When you’re genuinely proud of the work you create — not just the output, but the collaboration, the purpose, and the people behind it — stepping up to host, design, and organize the Havas Pride 2020 initiative felt not only natural, but deeply meaningful. In a year defined by uncertainty and isolation, our creative community needed something unifying, something grounding, something that reaffirmed who we are and what we stand for.

With the onset of COVID-19, the entire world shifted overnight. Anyone who wasn’t an essential worker found themselves confined at home, navigating a new emotional and physical reality. Work, family, routine, connection — everything paused. And when the announcement came that NYC Pride, one of the largest and most anticipated celebrations of the year, had been officially cancelled by public health agencies, the loss reverberated across the entire LGBTQIA+ community. This wasn’t just an event; it was a yearly rite of joy, protest, remembrance, and collective affirmation. Losing that moment meant losing a space where many of us feel most seen.

As part of the HXC 2020 Pride Committee, I took on the responsibility of creating and leading the overall visual direction for our internal celebration. The design system needed to be both uplifting and adaptable, something that could translate across digital spaces when physical gathering was no longer possible. I developed a cohesive look-and-feel that established the foundation for all Pride-related assets — from Instagram filters and social frames to shareable graphics and committee templates. This system became the backbone that empowered other committee members to build the materials they needed with confidence and consistency.

In a moment when Pride could no longer take place in the streets, we brought it into our screens, our homes, and our internal culture. The initiative became a testament to creative resilience, community leadership, and the power of design to hold space when the world cannot.