Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC) 2025

✦ Overview
Recently I worked with Nomada on the visual design system for the Sharjah Animation Conference 2024 (SAC) - a pioneering event celebrating animation, storytelling, and visual culture in the Middle East. The brief required a balance between playful expression and professional structure, aligning with japanese anime’s signature illustrative style while elevating the energy of a first-time cultural event.
From wall murals and gift shop lightboxes to entry signage and looped digital TV illustrations, the visuals were designed to connect with attendees of all ages, while maintaining the playful, hand-drawn spirit of Nomada’s brand.

✦ Concept
The visual language centered around japanese anime and manga comics, interpreted in various creative scenes across the venue. These scenes represented moments of curiosity, interaction, and whimsical exploration—perfectly capturing the essence of SAC.
The design leaned heavily on scale, movement, and vivid color to enliven the space and guide visitor flow. Each placement, whether on a wall, screen, or lightbox was thoughtfully considered to feel like a continuation of the animated universe.

✦ Visual Elements
Wall Artworks: Large-scale murals showcasing Anime in 4 specific rooms (workshops)at the event. designed for photo moments and thematic immersion.
Retail & Gift Shop Lightboxes: Playful illustrations that brought a sense of discovery and charm to merchandise zones.
Entrance Lightboxes: Illustrated welcome visuals that set the tone upon arrival and reflected the SAC brand voice.
TV Illustrations: Digital looping visuals with variations of different anime style japanese characters, used to activate waiting areas and key corridors.

✦ Challenges & Intentional Design Choices
One of the biggest creative challenges was ensuring visual consistency across formats- translating hand-drawn energy into both physical and digital environments without losing charm or clarity.
The color palette was kept bold but soft to appeal to a wide audience - from professionals to families and children. Compositionally, illustrations were designed to feel modular so they could be repurposed across screens, signage, or installations with ease.

✦ Outcome
The final artworks were installed across the SAC venue and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors, creatives, and the organizing team. The cohesive visual identity contributed to the event’s sense of place and story- blending function, fun, and emotional design into a memorable atmosphere.

✦ Reflection
This project gave me the chance to explore animation-inspired storytelling in space - blending illustration with environment design, and adapting creative elements for signage, retail, and motion. Working alongside Nomada’s team pushed me to find balance between brand coherence and playful spontaneity.