Igniting Creative Minds
at INFERNO
Design Festival
Design and Project Management
What happens when you're presented with the exhilarating challenge of creating and building a Design Festival from scratch during your college years? You leap at the opportunity. And that's what my fellow founders and I did. In 2019, our vision of uniting artists, designers, musicians, and creators from diverse backgrounds materialized into Inferno - one of Asia's leading Creative Arts and Design Festivals. As we proudly approach its fifth year, the legacy it has built of igniting creative minds is truly awe-inspiring.
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Let's be honest; organizing such a massive event can be a bit like trying to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle - terrifyingly thrilling! But we approached it with the gusto of a caffeine-fueled designer and treated it as a design problem, meticulously laying down a well-knit plan over four months.
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As the founding member and Head of Marketing in 2019, followed by my role as General Secretary in 2020, I had the opportunity to shape both years' visions uniquely. The first year was a thrilling adventure as we built the festival from scratch - naming it, defining its purpose, envisioning its impact, and shaping its function. Our unwavering focus was to foster creative minds, promote design, and create an inclusive and diverse environment. As Head of Marketing, I led my team to secure valuable sponsorships and forge strong industry connections, which attracted brands like Snapchat, Kyoorious, and XP-Pen, recognizing the festival's potential to leave a lasting impact on the creative community.
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The highlight of our maiden voyage was the thrilling bridge we built between academia and industry. Picture this: students chatting up with design professionals, exchanging ideas like secret recipes for creative success, some got internships out of them too! It was like a design matchmaking extravaganza - Cupid would be proud!
Created by Sreerag Praful, Batch of 2022
Fast forward to 2020 and the lockdown. But guess what?
DESIGN REVOLUTION!
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU A PANDEMIC, YOU CREATE A
Determined to showcase that creativity knows no bounds, we decided to pioneer one of the first-ever online design festivals. After all, the show must go on, even if passports were no longer required to attend (a lighthearted nod to our virtual approach). It was time for our creative minds to break free from the shackles of traditional thinking. Undeterred and fueled by quarantine snacks, we took a daring leap and embraced the virtual realm.
Adapting a physical celebration into an equally entertaining online extravaganza demanded true creativity from our team and the sheer magnitude of the festival was enough to keep us on our toes, but we took it in stride, learning valuable lessons every step of the way. We quickly realized that managing a festival like Inferno required an incredible blend of organizational wizardry, creativity, and the ability to improvise when things didn't go as planned.
As the General Secretary, along with the Chairperson, overseeing all operations of Inferno was undoubtedly a learning experience that went above and beyond anything we could have imagined in the classroom. From managing a whopping 2,000 attendees to catering to the needs of our esteemed sponsors, arranging schedules for our impressive lineup of judges, and, most importantly, ensuring that all events were engaging and awe-inspiring, we embarked on a journey of growth and discovery.
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With each challenge we faced, we sharpened our problem-solving skills like seasoned designers tackling a complex brief. We learned that creativity wasn't just about colorful posters and fancy designs; it was about adaptability and thinking on our feet. We embraced the unexpected with open arms, much like designers eagerly exploring uncharted territories in their quest for the perfect solution.
We adopted a design thinking approach and divided ourselves into departments like we were running a creative startup - Events and Workshops, Logistics, Tech, Marketing, Public Relations, Administration, and Editorial. A virtual organization with a sprinkle of Hogwarts magic, perhaps? The tech team became modern-day wizards, conjuring up virtual wonders, while the events team cooked up imaginative workshops and competitions that even Zoom couldn't resist applauding, the administration team ensured seamless participation, the PR team arranged virtual appearances for guests and judges, while the marketing team kept sponsors engaged in the virtual realm. Each department had its Vice Chairperson, HoD, Sub HoDs and student coordinators. It was an "accountability party" where everyone had a mission, and we all signed up willingly. Our team of 150 creative souls brought the festival to life, proving that distance couldn't douse the flames of creativity.
As we navigated through the labyrinth of event planning, we learned the importance of teamwork and camaraderie. Every success and every challenge was a collective effort, where the passion and dedication of every team member shone like beacons of inspiration. Every nitty-gritty detail was meticulously taken care of, and Inferno ran smoothly over three glorious days on Zoom.
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Above all, we learned that Inferno wasn't just a festival; it was a living, breathing testament to the power of creativity and collaboration. It was a platform where dreams soared, connections were forged, and the boundaries of imagination were pushed beyond limits.
Created by Sreerag Praful, Batch of 2022