My role: Concept, design, creative direction
Designer: Nervin Siasoco
Event managers: Diane Braga, Andie Moran
Production: ProExhibits
Lighting: Owl Vision
RSAC is a major event focused on cybersecurity, held annually at Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. The conference aims to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of innovative solutions.
Synack takes over Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian Steakhouse, located just steps from the Moscone Convention Center. This prime location has been a significant draw and the place to be for past RSAC attendees and our sponsors.
Goal: The objective was to create a fun, dynamic and engaging environment that encouraged networking and attracted new customers.
Concept: We decided to create an environment themed “Carpe Diem. AI is Now. Prepare for the future.” AI is no longer a future state. It is now mainstream and the adoption is rapidly rising. It’s time to seize the day. The latin word, Carpe Diem is the inspiration behind the theme with obvious synergy with Roman Empire and Gladiators (strength & honor). The term personifies combat/military, which appeals to Public Sector for obvious reasons, but also the commercial segment, because they believe that the work they do is part of a global war and they are fighting the good fight.
Solution: My idea was to transform the restaurant into a dynamic and immersive space. I’ve added architectural elements and ornaments throughout the graphics to allude to ancient Rome. The columns were dressed like the interior walls in a palace. Drapes added an intimate yet powerful feel to the space. A mural with sunlight coming through the ancient Roman columns covered a big wall as if opening a space to the outside.
Lighting played a critical role in the interior. We have installed spotlights in strategic places to highlight the Synack logo and theme. Uplighting the drapes created a soft, diffused glow that made a space feel inviting, cozy, or dramatic.
Social media posts and personalized emails generated an enormous interest in themed events and a party. The registrations for each event were full within a couple of days.
A long line of visitors outside of Fogo de Chao indicated a massive interest in attending the events.
Social Media comments:
“Your concepts are always so fab!
@ Inna Knysheva You brought the Carpe Diem creative to life. Your passion and heart for perfection set you apart!
“Another flawless experience delivered with heart, vision, and execution that sets the bar.”
“The space was beautiful, the engagements were meaningful, and people had fun.”
“It was an excellent event.”
Diane Braga and Inna Knysheva ... “a next-level dynamic duo for excellence =)”
“The experience, community and content are unmatched.”
To create the visual theme, I put together a moodboard based on my research of the Roman Empire and the values of gladiators (strength and honor). Inspiration came from Roman architecture, interiors, fashion, and furniture. The color palette drew from the emperors’ clothes (purple, red, gold) and the gladiators’ attire (blue, red). For typography, I selected “Roman New,” echoing the stone-carved inscriptions of the era, paired with a clean sans-serif, Eurostyle, to add a contemporary, tech-connected touch.
The huge windows along the street provided the best opportunity for messaging about Synack’s products and offerings.
Right as you enter the restaurant, there’s a corner with windows to see the kitchen. I saw it as an opportunity for the theme graphic. We covered this corner from floor to ceiling with the stretched fabric illuminated by the spotlights. As visitors entered the restaurant, they saw the theme and were greeted by an actor dressed in a Roman costume. It immediately set the mood for a warm and inviting atmosphere and intimate networking conversations.
Shown in this photo: the right wall of the corner.
Shown in this photo: the left wall of the corner.
A mural with sunlight coming through the ancient Roman columns covered a big wall as if opening a space outside. I used AI to create this mural.
The columns were dressed like the interior walls in a palace. Drapes added intimate yet powerful feel to the space.
Ancient Roman cornice, carved out effect of Carpe Diem and Synack logo on the columns.
Synack offered sponsors spaces at the restaurant, like booths, to build business relationships, demo new products, or have a quiet environment for meetings with their prospects or customers. I’ve created the space separators with ancient Roman-inspired ornaments. Each “booth” was a space of a different color.
Registration desk
The “Women in Cyber” executive panel featured five influential women sharing insights on how female security leaders are evolving strategies to address today’s challenges.
The backdrop with the dramatic red and orange uplighted drapes created a powerful mood. During the discussion, attendees could reference the panelists’ names and titles on the slide.
A large number of visitors were engaged in the meaningful conversations.
Whiskey Tasting event was accompanied by a Jazz band.
We have acknowledged our sponsors on multiple meter panels. I used a marble background paired with antique gold type treatment, maintaining this style consistently across all graphics.
Directional signage featured backgrounds reminiscent of ancient Roman scrolls, with consistent use of ornamentation and typography tying them to the overall graphic theme.
The menus also echoed ancient Roman scrolls, unified by ornate details and typography.
Professional actors and musicians in ancient Roman–inspired costumes entertained visitors, adding to the restaurant’s lively atmosphere.
Attendees were welcomed by actors at the entrance, posed for photo opportunities, and enjoyed the lovely music of a harpist.
The morning coffee and an afternoon ice cream were served at the door on the theme-branded carts. The ornament and gold were carried consistently across all design elements.
The first impression of Synack’s theme was the event’s website, ads, and social media posts. Colors, ornamentation, and typography ensured a cohesive look throughout the visuals. Digital assets were closely tied to the environmental graphics, creating a visual story and immersive experience.
Digital displays were placed at the restaurant during the events.
Sales and customer service people were equipped with email banners.
My role: Creative Direction
I led two rebrands during my time at Polycom. The latest one was when Plantronics acquired Polycom and became Poly. Two great companies with outstanding technologies and products, with rich histories, merged together. Headsets and audio/video devices deliver powerful solutions for human communication.
Since our in-house design team was small, we collaborated with an agency to develop a new human-centric brand. My role was to lead the creative efforts from within the organization. With a thorough understanding of the technology, I was able to advise on and select the best solutions to create the greatest impact on our audience. Our brand transformed from being product-focused to emphasizing friendly human connections, featuring a new voice and stunning visuals.
Once the brand guidelines were established, we moved into the execution phase. I led my in-house team in creating all customer-facing and internal assets, which included digital advertisements, event materials, marketing campaigns, a partner program, and a merchandise store.
To streamline the asset development process, I managed the creation of templates whenever possible. By collaborating with marketing operations and managed services, we established an efficient and smooth system for our workflow.
Working with a small but incredibly passionate and creative team, I provided not only creative direction but also designed assets myself. I love the conceptual process and find joy in hands-on experimentation with ideas.
These extensive brand guidelines cover the brand visual identity.
My role was to embrace the brand identity and become the brand leader. I’ve led numerous brand trainings for both employees and creative agencies. I spearheaded the development of all marketing assets globally. I led the development of the collateral system, PowerPoint template and style guide, marketing campaigns, product launches, digital ads, tradeshows signage, and more. I conducted photoshoots to create a unique Poly image library. As a result of this comprehensive system, the brand was globally aligned and all assets maintained consistency.
We have created a system for all collateral materials. Overall layout and typography were critical parts of consistency. Each and every template had a unique layout based on the content. However, the consistent use of grids, typography, and color created a cohesive system. Airy and clean layouts made information accessible. Relevant photography was used to support the content.
Poly photography focused solely on human collaboration. Sometimes, the products were not even shown in the image. However, images illustrated how naturally and effortlessly people worked together.
I had an incredibly enjoyable experience directing photoshoots. Initially, I was skeptical about combining video and photography, but I took the risk, and it turned out to be fantastic! During the video recording, the photographer would "steal" shots, which allowed us to capture people's interactions in a natural way, avoiding stiff posing.
I developed a methodology to maximize the output of these shoots. As a result, we built a photo library filled with hundreds of stunning images. This approach led to a remarkable consistency in the brand's visual storytelling, ensuring that both video and static images conveyed a unified message.
Photographers: Brandon McGanty, Morgan Anderson, Katie Larson.
To enable Poly employees to effectively and efficiently working remotely, we created a guide. This guide highlighted Poly’s products they could use as well as tips for organizing their spaces and managing their time.
This internal guide used warm brand colors for the soft “homey” feel. The information was organized in an easy friendly accessible manner. An ample amount of clear space was used for a contemporary look. Relevant photography supported the information on each page.
My role: Creative Direction
Designer: Dora Wong
This guide was created to assist small and medium businesses in making buying decisions.
In tight collaboration with the product marketing team, we developed an interactive guide. A user can navigate through the guide in two convenient ways depending on their needs—by the workstyles or by workspaces. Two brand colors are used to differentiate these paths. Only top-level key information is used on the pages for an easy scan. Photography is tastefully used to support the information. The brand consistent ample amount of clear space gives the contemporary feel.
My role: Creative Direction
Designer: Nervin Siasoco
The templates system was created for digital ads to promote products.
Clean layout with product photography and short headlines make these ads easily scannable. A clear hierarchy of design elements helps to navigate through the information. The templates were set up in InDesign for production optimization.
My role: Creative Direction and Design
Designer: Nervin Siasoco
Click play button to watch the video.
Objective: The objective was to create images demonstrating how Poly products could be deployed in any size room in the office. All featured Poly products work on the Zoom platform.
To create continuity, the rooms are consistently outfitted with contemporary furniture. Bright natural lighting adds to the inviting modern look. To make the visuals more compelling, in addition to the static images, we created a video. It takes the viewer from room to room showcasing the products in a variety of meeting rooms. The static images and the video were used on the website, sales presentations, and social media.
My role: Concept and Creative Direction
Design: Wesley Meeks
Poly Studio solution for a huddle room (1–3 users in the room).
Poly Studio x30: a solution for a small room (3–4 users in the room).
Poly Studio x50: a solution for a medium room (4–6 users in the room).
Poly G7500: a solution for a large room (8–11 users in the room).
Poly Group 700: a solution for a training room/auditorium (large number of participants).
My role: Creative concept, design, production
Antiquated legacy penetration testing methods fail to catch all the critical vulnerabilities that exist within a company’s environment, which puts organizations at risk. Companies are seeking new, innovative solutions to test their digital environment for vulnerabilities.
Goals:
- Provide the analysis to security leaders of the challenges and deficiencies of traditional pentesting.
- Demonstrate that Synack offers a better way to pentesting than alternatives while highlighting how it helps current customers stay ahead of adversaries.
- Differentiate Synack in the market
- Generate leads
Solution: We developed a campaign called “A Better Way to Pentest”. I found an inspiration for the concept in the metaphor used in the content for the white paper: Traditional pentesting is like a turtle chasing a cheetah. Later, this phrase became the white paper’s title and subtitle. The cheetah and turtle creative was an unusual and bold concept for the cybersecurity market. The visuals were telling the story. Synack executives were delighted by this attention-grabbing design and bold messaging.
Many various assets included a web page, a white paper, a webinar series, an eBook, blogs. The concept was carried to the tradeshow booths around the world.
The campaign worked well across all demand generation activities. Digital ads received over 25,000 clicks. The message resonated well across global markets and generated a significant number of leads.
My role: Concept, design, and creative direction of the video
Event managers: Diane Braga, Andie Moran
Video production: Salvador Vanegas
Themed “Empowering Women in Cyber”, Synack and Nasdaq hosted a networking event at the Nasdaq Marketplace in New York City focused on elevating women in the cybersecurity industry. The influential women cyber leaders shared their experiences. The onstage discussions featured leadership takeaways, advice, and insights into current cyber trends.
Goals:
- Provide a platform for women to expand their networking and career opportunities in cybersecurity
- Encourage the next generation of women to take on leadership roles
- Strengthen the Synack brand awareness
Solution: I wanted to create a powerful yet elegant visual theme. My challenge was to make it look fresh and aspiring without stereotypical “cyber” graphical elements. I knew the color must be a key player in this art. I chose to experiment with a variety of reds—from strong pink to dark purple. The gold scripted type added freshness and elegance. The expression on the gorgeous young model’s face added an aspirational feel.
Synack also had an opportunity to feature a video ad on the Nasdaq Tower at Times Square. Times Square is the #1 most Instagrammed intersection in the world. I took this opportunity to elevate Synack’s brand awareness. The ad must say what Synack is and what it does. I had to carefully plan the positions of all elements around the tower windows. A huge Synack logo appears on the entire tower followed by our brand promise on the background of our “signature” waves. The phrase continuously rotating at the base of the tower explains what Synack is.
Jay Kaplan, CEO and Co-founder of Synack, posted on LinkedIn: “To see Synack on the big screen in Times Square was such a memorable moment. Thanks to everyone on the Synack team and at Nasdaq who worked so hard to ensure the success of our Women in Cyber event yesterday evening at Nasdaq Marketsite.
The turnout was fantastic – clearly there’s a need for this kind of networking event supporting women in the security field. More to come!”
Synack group photo in front of the running video ad on the Nasdaq Tower.
The theme image.
Registration page and LinkedIn cards.
Panelists group photo on the stage.
Play video by clicking image
My role: Creative concept, design lead, and supervision of production.
Event Manager: Diane Braga
Designer: Britton Smith
Production: ProExhibits
The booth has received the status of a “Finalist of Portable Modular Awards” by Exhibitor Magazine.
The Black Hat Conference is a highly technical information security conference that brings together thought leaders from all facets of the infosec world – from the corporate and government sectors to academic and even underground researchers. The event is focused on the sharing of practical insights and timely, actionable knowledge. Black Hat is the biggest event of its kind, unique in its ability to define tomorrow’s information security landscape.
Goal: The goal was to create an engaging, fun experience to attract new customers and researchers.
Solution: The theme of the Synack booth was “It’s a Jungle Out There”. To build an immersive experience on the show floor, we decided to touch the users’ all five senses. The 12-foot walls were covered with live plants as well as many potted plants were placed around the booth. Either passing through the booth or sitting in the Presentation Cave, people were touched by the plants. Some artificial plants were hanging throughout to add to the feel of a lush jungle. When visitors stood inside the booth, the hanging canopy with an image of tall trees against the sky made an illusion of a complete forest enclosure. The defusers exuded a blend of fresh flowers and wood. From time to time, users could hear the roars of the lions and the screaming of parrots or monkeys. The sound of the waterfall complemented the video at the registration desk. For a sense of taste, the Jungle Bar served tropical cocktails.
We generated new leads and attracted researchers. The Black Hat buzzed about our booth.
Here are a few comments:
“I want to speak with the person in charge of your exhibit. I need clients like Synack who think outside of the corporate box.” - Exhibit Brand Agency
“Can I speak with someone in Marketing? I want to work for a company like this!” - Events contractor
“I don’t have any questions, but I just want to sit here and be in the environment.” - Attendee
“You know you are doing something right when another marketing person comes up to you and says she did her own poll in her booth and asked which booth stood out…and all the people said Synack.” - Synack’s Marketing Manager
Front of the booth
Back view of the booth.
Side view of the booth.
Proud to be a finalist in the Portable Modular Awards by the Exhibitor Magazine.
Registration desk with the waterfall video on the wall. The sound of the waterfall added a delightful feeling to the immersive experience.
One of the visitors to the Cave shared that they came just to sit in a peaceful place and listen to the sounds of a jungle.
Presentation in the Cave.
Demo station surrounded by plants.
Digital schedule.
Tiki Bar lunch menu.
Tiki Bar at lunch.
Users were entertained by a skillful bartender serving tropical cocktails in the afternoon.
Visitors collected stamps to fill their cards.
Little stuffed toys were extremely popular.
Cards were created for users interested in downloading some literature or visiting web pages to learn more about Synack.
My role: Concept and design
Web developer: Orange Labs
Synack is a cybersecurity company that provides penetration testing and vulnerability management. Synack uses a crowdsourced network of ethical hackers to find exploitable vulnerabilities. Synack Red Team (SRT) unites over 1,500 of the world’s most skilled and trusted security researchers, who work with patented technology to deliver best-in-class offensive security testing.
Synack Acropolis is a program for recognition of researchers that produce sustained exceptional quality work for customers.
The Synack Acropolis microsite is developed to feature the researchers who have earned distinguished recognition. This speaks to the trust we build with the SRT, and the new design elevates their accomplishments with the bold new brand of the SRT. Not only researchers are proud to be spotlighted, but also the customers can see who they are going to work with.
Goal: The goal of this project was to redesign the website with Synack’s new branding, refresh the content, and improve user experience.
Solution: The modern elegance of the new website aligns with Synack’s new brand identity. The silhouette of the Parthenon and the font used in the top banners emphasize the metaphoric meaning of the program name. Visit the website to watch the animation on the home page. Each page has a unique top banner with an icon recognized by the SRT members, which identifies the achievement level. The descriptions of each program level are clear and concise and are now “above the fold”. For a uniform and sophisticated look, I made all portraits grayscale. I’ve decided to apply a soft background to photographs to give the researchers a more natural look in contrast to a stereotypical image of hackers in black hoodies on a black background.
Make sure to visit the website to see all the pages, watch animations, and experience interactivity.
My role: Creative concept and design
Synack has partnered with Firstboard.io to bring together thought leadership on how cybersecurity shapes boardroom discussions.
Goal: This paper aims to provide opinions from savvy technology and security executives from companies like Okta, Juniper Networks, and HP on handling board-level conversations and prioritizing cybersecurity.
Solution: I chose the typography approach for the cover to emphasize the importance of acting quickly on cyber risks. The Synack brand colors are combined into a gradient to highlight the word “act”. I also used these colors for each section of the brochure. In collaboration with the editor, I ensured the content was brief and spotlighted the quotes from interviewed contributors.
This brochure was printed and distributed at the “Empowering Women in Cyber” event at Nasdaq as well as promoted on social media.
My role: Creative concept, design and production
Synack held its Advisory Summit at the gorgeous Estelle Manor, a country club and hotel in Oxfordshire, UK. Set on an 85-acre estate, Estelle Manor is a Grande II-listed landmark house, surrounded by over 3,000 acres of beautiful parkland and lush gardens.
Goal: A two-day event was supposed to create an immersive, memorable experience, offering our customers and prospects the chance to connect directly with Synack’s senior leadership, share feedback on our solutions, provide input on Synack's strategic direction, and discuss trends in security.
My intention for this event’s look and feel was to reflect the personality of the Estelle Manor. The invitation should have created a desire to participate in this exclusive event.
Solution: The remote and luxurious setting away from the city offered a relaxed atmosphere. The panel discussion, workshop, activities around the estate, food, and drinks created a meaningful and memorable experience for the guests.
The estate's stunning beauty, opulent hotel bedrooms and suites, soft lighting and vintage furnishings with intricate details and gold embellishments, inspired me to design the event identity that would reflect the place's ambiance.
I chose a script typeface for the word Summit to reflect the sumptuous setting, while the words Synack Advisory are in the standard font, connecting the logo to the Synack brand. I selected the photo of the main building as the hero image. The mirrors in golden frames in hotel rooms influenced the design of the frame for the elegant look of all the materials.
Feedback from customers:
“I just wanted to send the Synack team a personal thank you. It was a really good couple of days that struck a great balance between serious thought and relaxed space.”
“Just wanted to thank you for the great event and hospitality.”
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone involved for making it happen. Your hard work and dedication truly paid off.”
Summit website and invitation
Presentation folder and cards
My role: Concept and design
README is a publication covering the issues, ideas and people shaping the future of cybersecurity. Its aim is to foster new conversations and become a platform for both provocative and practical viewpoints.
Initially, README was published on the MEDIUM platform, which users had to subscribe to and had limitations for publishing articles.
Goals:
- Ability to publish articles under the appropriate byline
- Have dedicated pages for each byline
- Have a dedicated section for the Changelog newsletter
- Ability to highlight specific articles rather than only having a reverse-chronological feed
- Ability to search (by subjects, articles, bylines, etc.)
- Toggle between light and dark modes
Solution:
The ID (name, colors, fonts, image styling) has already been established. It carried over to the new site.
As for any publication, most of the page real estate should be dedicated to the content. I decided to have a very thin banner on the top. The name is clearly stated on the left with a short tagline informing users what the publication is about. On the right-hand side, I’ve placed the Synack logo. A Subscribe button also has a prominent position at the top along with the social media share icons.
The top banner is followed by the navigation and search, so users can choose the area of interest or conduct a search.
The featured article takes a significant space to stand out on the page as well as today’s picks for both the article and the newsletter. The owner of the publication gets to decide which article to highlight on the right.
The rest of the articles are listed in chronological order separated by thin purple lines. Each article has an image thumbnail, byline, date, title and a couple of first lines of body copy (for intriguing factor). I have provided all typography and interactive elements specs.
So the publication owner has all the tools in place to run a publication without a dependency on a designer, I’ve came up with a variety of color combinations for featured articles and trained them on how to use the image styling.
For the consistent presence on social media, I’ve designed a number of templates to post for a long time and still feel fresh and relevant.
