TEDx Tous

TEDx is an independent event but under the TED license; a place where people, ideas, and experiences come together to create new narratives. “TEDx Tous” was formed with this same approach; but with one more important feature: connecting the cultural identity of this region with the city’s forward-looking perspective.

For this edition, the title “From ancient roots, to future thoughts” was chosen. A title that both refers to the cultural depth of Mashhad and Tous, and also to the modern, dynamic, and future-oriented space of today’s audience. This duality became the main pillar of the project’s visual identity. For this reason, in the design of the logo and typographies, a combination of a completely hand-drawn typeface (executed with pen and then scanned) alongside a modern and structured typeface was used. An approach that deliberately placed two different worlds next to each other: traditional and human, alongside modern and technological.

In the illustrations as well, the same path continued. We tried to show the people of this region as they are: between tradition and modernity. Some of the images were executed in a completely hand-drawn method and without digital corrections; and other parts were formed using real images. This combination was a response to today’s design flow; where old techniques are still valuable.

The audio identity of the project also followed this dual perspective. The music was produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, but in terms of content it was a combination of two spaces: traditional music of Greater Khorasan (where Mashhad and Tous are located at the center) alongside modern genres such as lo-fi and hip-hop. The result was a sound that both had roots and also pointed to the future.

In total, the visual and musical identity of TEDx Tous was an attempt to build a bridge between the past and the future; a narrative that this city naturally carries within itself, and we only translated it into the language of design.