, and exposed attendees to some very geospecific cultural references. Justa y Rvfina is a typographic project that was undertaken by a group of Andalusian designers during the pandemic. It explores Sevilla’s iconic tiled street signage, its personality, and its role in promoting the Sevillano identity.

Pleasant Surprises

Banjo Soundscapes

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‍Valencia based Iván Llopis of Banjo Soundscapes delivered an extremely engaging talk, taking the audience on an intimate journey through his creative process, allowing us a look into how he and his team craft immersive soundscapes for both commercial and artistic projects. Sound design can often be an overlooked and under-appreciated art form, watching Iván so passionately celebrate his team’s art and demonstrate work of such a high calibre was eye-opening and extremely inspirational.
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Filipe Carvalho

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‍Designer and Director Filipe Carvalho specialises in main titles, his impact on popular culture is perhaps not celebrated by the wider design community to the extent that he’s deserving of. We are ourselves guilty of coming into the festival unaware of his significant contributions to crafting sequences for some of our favourite shows. Speaking on his creative journey thus far, Felipe articulated how continued perseverance and self-belief are integral in order to open doors for yourself, no matter where you come from, or where you’re located in the world. “Send that email, the worst thing that can happen is that nothing happens.”

In truth we could have made this article much longer, the talent on display was truly special and we’ve come away feeling energised and excited for our own journey here at Kenshō. We want to extend our thanks to OFFF for organising such a seamless and inspiring event, we’ll definitely be back again in 2024!