/ Globe PR Wire /
As anticipation builds for the upcoming June conference in Seoul, the Programming Language Design and Implementation (PLDI) event—one of the world’s most influential gatherings in the computer science field—has revealed a striking new brand identity that blends modern academic prestige with traditional Korean design sensibilities.
Organized by the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Programming Languages (ACM SIGPLAN), PLDI has been a cornerstone of programming language research for over four decades. The 2025 edition marks a pivotal moment in the conference’s history: its return to Asia for the first time in over ten years and its inaugural appearance in South Korea.
To commemorate the occasion, PLDI commissioned a refreshed visual identity that honors both its scholarly legacy and its cultural setting. The branding was developed by New York–based graphic designer Hailey Songwon Kim, known for her expertise in global brand systems and culturally resonant storytelling.
“This wasn’t just about designing a logo,” said Kim. “It was about creating a visual system that honors the scholarly rigor of PLDI while embedding it with a deep sense of place.”
Kim’s design draws on Dancheong—the ornate, multicolored decorative painting found in traditional Korean architecture—as the basis for the conference’s new color palette of teal, red, and warm orange. These hues, rich with symbolism, represent protection, balance, and harmony—concepts that resonate with both Korean aesthetics and the logical structure of programming languages.
The logotype itself is rooted in the geometric principles of Hangul, the Korean writing system. Its modular, syntactically balanced forms echo the structural logic of code, creating a visual metaphor that bridges linguistic design and computer science. Additionally, subtle references to Myeongjo serif typography bring a sense of crafted refinement, striking a balance between digital precision and analog elegance.
The identity system is designed to be deployed across both print and digital materials—from academic proceedings and signage to web platforms and event programs. Its globally legible yet culturally nuanced approach reflects Kim’s broader interest in systems thinking, narrative design, and the role of visual identity in shaping cross-cultural academic experiences.
“Design should act as a bridge,” she notes. “Between cultures, disciplines, and even ways of thinking.”
PLDI 2025 will be held from June 16–20 at The Westin Josun Seoul. The event will include technical paper presentations, tutorials, workshops, mentoring programs, and keynote talks from some of the leading voices in programming language research. Sponsors include global tech leaders such as Amazon Web Services, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Huawei.
This year’s rebranding effort signals a larger shift in how academic institutions are approaching design—not just as an aesthetic add-on, but as a critical tool for accessibility, engagement, and cultural dialogue.
By integrating local visual language into a global event, PLDI 2025 sets a compelling precedent for how academic conferences can meaningfully reflect their host cities while remaining anchored in their core missions.
“When a conference enters a new cultural space,” Kim reflects, “its visual identity should evolve with it.”
With its thoughtful integration of tradition and innovation, the PLDI 2025 identity exemplifies how design can articulate a deeper narrative—one that honors history, embraces diversity, and fosters connection across disciplines and borders.
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