New York Festivals
Revitalized Brand and Digital Experience
- UX Research
- UX/UI Design
- Branding
- Development
New York Festivals, a premier international award show honoring excellence in advertising, TV, film, and radio, had built a distinguished legacy since its founding in 1957. But in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the brand found itself losing relevance with its core creative audience. Facing increased competition, shifting expectations, and internal bandwidth constraints, the organization needed a modernized digital strategy to reclaim its position as a leader in the global awards space.
- Refresh and differentiate the New York Festivals brand to stand out in a crowded market and re-establish its position among the world’s top-tier creative competitions.
- Redesign the website experience and CMS to simplify internal workflows, reduce time spent on updates, and increase agility—particularly critical for a small team managing high-volume periods around the festival.
- Streamline the entry submission process and create a dynamic platform that inspires creative professionals before, during, and after the awards show.
- Conducted stakeholder interviews to identify bottlenecks, surface pain points, and uncover opportunities to improve efficiency and impact across the platform.
- Re-architected the website for clearer navigation, improved usability, and better support of content needs throughout the festival lifecycle.
- Developed a flexible, scalable CMS using a Python/Django stack that empowered the internal team to independently manage content, streamline workflows, and adapt to evolving business needs.
- Refined the visual identity by merging the brand’s Art Deco roots with a modern design system, creating a distinctive digital presence aligned with the creative industry.
- Designed a mobile-first, content-forward experience that made it easier to discover, share, and celebrate standout work—while supporting the full user journey from entry submission to post-festival recognition.
- Internal workflows became significantly more efficient, giving the NYF team greater autonomy and reducing operational pressure during critical festival moments.
- Translated the complexity of the festival process into a clean, organized user experience that elegantly showcases award-winning work and guides visitors with ease.
- The new platform contributed to a 24% increase in submissions, a 27% drop in bounce rate, and a 48-second increase in average time on page.
- The scalable, open-source tech stack ensured long-term adaptability and helped accommodate major traffic spikes during award announcements and peak campaign periods.
- Broader international reach was achieved, with a steady rise in new country submissions and greater engagement across global creative communities.
New York Festivals’ digital transformation helped position the organization as a more dynamic and inspiring presence in the global awards space—expanding its reach, deepening its relevance, and driving sustained business growth.