DPW
Building a brand system for one of procurement's fastest-growing communities.
Project
DPW
Year
2022 – Present
Services
Brand Guidelines
Brand Identity Design
Brand Strategy
Creative Direction
Experience Design
Role
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Brand Strategy
Design Systems
Industry
Events & Conferences
Procurement
Supply Chain
Location
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Before the lights come on.
Long before the first keynote begins and the venue fills with thousands of attendees, the experience has already started.
It lives in every decision that shapes the environment. The wayfinding that instinctively guides people through the venue. The motion graphics that build anticipation before a speaker takes the stage. The visual language that quietly connects hundreds of touchpoints into one cohesive experience.
People rarely notice these elements individually.
But together, they define how an event is remembered.
That was the challenge behind DPW.
Not to create another conference identity, but to build a brand system capable of supporting one of the fastest-growing procurement communities in the world.
A Brand Built for Momentum
DPW had outgrown its original identity.
The conference was expanding internationally, new products were being introduced, and the brand was appearing across more platforms than ever before. What had once been a conference was becoming an ecosystem.
The challenge wasn’t creating more assets.
It was creating a visual language that could scale effortlessly across every new experience while remaining unmistakably DPW.
One that felt equally at home on a keynote stage, inside a mobile app, across social media, or printed on a simple attendee badge.
Designing the Invisible
The strongest design systems aren’t built around individual deliverables.
They’re built around principles.
Every colour, every grid, every animation, every piece of typography needed to work together as part of one larger system.
The forward slash became more than a logo element.
It became a symbol of momentum.
The grid introduced structure.
Typography created confidence.
Gradients added energy.
Together, these elements formed a visual language capable of evolving without losing its identity.
Growing Through Iteration
This brand book wasn’t created overnight.
It evolved through four major versions, each shaped by lessons learned from live events, production challenges, and the growing ambitions of the company.
Every conference became an opportunity to refine the system.
Every new touchpoint helped reveal what worked, what could be simplified, and where the identity could become even stronger.
Rather than reinventing the brand, each iteration made it more flexible, more intentional, and better equipped for the future.
More Than a Visual Identity
Today, the system extends far beyond a brand guideline.
It shapes keynote stages, motion graphics, digital products, environmental branding, wayfinding, social campaigns, signage, animations, and every interaction attendees experience throughout the event.
The goal was never consistency for its own sake.
It was to create an experience that feels unmistakably DPW from the moment someone arrives until long after they leave.
"Karim was fundamental in creating the unique DPW Amsterdam experience with his graphics, bringing our emotions to life. Amazing work, Karim!"
Matthias Gutzmann
Founder, DPW
My Role
As Creative Director, I led the evolution of the DPW brand system, transforming it from a collection of visual assets into a scalable design language that could support the company’s rapid growth.
Over four iterations, I developed the identity across branding, motion, digital experiences, environmental graphics, wayfinding, event production, and content, ensuring every touchpoint contributed to one cohesive experience.
For me, this project was never about designing a brand book.
It was about designing a framework that could grow alongside a community, and creating experiences that people don’t just recognize, but genuinely remember.