SXSW 2026 Key Art
ASSIGNMENT
Develop a theme and key art to convey a reinvented SXSW experience for 2026. With the demolition of the Austin Convention Center, the event will feel very different, and more than ever, SXSW will spill into the streets and throughout all corners of Downtown Austin.
SERVICES
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Brand Positioning
Foundational Language
Signage
Merchandise
Social Media Strategy
Web Design
Messaging
A tagline and illustration to capture the “everythingness” of SXSW and Austin: “All Together Now”.
Freed of the big box convention center, SXSW 2026 represents a fresh opportunity to celebrate community, a place where creative people from around the world gather in Downtown Austin. With Interactive, Music, and Film & TV on concurrent days for the first time—and with both industry-specific districts and common spaces for cross-pollination—these communities can be together more than ever.
Intentionally layered for inspiration and exploration, connection, and unexpected discovery, SXSW 2026 becomes a culture-shaping village inside the city, an immersive experience within a lively downtown where our global creative community can join together.
Our idea was to embrace Austin and the hallmarks of unexpected discovery and community. The 2026 art celebrates and differentiates Austin, the OG SXSW, from London and Sydney. It creates, a “jewel box of Downtown Austin,” allowing the viewer to peek into a scene exploding with hidden gems, interesting people and activities—everything all at once.
We took a more flexible and intuitive approach to the 2026 art and applications, commissioning illustrator @joshcochran to create an artwork library. The resulting toolkit included a series of hero scenes, isolated elements, and a selection of frames, providing more art assets and more ways to use them interchangeably.
The illustrative direction is decidedly human—and as colorful and fun as the people it depicts.
Filled with easter eggs of real activities from past SXSW’s, the story becomes improbable and over-the-top, just like the event itself.
The arrow hero scene with its signature verdant green background doubles as event wayfinding.
This art gives the SXSW design team endless possibilities to work with over the promotional season and onsite–from illustrated social frames to single elements to fully formed scenes—all warm, handmade, and fun. Characters come to life with animation, simple posts create a human connection, and large scale installations capture the whole story. The vibe is all about the anticipation of an amazing seven-day event that’s like nothing else in the world.
SXSW EDU delivers a world-class learning festival where the learner, practitioner, entrepreneur, and visionary come together in Austin, TX, just days prior to the main SXSW event.
We commissioned an EDU-specific hero illustration and paired it with their badge color, Bright Periwinkle, to give the EDU team unique art to work with.
A STRATEGY AND
DESIGN CONSULTANCY
AUSTIN, TEXAS
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