The Brief
The Lifetime Learning Awards is a major annual event celebrating apprentices, employer partners and learning coaches across the UK, now in its thirteenth year and growing in scale and ambition. For 2026 the event moved to Edgbaston Stadium, introduced new award categories and brought together a panel of industry judges from organisations including NHS England, Amazon, Sport England and the CMI. The creative brief was to build a complete event identity that could carry the weight of the occasion across every surface: from the stage backdrop and printed programme through to the social media rollout, awards presentation and on-the-night collateral.
The Solution
The LLA visual identity was built around a bold geometric mark and a deep purple-to-teal gradient that felt premium, celebratory and distinctly modern without leaning on tired awards-night clichés. Every deliverable was designed within the same system, with the programme brochure, stage design, table centrepieces, social assets and live presentation all sharing the same colour language, typography and graphic language, creating a coherent experience from the first social post announcing nominees through to the moment an award was handed over on stage. The identity also had to work across wildly different contexts, from intimate table cards to a full-width stage backdrop.
Developed the full LLA 2026 visual identity from the ground up, including the logomark, colour system, typography hierarchy and graphic elements. The identity needed to feel elevated enough for a black-tie awards evening while remaining warm and people-focused in line with Lifetime's values.
Designed the full stage backdrop and environmental graphics for Edgbaston Stadium, including the main stage screen artwork, branding panels and physical event dressing. The stage design needed to read clearly at scale under event lighting while remaining photogenic for press and social coverage.
Designed and produced the full event programme covering all eight award categories and over 60 nominee and judge profiles, with every page laid out to the same grid and typographic system for a polished, consistent read.
Led the visual design of the full pre-event social campaign, including the judge announcement rollout, nominee reveal assets, countdown graphics and event day content. Each asset was templated for consistency across Instagram, LinkedIn and internal channels, allowing the wider team to produce content at speed without breaking the visual system.
Designed the live awards presentation deck used throughout the evening, including category intros, winner reveals and on-screen nominee profiles. Between awards segments, the screen held a series of animated liquid gradient visuals that kept the space feeling alive and atmospheric during transitions and breaks, maintaining the energy of the room without distracting from the occasion. The full suite of on-the-night print materials was also produced, covering menus, table numbers, centrepieces and supporting signage, all consistent with the event identity.
A complete event identity from the first social post to the final award handed over on stage, every touchpoint part of the same considered system.
Creative Direction, Lifetime Learning Awards 2026