Cannes LIONS:

Live Digital Event Platform.

Location

London, UK

Date

2020

Role

UI/UX, Branding & User Testing

About the project.

Lions Live: Creativity Matters was born out of a unique need—to bring the global creative community together in a virtual space for the first time in nearly 70 years. Due to the COVID pandemic, we could no longer host the iconic physical event. Instead, we created a dynamic virtual platform where creatives from around the world could collaborate, learn, and problem-solve during a week-long digital experience. Featuring 40+ hours of masterclasses, expert lectures, and beautifully produced short films, Cannes Lions Live became a space for new thinking and a meeting of the world’s most brilliant minds.

Challenge.

The transition from a physical festival to a digital platform was unprecedented for Cannes Lions. We had just 3 months to design and launch this digital event, and it wasn’t just about moving content online—it was about creating an inclusive, accessible, and future-proof platform. The challenges were multi-faceted:

  • Going digital for the first time wasn’t just a temporary fix. We needed to design a digital experience that could be integrated into future festivals, making the event more inclusive and widely accessible.
 
  • Collaborating remotely: With teams spread across different time zones, we coordinated design, content, and development teams while adapting to a new remote working approach.
 
  • Scaling for high traffic: Since the event was free, we anticipated high traffic and had to ensure the platform could handle a massive influx of visitors while delivering a seamless experience.
 
  • Personalized networking: Users needed the ability to create personal profiles to connect with the world’s largest creative network, fostering collaboration and interaction with industry experts.
 
  • Content diversity: We had to enable live streaming and on-demand access for masterclasses, lectures, and talks across 5 days, offering a flexible schedule for a global audience.

Solution.

After extensive collaboration with various teams and stakeholders, we developed a robust solution for Cannes Lions Live:

  • Created a new website featuring access to the Festival, Awards, Winners Directory, and additional content related to campaigns and creativity.
 
  • Designed an intuitive web navigation system to help users access live and on-demand content from the festival.
 
  • Implemented a 5-day schedule for live events, ensuring seamless transitions between different sessions and talks.
 
  • Displayed speaker profiles with related content, making it easy for users to follow their favourite speakers and topics.
  • Integrated interactive solutions to enhance audience engagement during live events.
 
  • Introduced the LIONS Membership section, showcasing its benefits and building a lasting community connection.
  • Conducted thorough testing to ensure everything was ready before the 90-day deadline.

Digital Platform.

Mobile.

Membership & 1954.

LIONS Membership, a year-round platform created to unite the global creative community through access to inspiration, learning, creative resources, a global directory of talent, and both digital and physical community gatherings.

Imagine what could be achieved if we could connect the greatest Creatives in the world? A community defined by the world’s definitive Creative Benchmark – who all believe that creativity has the power to change the world for better.

1954 connects you to other LIONS-winning peers. leaders and visionaries committed to raising the bar for creative excellent. 

Design System.

Daily Highlights.

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