Autodesk University brand atmosphere collage, featuring futuristic architectural structures, contemporary furniture, textured surfaces, and material palette references for the event design concept.

AUTODESK UNIVERSITY LONDON

Autodesk University London is a large-scale event at Tobacco Dock, bringing together Europe’s architecture, engineering, design and technology communities around learning, exchange and industry progression. Conceived for architects, engineers, designers and innovators, the event required an environment capable of supporting content, movement, networking and collaboration at scale.

While at TBA Group London, Yula Vourli led the creative direction and spatial design of Autodesk’s environment, translating the brand’s technology-driven ethos into an immersive, human-centred experience. The concept moved beyond a conventional conference setting, creating a spatial framework that encouraged discovery, interdisciplinary dialogue and active participation.

The environment was designed as a coherent experiential system, aligning brand identity, content strategy, wayfinding, spatial hierarchy and visitor flow. Across the venue, the design supported multiple modes of engagement — from keynote moments and learning sessions to informal exchange, product exploration and community-building.

Invited by Autodesk’s U.S. brand team, Yula also contributed to the development of global brand guidelines, supporting a more inclusive and human-centred narrative across markets. This extended the work beyond the London event, connecting the experience to Autodesk’s broader international brand language.

Client
Autodesk, Inc., San Francisco, California

Agency
TBA Group

Experiential & Spatial Design — Creative Lead
Yula Vourli

Photography
TBA Group, Yula Vourli

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Scope
Creative Direction · Experiential & Spatial Design · Brand Environment Development · Narrative & Visual Systems · Bespoke Structures · FF&E & Object Curation

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https://www.autodesk.com/uk

https://www.tbagrp.com/

London

Autodesk University London event entrance at Tobacco Dock, featuring the historic brick warehouse façade, metal gates, nautical rooftop details, sailing ship references, and clear blue sky.
Autodesk University London reception desk at Tobacco Dock, featuring staff in blue shirts, decorative metallic knots, hanging lamps, air plants, purple lighting, and an industrial event venue setting.
People attending a registration or check-in desk at an event, with some checking in using electronic devices, a large screen displaying event information, and floral decorations in the background.
Air plant displayed in an iridescent geometric glass vessel, featuring curved pale-green leaves set against an abstract blue and white backdrop as part of the Autodesk University event styling.

Forms, colour palettes, lighting and sound were orchestrated to reflect Autodesk’s multifaceted identity and human-centred ethos.

Autodesk University London reception team at Tobacco Dock, with three staff members in blue shirts at a reception desk decorated with white orchids and hanging lights.
Autodesk University London conference session at Tobacco Dock, featuring a speaker on stage, a large presentation screen, seated audience, dimmed event lighting, and historic architecture visible through the windows.
Female speaker presenting at Autodesk University London, wearing a black dress and jewellery against a colourful event backdrop.
David Coulthard speaking at Autodesk University London, with a podium presentation screen introducing him as a Formula One racing driver.

Designed as a platform for exchange, the environment brought together users from architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing and media.

Male speaker presenting at Autodesk University London, wearing a suit, glasses, and headset microphone in front of a bespoke blue organic stage backdrop with curved top framing.
Male speaker presenting at Autodesk University London, wearing a purple shirt and gesturing in front of a large colourful abstract backdrop within the bespoke organic stage setting.
Autodesk University London attendee experiencing virtual reality, wearing a VR headset in front of an Autodesk University branded display with industrial workers imagery.
Student robotics team at Autodesk University London demonstrating a school robotics project created using Autodesk software, with small robots and colourful game pieces on a competition table.
Yula Vourli at Autodesk University London, after winning an interactive robotic football challenge where the robotic installation kicked the ball and scored goals on an artificial grass field.
Robotic installation at Autodesk University London, featuring an orange industrial robotic arm assembling a toy race car inside a transparent enclosure with blue lighting.
Autodesk University London VR demonstration at Tobacco Dock, featuring one attendee using a virtual reality headset while another observes beside an information display.
Autodesk University London networking area at Tobacco Dock, with attendees gathered beneath the venue’s exposed wooden beam roof, glass ceiling panels, branded signage, and event staff in orange uniforms.
Autodesk University London lounge area at Tobacco Dock, featuring grey seating, attendees working on laptops, exhibition booths, branded Autodesk areas, and the venue’s exposed wooden beam roof with skylights.
Autodesk University London outdoor lounge area at Tobacco Dock, featuring guests seated on white sofas and black stools in front of the historic ship structure with tall masts and rigging under a clear blue sky.

Every element was designed as part of a system aligning content, movement and interaction into a coherent whole.

Outdoor entertainment at Autodesk University London, featuring live acoustic guitar and vocals performed for attendees in the Tobacco Dock outdoor event area.
Autodesk University London evening bar at Tobacco Dock, with the reception area transformed for drinks service beneath hanging air plants and lights, with a lively crowd in the background.

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