Mexico Tech Week: A Rupture
Team
Tania, Lulo, Fabian, Migue
Industry
Tech
Year
2025
Services
Storytelling, Brand Identity & Visual System
From its inception, Mexico Tech Week (MXTW) was an anomaly. Not a conference, but a city-wide effervescence; not a top-down event, but an organic movement that took the city by storm. Its exponential growth proved an undeniable truth: Mexico's tech ecosystem was vibrant, ambitious, and, above all, had its own voice. Yet, its visual identity failed to mirror this reality. It wore a borrowed suit, a global tech template that felt impersonal and alien to the creative chaos pulsating through its events. The dissonance was palpable.
Our collaboration began not with a question of aesthetics—"how can we look better?"—but one of identity: What is the visual language of tech when it’s born, raised, and projected from Mexico? What does a community that refuses to imitate actually look like? This was not a design task; it was a declaration of principles.
We knew the answer wasn't in the Silicon Valley playbook or its predictable visual language. We found it in our own history of cultural rebellion: the Generación de la Ruptura.
From its inception, Mexico Tech Week (MXTW) was an anomaly. Not a conference, but a city-wide effervescence; not a top-down event, but an organic movement that took the city by storm. Its exponential growth proved an undeniable truth: Mexico's tech ecosystem was vibrant, ambitious, and, above all, had its own voice. Yet, its visual identity failed to mirror this reality. It wore a borrowed suit, a global tech template that felt impersonal and alien to the creative chaos pulsating through its events. The dissonance was palpable.
Our collaboration began not with a question of aesthetics—"how can we look better?"—but one of identity: What is the visual language of tech when it’s born, raised, and projected from Mexico? What does a community that refuses to imitate actually look like? This was not a design task; it was a declaration of principles.
We knew the answer wasn't in the Silicon Valley playbook or its predictable visual language. We found it in our own history of cultural rebellion: the Generación de la Ruptura.
The Rupture Generation
In the 1950s, titanic artists like Vicente Rojo, Lilia Carrillo, and Manuel Felguérez challenged the hegemonic discourse of Muralism. They broke from a single narrative to explore abstraction, individual expression, and a direct dialogue with the world. We saw in their audacity a perfect parallel to MXTW’s mission: to break from the monolithic conference format and return power to the community.
The core of this new identity, therefore, could not be a static logo. We developed a living, abstract typographic system. We took the four letters of the acronym, M-X-T-W, and deconstructed them, liberating them from their primary function: legibility. They were transformed into visual artifacts, into blocks with their own distinct personalities. The truly monumental element of this brand is not a typeface; it is these four custom-made forms.
In the 1950s, titanic artists like Vicente Rojo, Lilia Carrillo, and Manuel Felguérez challenged the hegemonic discourse of Muralism. They broke from a single narrative to explore abstraction, individual expression, and a direct dialogue with the world. We saw in their audacity a perfect parallel to MXTW’s mission: to break from the monolithic conference format and return power to the community.
The core of this new identity, therefore, could not be a static logo. We developed a living, abstract typographic system. We took the four letters of the acronym, M-X-T-W, and deconstructed them, liberating them from their primary function: legibility. They were transformed into visual artifacts, into blocks with their own distinct personalities. The truly monumental element of this brand is not a typeface; it is these four custom-made forms.
In the 1950s, titanic artists like Vicente Rojo, Lilia Carrillo, and Manuel Felguérez challenged the hegemonic discourse of Muralism. They broke from a single narrative to explore abstraction, individual expression, and a direct dialogue with the world. We saw in their audacity a perfect parallel to MXTW’s mission: to break from the monolithic conference format and return power to the community.
The core of this new identity, therefore, could not be a static logo. We developed a living, abstract typographic system. We took the four letters of the acronym, M-X-T-W, and deconstructed them, liberating them from their primary function: legibility. They were transformed into visual artifacts, into blocks with their own distinct personalities. The truly monumental element of this brand is not a typeface; it is these four custom-made forms.
Their purpose was radically redefined: they exist not to be read, but to create impact, build space, and define an atmosphere. We use them as architectural pieces to structure layouts, as textured backgrounds, or as bold frames that contain content. In this system, the letterforms consciously sacrifice literal clarity to gain an overwhelming expressive power. They become both the canvas and the brush.
Their purpose was radically redefined: they exist not to be read, but to create impact, build space, and define an atmosphere. We use them as architectural pieces to structure layouts, as textured backgrounds, or as bold frames that contain content. In this system, the letterforms consciously sacrifice literal clarity to gain an overwhelming expressive power. They become both the canvas and the brush.
Their purpose was radically redefined: they exist not to be read, but to create impact, build space, and define an atmosphere. We use them as architectural pieces to structure layouts, as textured backgrounds, or as bold frames that contain content. In this system, the letterforms consciously sacrifice literal clarity to gain an overwhelming expressive power. They become both the canvas and the brush.
The Shortcut
Within this new visual ecosystem, the supporting typeface, Monument Grotesk, plays a functional and contrasting role. It provides clarity and legibility when needed but always cedes the spotlight to the commanding presence of the custom-made MXTW blocks.Finally, to counteract the cold, plastic perfection of the hyper-digital universe, we injected an analog, lo-fi aesthetic. We introduced photocopier textures, exposed film grain, and raw imagery that celebrates the human fingerprint and the beauty of imperfection.
Within this new visual ecosystem, the supporting typeface, Monument Grotesk, plays a functional and contrasting role. It provides clarity and legibility when needed but always cedes the spotlight to the commanding presence of the custom-made MXTW blocks.Finally, to counteract the cold, plastic perfection of the hyper-digital universe, we injected an analog, lo-fi aesthetic. We introduced photocopier textures, exposed film grain, and raw imagery that celebrates the human fingerprint and the beauty of imperfection.
Within this new visual ecosystem, the supporting typeface, Monument Grotesk, plays a functional and contrasting role. It provides clarity and legibility when needed but always cedes the spotlight to the commanding presence of the custom-made MXTW blocks.Finally, to counteract the cold, plastic perfection of the hyper-digital universe, we injected an analog, lo-fi aesthetic. We introduced photocopier textures, exposed film grain, and raw imagery that celebrates the human fingerprint and the beauty of imperfection.
Within this new visual ecosystem, the supporting typeface, Monument Grotesk, plays a functional and contrasting role. It provides clarity and legibility when needed but always cedes the spotlight to the commanding presence of the custom-made MXTW blocks.Finally, to counteract the cold, plastic perfection of the hyper-digital universe, we injected an analog, lo-fi aesthetic. We introduced photocopier textures, exposed film grain, and raw imagery that celebrates the human fingerprint and the beauty of imperfection.
The Outcome
The result is far more than a redesign. It is the visual manifestation of the movement’s DNA—an identity that empowers, that is as disruptive and authentic as its mission. Today, Mexico Tech Week doesn’t just feel different; it looks different. It has shed its borrowed skin to finally inhabit its own—one that speaks of history, community, and a bold, unmistakable vision for the future of Mexico.
take
the
shortcut.
2024 - Toma el Atajo, S.A.P.I. DE C.V.
take
the shortcut.
2024 - Toma el Atajo, S.A.P.I. DE C.V.
take
the
shortcut.
2024 - Toma el Atajo, S.A.P.I. DE C.V.