Could you tell us about your work with the Paris Olympics and Paralympics?
My mission was to create a brand from scratch and contribute to making the Paris 2024 Games an original and innovative product. 

My team and I, with the support of W Conran Design [a London-headquartered design agency], designed the entire visual universe of the games.

This ranged from the initial design of our emblems in 2018 to selecting and briefing the photographers we specifically commissioned to create the games’ major images.

Between these two milestones, we designed and developed all the assets and major symbols: the look of the games, the mascots, the sports pictograms, the sports equipment and the uniforms. We also created the advertising visuals and major image and awareness campaigns.

What were your design philosophy, inspirations and approach?
Our philosophy is both very simple and very ambitious: we wanted to make history. We dared to break tradition; we sought to give meaning, to create beauty and to reconcile sport and style.

Our graphic inspiration is a tribute to our city [Paris] and our culture: the Art Deco movement. It reached its peak in the 1920s, when France last hosted the games [in 1924], and it represents everything that drove us: nonconformity, a celebration of simplicity, the rejection of the right angle and the fusion of disparate materials. This artistic movement inspired our choices in shapes, textures, and typography and guided our overall aesthetic vision.

What challenges did you face during the design process and how did you overcome them?
Creation is a subtle process that must be absolutely protected.

Our main challenge was to preserve ambition throughout the journey, to never give in to ease or political correctness and to stay the course—against all odds if necessary.

I must admit that we were fortunate to work [with] full trust [from the organisers] … [our] creative freedom was honoured until the end. 

Can you share some insights into the significance of inclusive design in your work for the Paralympics?
Inclusive design is not reserved for the Paralympic Games. The Olympic Games must also be accessible and open to all.

In the context of the games, inclusive design is more of a mindset, with special attention paid to the execution of certain ideas—contrasts, shadows, shapes and even sounds. This work is done in very close collaboration with each International Federation.

But I would add that inclusivity is also, and perhaps most importantly, about asserting equality of ambition. We wanted the Paralympics to have exactly the same assets—venues, emblems, slogan, pictograms and mascots—as the Olympic Games—and that’s a first [in the history of the games]. Both games had opening ceremonies held outside the stadium in the heart of the city. And finally, [we worked on the brand identity for] a united French team … with a logo redesigned for the occasion.

How did you get involved with Business of Design Week (BODW), and what insights or experiences do you hope to share with the audience there?
The Hong Kong Design Centre contacted me and offered me the opportunity to share my experience at Business of Design Week 2024. I immediately accepted: it’s an honour to come and talk about my work and to carry part of the legacy of the Paris 2024 Games. 

The Olympics and Paralympics are the largest events in the world. Tens of millions of spectators, billions of viewers. Building and managing such a brand was an extraordinary experience that I look forward to sharing at Business of Design Week 2024.

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