Afarai

Graphic design can be a lonely world. Much of the most inspired work comes out of the small studios of young freelancers whose designs enter the corporate machine of advertising agencies and get spit out the other side. During the process, the minds behind the designs are long forgotten – remaining anonymous and often underpaid.

To combat this, and to help to create more vibrant communities for graphic designers, Cut & Paste launched a global Digital Design Tournament in 16 cities around the world. The event is a knockout competition – participants design graphics and illustrations according to themes and against the clock for a live audience. The work is beamed up on overhead screens and the mood is festive.

“We want to help give especially young designers more of a profile,” says Amsterdam event director Afaina de Jong from AFARAI of the motivation behind the event. “Often they exist at the bottom of the food chain so this type of thing gives them the chance for more exposure.” More broadly, Cut & Paste is about making the design process more visible. “Most people only ever get to see the end product,” says De Jong. “Our event shows the thinking process, how it all works, and what the design decisions that have to be made are.”

You can view the full interview here.

Location: Paradiso, Amsterdam
Visitors: 1276
Sponsors: Topstad Amsterdam, 55DSL, WACOM, Pantone, Autodesk, Boomerang, BNO, Design.nl
Scope of Work: Event Direction, PR, Event production