Hi Everyone! As you may have seen from the Flock announcement in Fedora magazine, Flock 2026 is returning to Prague! The Design team has started planning for the branding and we want your input. Just like with the wallpaper inspiration, we’re presenting three possible directions, with a brief overview of each and a mood board, for the conference branding. Vote for your favourite below!
Option 1: Lobkowicz family
The 700-year-old Lobkowicz family is one of the oldest Bohemian noble families, whose successive generations have played an influential role in European politics and society, especially as patrons of the arts.
Lobkowicz Collections is one of Europe’s oldest and finest private art collections consisting of decorative arts, arms, musical instruments and manuscripts, a 65,000-volume library, and historic archives.
The family’s art collections and properties were confiscated twice, first in 1939 by the Nazis and again after 1948 by the Communists. The Lobkowiczes were persecuted and forced to flee their homeland. After the Velvet Revolution of 1989, the family returned to then Czechoslovakia and began the restitution process to reclaim, reassemble, and restore their lost cultural heritage, permanently opening these previously hidden treasures to the public, for the first time in history.
House of Lobkowicz oversees five cultural heritage sites which include the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague Castle, Nelahozeves Castle and the adjacent Antonín Dvořák Birth House, Roudnice Castle, and Střekov Castle.
We can take inspiration from the art collection, in particular elements from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo art periods. Styles from these periods can also be seen within the architecture around Prague.
Links
Mood board / Inspiration
Option 2: Colúr as a local / tour guide
Flock is returning to Prague this year, and Colúr actually hasn’t left since last year’s conference. He quite liked the city so he stuck around. Why else would Flock be taking place here again? And he’s confident knows the place better than a local now. In fact, he’d be more than happy to show you around the ‘real’ Prague, not the touristy stuff.
This direction could take shape using a low-fi style, emulating that of a quirky Instragram account or a travel journal owned by Colúr. We could use hand-drawn annotations over designs, like notes jotted down on a map or an insider tip in the corner of the poster. We could also use hand drawn lines, arrows, and circles to highlight key information throughout materials.
This could involve talking with actual Prague locals. There are Czech people on the CLE team and within the community, and we could even get recommendations from people who attended last year about things to do through a survey or form. We can use online guides on Instagram and YouTube by locals, too. I think there’s a lot to play around with and ways to integrate into the actual Flock experience (walking tour, socials, etc.)
Mood board / Inspiration
Option 3: Alchemy
Prague’s history has been linked with alchemy, particularly during the reign of Emperor Rudolf II (1576-1612), who moved the Holy Roman Empire’s capital to the city. Rudolf II was an enthusiastic patron of the arts, sciences, and occult, holding a deep fascination with the search for the Philosopher’s Stone - the substance believed to turn base metals into gold and grant eternal life. Rudolf gave Prague a mystical reputation that persists in part to this day. He provided generous funding and resources, including laboratories built into the castle’s towers, such as the Mihulka Tower, where high-profile figures carried out their intense experiments.
We can use mystical imagery throughout the branding, pulling inspiration from the illustration style in medieval manuscripts and gothic architecture.
Links
Mood board / Inspiration
Vote!
Please review all three options carefully and vote below:
- Lobkowicz family
- Colúr as a local / tour guide
- Alchemy
We will be accepting votes for a week, until 2025-11-18T12:00:00Z. Cast your vote and shape the visual identity for Flock 2026!
- The Design Team
This year’s visual branding will be inspired by Alchemy! Thanks to everyone who took part 