Still 68 days until the re:publica starts! To shorten the waiting time, we now present to you the brand new #rp15 trailer. It will give you an idea of what to expect this year. And some of you might recognize the building? Last year, we had the creative wilderness of the forest illustrate our motto, Into the Wild. This year, the interior will be purely minimalist, reduced to the essentials. The motion design clip turns the white hall into a transit point, animated by an info system that uses customized icons to symbolize the wide range of re:publica topics. In the trailer, motion designers Willi Haninger and Matthias Zosel display a range of clear colours and textures, and an uncluttered design reminiscent of a busy airport terminal, to sounds by Julian Scherle. They have created a place of passage, somewhere we pass through on the road. With this year’s re:publica theme, Finding Europe, we will embark on a journey with you, a cultural, political, technical, but also digital journey to explore the European continent. We are looking forward to the international exchange, to fill this transit point that the STATION-Berlin is being transformed into with life, with passion and with argument. All those creative, curious people (you!) make the re:publica what it is, and enliven the lovingly crafted surroundings. As diverse as the re:publica audience may be, we will all come together in our search for answers concerning the future of Europe.

Finding Europe In Design

With Finding Europe, the re:publica has chosen a motto that perhaps reflects its specific character better than many other. On our European expedition, many voices, people, ideas are in debate, without the discourse yielding one ultimate answer. And so the new design by visual masterminds Malcolm Bunge and Rafael “Raf” Scovino, of Haarhaven & Uestion also picks up on the issues of Europe, travelling, searching and locating. The banner logo on the website looks similar to a boarding ticket – with all the hopes and dreams, but in many cases also very pragmatic issues attached to it. Just like when you count the days until your vacation finally starts, we keep checking the timer on the website about once an hour!

On our website, we will constantly be including new elements, so the design stays lively and adaptable to the diversity and dynamics of a continent like Europe. So watch out for more to discover in the near future! And the colour design is different this year as well: we have dropped the intense magenta tones from last year, and chosen lighter, clearer accents. The web design is sharp, without being cold – clear areas help create structure.

Our lovely ticket-like banner including the timer. Got your ticket already?

What Is Your Favourite Icon?

You might have already noticed them clicking through the re:publica website, but if not, you certainly won’t miss them in our trailer: the numerous small icons. You will find a microscope, an atom, a handshake, but also a Macchinetta, a record player and a piggybank. These icons are very reduced images, drawn with a few strokes, but enough to trigger associations in your mind at once. Our icons have also found their way onto flyers and stickers. The special re:publica iconography has become the heart of our corporate identity, and has invaded all areas.

At an international conference where people from many different countries and language backgrounds meet, the power of symbols is priceless. The universally comprehensible icons are something of a language miracle. The art lies in creating a symbol that is clear and unambiguous, so that everyone may associates the same. Our designers Malcolm and Rafael got to work and designed a whole range of these icons with cult potential, and are still expanding the range to keep the design alive. The icons are becoming re:publica’s very own visual language, and line up perfectly with the overall concept. Just like at an airport, where you rely unfailingly on these common symbols, our icons are intended to be constants, to provide orientation and stability.

By the way, three of our favourite icons can be found on this year’s stickers: The loudspeaker, the lightbulb, and the Sign of the horns. Why? re:publica wants to amplify the voice of the digital society, it wants to develop new ideas with you, and above all, we want to celebrate with you as well!

Watch out for this year's stickers!