City of Melbourne
Now or Never



Strategy
Identity Design
Digital
Copywriting 

In partnership with the City of Melbourne, the naming and brand identity for Now or Never was developed as a flagship festival spanning art, ideas, sound and technology. Conceived as a future-facing creative platform, the identity needed to operate with flexibility across multiple years, formats and touchpoints. The name itself captures a sense of urgency and possibility, reframing the promise of never-before-seen ideas into never-to-be-felt-again experiences. 
        At the core of the visual language is a creative intention to capture the spirit of the city through bokeh, translating Naarm’s energy into an abstract field of motion and convergence. The resultant gradient system evokes the atmosphere of a fast-paced environment where moments blur and collide. Designed to scale seamlessly from large-format environments to digital interfaces, the identity establishes a bold, adaptive framework that reflects the festival’s ambition to position the city at the forefront of global contemporary culture. 
        Originally developed at Semi Permanent under the Creative Direction of Mitchell Oakley Smith. 











































©2026 Manuscript