The Mots Parleurs oratory arts festival, organized by the Communauté de communes Vallée de l’Hérault, celebrates the richness of spoken language, whether in the form of committed speeches, declaimed poetry, storytelling or oratory performances.

Spanning more than a week, the event invites the public to speak out and express themselves through a variety of activities: workshops on oral expression, forum theater, games based on eloquence and improvisation, among others.

In October 2020, the team at CAP – Comunicare al presente, an Italian graphic design festival, invited us to present the “Mots Parleurs” project online.

Expressive typography, lively dialogue

L’identité graphique du festival reflète les valeurs fondamentales de l’événement : la force de la langue parlée et la richesse de l’échange. Pour symboliser cette puissance expressive, le visuel s’inspire des lignes de force d’un mégaphone, donnant naissance à un bloc typographique fort et distinctif.

But the Mots Parleurs festival does not seek to magnify the voice of any one individual—it values dialogue, plurality of voices, and mutual exchange. That is why the visual design is based on the intertwining of two megaphones, representing this dynamic of listening and sharing.

The visual identity, entirely typographic, places words at the center. It transforms letters into graphic forms in their own right, supports of language and vectors of expression.

The medium, an extension of the discourse

A leporello-style leaflet was chosen and redesigned to evoke the historical roots of public speaking. Its format is reminiscent of the scrolls unrolled by messengers in the Middle Ages, thus highlighting the ancient tradition of oral transmission.

The choice of uncoated paper reinforces this reference to the world of books and literature, giving the word a tangible materiality, where the medium becomes a carrier of meaning.

Finally, the use of Pantone colors ensures optimal color consistency across all communication media.