A face for every emotion: Rabbithole’s identity for LIFI 2024 puts all eyes on the festival-goer

Leeds International Festival of Ideas (LIFI) is renowned as a leading UK centre of ideas and discourse, inviting thinkers, innovators and creatives to express thoughts, explore topics, and exchange ideas, all in the name of encouraging curiosity. Where previous versions of the event’s identity have centred on abstract depictions of the themes and line-ups, from science and technology to culture and society, this year moves the proverbial spotlight to the crowd. Designed by Rabbithole – a Leeds and Glasgow-based studio who have played a pivotal role in shaping LIFI’s evolution over the past four years – this year’s identity captures the spirit of a curious audience and the experience of attending and engaging with the event as a whole. 2024’s look feels familiar, and yet it’s packed with plenty of new elements and surprises. A consistent collaborator on LIFI’s identities, Frankfurt-based 3D artist Joseph Töreki brings his signature show-stopping renders – this time, in the form of an endearing series of faces. “Early on we discussed the idea of shifting the focus from abstract concepts to the attendee and he seemed really into the approach,” explains Creative Director Tim Dee. “We know him to always be very happy to experiment and to keep pushing – we really like this way of working. We made hundreds of faces together ranging from the scary to the absurd, until landing on something we liked.”