TIKTOK AWARDS

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The TikTok Awards was a landmark initiative, bringing together regional markets under a singular, cohesive brand identity while allowing space for local nuances and cultural adaptations. As Design Director, I led the global creative vision, ensuring that every touchpoint, from broadcast visuals to stage design, embodied the energy and impact of TikTok as a platform. This was more than an event; it was a massive, multi-market undertaking that spanned continents, languages, and production ecosystems, requiring precision, adaptability, and a clear design system that could be executed across vastly different markets without losing its core identity.

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From the outset, this was a challenge unlike any other. While TikTok had previously supported award-style activations in select regions, this was the first time the company set out to create a unified awards experience on a global scale. With tight timelines and varying levels of production maturity in different markets, we had to find ways to streamline execution without compromising the brand’s creative excellence. What resulted was an entirely new approach to TikTok’s global events, where each region felt connected to a larger, overarching vision while still embracing the cultural nuances that made them unique.

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The key to success was developing a creative system that was both scalable and flexible. The TikTok Awards needed to feel instantly recognizable across all touchpoints, whether someone was attending the event in Berlin, streaming it in Bangkok, or experiencing it through creator content in São Paulo. We designed a modular creative framework that could be adapted to different production levels, allowing markets with high-budget stage builds to integrate advanced lighting and motion while enabling smaller markets to execute effectively with more streamlined designs.

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Navigating the complexities of a global awards event required a deep understanding of regional talent, vendor capabilities, and platform engagement. Each market had different relationships with creators, advertisers, and audiences, and the awards needed to reflect those dynamics while remaining tied to TikTok’s brand identity. The solution was a global toolkit that established a unified design language while giving regional teams the ability to localize certain aspects, ensuring the experience felt both global and deeply personal.

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The visual identity was built around TikTok’s ability to shape real-time culture, using dynamic gradients, motion-driven typography, and a sense of fluidity that mirrored the way content moves across the platform. We created stage templates, motion toolkits, and adaptable graphics that could be used across regions, ensuring that each event felt visually connected despite the differences in scale, venue, and audience. This meant that whether the awards were held in an arena, a theater, or a hybrid digital space, the TikTok Awards maintained a sense of creative continuity.

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The metallic, reflective 3D icons were designed to be more than visual elements. They embodied the essence of TikTok’s creative ecosystem, where ideas shift, evolve, and take on new life through collaboration. The reflective surfaces captured and refracted light, mirroring the way trends and content gain momentum as creators engage with them. Each icon served as a symbol of transformation, reinforcing that creativity is not a fixed moment but an ongoing process shaped by interaction. The fluidity of the design echoed the dynamic nature of TikTok, where every piece of content is a spark that can ignite global conversations. By integrating this high-shine, ever-changing aesthetic, the awards became a true reflection of the creators they honored, celebrating their ability to redefine culture in real time.

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Production logistics played a crucial role in bringing this vision to life. With events spanning multiple time zones and varying levels of technical support, our team had to coordinate across a network of vendors, designers, and event producers to ensure consistency. In markets with sophisticated event infrastructures like the UK and Japan, we leaned into advanced staging and digital integrations, while in emerging markets, we provided streamlined design systems that could be easily implemented without requiring extensive fabrication. This willingness to adapt and be thoughtful in our development process was key to global success.

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Collaboration was central to the success of the TikTok Awards. Working closely with regional teams, we aligned on everything from stage layouts to nominee graphics, ensuring that every element felt intentional and elevated. The awards were not just about recognizing creators but about celebrating the cultural impact of TikTok itself, and every design decision reinforced that narrative. Whether it was the way nominees were introduced, how user-generated content was integrated into the live shows, or how voting was presented on-screen, every moment was crafted to feel uniquely TikTok.

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One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was the way it transformed TikTok’s approach to large-scale brand activations. By establishing a design system that could be replicated and evolved over time, the awards created a blueprint for future global initiatives, showing that it was possible to execute high-impact, brand-consistent experiences across multiple regions simultaneously. This level of cohesion had never been done before at TikTok, and it set a new standard for how the company approaches storytelling at scale in collaboration with all the different regional touchpoints working in conjunction.

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The TikTok Awards had to feel as dynamic and impactful as the creators they celebrated, which meant designing trophies with an iridescent, light-shifting finish that embodied the ever-evolving nature of digital creativity. Achieving consistency across regions, however, required a complex balancing act between local production capabilities and centralized quality control. Some markets sourced alternative materials to match the effect, while others relied on pre-manufactured awards shipped from our central hub to ensure uniformity. Anticipating supply chain delays, we developed backup plans, pre-produced reserve units, and worked closely with regional teams to navigate import restrictions and ensure every winner held an award that reflected TikTok’s global creative identity. In the end, whether in Seoul, Sydney, or Milan, the shimmering trophy wasn’t just a symbol of achievement but a tangible connection between creators worldwide, reinforcing that their impact transcended borders.

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Each region infused the TikTok Awards with its own unique identity while staying aligned with the global vision. In Vietnam, the event became a dynamic, high-energy spectacle that turned digital engagement into real-world excitement. The scale of participation shattered expectations, with over 42 billion impressions—an astronomical leap from the previous year’s 26 million. The live stream alone brought in 1.4 million unique viewers, a 148 percent increase from 2023, demonstrating the growing demand for creator-driven entertainment. This fervor for the content and creators was something that we tried to distill into the creative identity at every step.

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The event’s interactive elements fueled engagement at every level, from voting to user-generated content, with 15 million total votes cast by 1.5 million participants. Creators and fans alike played an active role in shaping the celebration, leading to more than 1.1 million video posts that collectively amassed 7.2 billion views. Vietnam’s approach to blending audience participation with large-scale production created a festival-like atmosphere that extended beyond the venue and into the digital space, making it one of the most impactful executions of the awards.

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n the UK, the TikTok Awards became a multi-platform success, bridging digital culture with mainstream media through a strategic partnership with Sky. The event generated widespread media coverage, with over 306 published articles, 64 percent of which came from tier-one publications. The Sky deal alone secured a headline package valued at £1.65 million ($2.21 million), further cementing TikTok’s role as a dominant force in the entertainment industry. The event drew an audience of 500 attendees, with approximately half being creators, ensuring a strong representation of TikTok’s most influential voices. Social engagement flourished, with partner media generating over 350 videos that amassed 80 million views, while official media coverage resulted in 210 videos garnering an additional 50 million views. The UK’s execution highlighted TikTok’s ability to integrate creator-driven content with traditional broadcast media, reinforcing its position as a major player in both digital and television landscapes.

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Italy’s event focused on deepening community connections and amplifying creator influence. The awards received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 100 percent positive sentiment recorded in surveys collected from 326 creators. By curating an experience that centered on digital storytelling and live entertainment, Italy’s execution demonstrated how TikTok fosters a deeply engaged community. The event featured a lineup of eight public figures and seven creators, all of whom were secured without additional negotiation costs, underscoring TikTok’s strong relationship with its talent ecosystem. Social media engagement was a driving force, with 108 posts across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook reaching 1.5 million total impressions. The event’s media outreach resulted in 106 earned coverages, 90 percent of which came from tier-one and tier-two outlets, generating an estimated €388,580 in media value.

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Thailand’s TikTok Awards delivered an exceptional level of audience participation and digital engagement, solidifying its position as one of the most interactive executions of the global initiative. The event saw over 10.7 million votes cast by 778,613 unique participants, underscoring the deep connection between Thai users and TikTok’s creator ecosystem. Audience enthusiasm was particularly evident in the record-breaking vote counts, with the highest-voted nominee receiving 3.25 million votes, showcasing the platform’s ability to mobilize communities around talent and cultural moments. Beyond voting, content creation played a pivotal role in driving engagement. Over 91,318 video posts were published in connection with the awards, generating an astounding 255 million video views—a testament to how seamlessly the event integrated with TikTok’s participatory culture. The event’s reach extended beyond the platform through its H5 campaign, which recorded 21.1 million total page views, marking a 978 percent increase compared to the previous year. This explosive growth in user interaction reflected TikTok’s growing influence in Thailand’s entertainment landscape and its ability to translate digital enthusiasm into real-world impact.

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Korea’s TikTok Awards stood out as one of the most polished and high-production events in the global rollout, reflecting the country’s reputation for trendsetting digital culture and entertainment. Held at the Peace Hall, Kyung Hee University, with 4,000 seats, the event capitalized on Korea’s deep connection to entertainment, blending TikTok’s creator-driven culture with the country’s world-class production values. The awards were not just a showcase but a full-fledged live entertainment experience, amplified by the involvement of MBC+ as the official TV partner, ensuring widespread broadcast coverage across MBC Every1 and MBC M cable channels while also streaming live on TikTok. The scale of engagement reflected the meticulous execution and widespread anticipation. The event saw 422,000 total page views, with 329,000 unique viewers tuning into the livestream and a peak concurrent viewership (PCU) of 16,000, drawing audiences from Korea, Japan, the U.S., Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Taiwan. This extensive regional viewership reinforced TikTok’s growing status as a cross-border entertainment hub, where creators and fans connect beyond geographical boundaries.

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Across every region, the TikTok Awards stage design was meticulously crafted to reflect the platform’s dynamic and interactive nature, ensuring that the visual language remained cohesive while allowing for local adaptations. The stages were built with multi-layered LED screens, parametric lighting, and kinetic visuals, mirroring the fast-paced storytelling of TikTok itself. Each setup was designed to be fluid and modular, allowing for seamless transitions between award segments, live performances, and interactive creator moments. From Australia’s grand-scale production, which incorporated panoramic displays and immersive projection mapping, to Vietnam’s high-energy spectacle that wrapped the audience in 360-degree visuals, the awards became an extension of TikTok’s creative ecosystem. Even smaller-scale events, such as those in Italy and Thailand, maintained the signature bold, high-impact stage design, ensuring that no matter the size of the production, the TikTok visual identity remained unmistakable.

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Music was a core pillar of the global activations, reinforcing TikTok’s role as a music discovery engine. The awards featured a diverse mix of established artists, viral breakout stars, and creator-led performances, highlighting the platform’s power to propel talent from bedroom recordings to global stages. In Korea, K-pop sensations took center stage, seamlessly integrating their performances with real-time audience interactions and synchronized TikTok content. In Latin America, the event blended live DJ sets with on-screen viral sound challenges, creating an interactive festival atmosphere. Across every market, the music performances weren’t just entertainment—they were a statement, proving that TikTok isn’t just a platform for music trends, but an incubator for real-world music industry success.

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Working closely with environmental designer Tracy Llewellyn, we developed a scalable stage system that could adapt to the unique spatial, environmental, and budgetary constraints of each region while maintaining a consistent global identity. The goal was to ensure that every TikTok Awards stage, whether a high-production spectacle in Australia or a more intimate venue in Italy, felt immersive, dynamic, and unmistakably TikTok. We designed a modular stage framework that could be reconfigured depending on venue size, production budgets, and audience capacity while still delivering a bold, high-energy experience.

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In markets with larger budgets, such as the United States, Australia, and Korea, we designed multi-tiered stages with dynamic LED backdrops, kinetic lighting rigs, and immersive set extensions that maximized scale and impact. Meanwhile, in regions with tighter budgets or spatial limitations, we adapted the execution using high-efficiency digital backdrops, modular reflective panels, and strategic projection mapping. Tracy’s expertise in environmental design and spatial planning was critical in ensuring that each market could execute an engaging stage setup while keeping production costs and logistical challenges in check. By working with local fabricators and sustainable materials, we minimized excess shipping and waste, allowing each regional execution to feel purpose-built yet globally connected.

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JoJo Siwa’s electrifying performance at the TikTok Awards Australia was one of the night’s most anticipated moments, marking her long-awaited return to the country after four years. The stage was designed to match her signature high-energy aesthetic, featuring a kaleidoscope of vibrant LED visuals, dynamic lighting sequences, and oversized kinetic set pieces that pulsed in sync with the music. The seamless integration of motion graphics and larger-than-life 3D elements amplified the performance, transforming the stage into an extension of her persona—bold, colorful, and undeniably TikTok-ready. Her setlist included a mix of viral anthems and new releases, bridging the gap between nostalgia and the next wave of pop culture trends. The audience, a mix of creators, fans, and industry leaders, erupted as she delivered an electrifying finale, embodying the TikTok ethos of unfiltered self-expression and high-energy entertainment.

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The process of building a cohesive brand experience across multiple markets required constant iteration and refinement. No two regions were the same, which meant that while the core design principles remained consistent, the execution had to be tailored to each market’s needs. In some cases, this meant adjusting motion design to align with broadcast specifications, while in others, it meant modifying stage layouts to fit within local production constraints. This balance of consistency and adaptability was what made the TikTok Awards so impactful.

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At the heart of the TikTok Awards was a celebration of creators—the driving force behind the platform’s cultural influence. Every aspect of the design was meant to highlight their achievements, whether through custom-built nominee graphics, immersive stage visuals, or on-platform integrations that allowed fans to engage with the awards in real-time. The experience extended beyond the physical event, creating a digital-first awards show that felt native to TikTok’s ecosystem.

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One of the standout features of the awards was the way they leveraged TikTok’s unique community dynamics. Rather than just presenting a traditional awards format, we integrated fan participation, live reactions, and creator-led storytelling to make the experience feel interactive. This approach not only drove engagement but also reinforced TikTok’s position as a platform where audiences and creators shape culture together.

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From a design perspective, the awards needed to feel dynamic and celebratory while maintaining TikTok’s distinctive aesthetic. We played with layered gradients, kinetic typography, and bold lighting to create a sense of movement and energy. Each market was given a framework for adapting the visuals to fit their specific needs, ensuring that the awards felt immersive whether they were experienced in person, on a livestream, or through social content.

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A key component of the execution was ensuring that the experience translated seamlessly across different formats. Whether audiences were watching on mobile, desktop, or a large-scale live broadcast, the visuals had to be clear, engaging, and instantly recognizable as TikTok. This required a meticulous approach to motion design, ensuring that transitions, overlays, and animations all aligned with TikTok’s visual storytelling style.

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The TikTok Awards also served as a major moment for brand partnerships, with companies integrating their messaging into the event in ways that felt organic and high-impact. The sponsorship packages were designed to blend seamlessly with the awards' creative identity, ensuring that brand integrations felt additive rather than disruptive. This approach contributed to record-breaking revenue generation, with multiple markets surpassing their commercial targets.

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The event was not just about celebrating the past year’s achievements but about setting the stage for TikTok’s future as a leading entertainment and cultural platform. By positioning the awards as an annual tentpole event, we laid the foundation for future growth, giving TikTok a signature moment that will continue to evolve and expand in the coming years. This project wasn’t just about making something look good—it was about proving that the way TikTok moves through culture can exist beyond the app. That a digital-first brand could take up space, command attention, and reshape what an awards show is supposed to be. By leading the creative execution across so many markets, I didn’t just ensure consistency—I helped push the boundaries of what a creator awards show could look and feel like. The work didn’t just reflect the success of TikTok’s creators; it gave them an even bigger platform to keep evolving, keep influencing, and keep changing the definition of entertainment itself.

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What made the TikTok Awards so impactful was the way they felt simultaneously global and deeply personal. Whether you were in the audience at an event in Bangkok, tuning in from your phone in Mexico City, or engaging with the content through a creator-led recap in Berlin, the experience was designed to feel seamless. This level of cohesion is rare for an event of this scale, and it speaks to the strength of the design system we built.

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Bringing the TikTok Awards to life required a deep understanding of how digital and physical experiences intersect. The event was designed to be as engaging on-platform as it was in real life, ensuring that the reach extended far beyond the physical venues. By integrating real-time voting, livestream engagement, and UGC amplification, we turned the awards into a true celebration of the TikTok community.

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TikTok’s rise has always been about shifting the power of entertainment from studios and networks to the hands of individuals, and this project was a way to cement that shift in the physical world. The TikTok Awards weren’t just a celebration of what creators had done—they were a declaration of what was possible when digital creativity was given the same stage, production value, and fanfare as legacy media. My role as Design Director was about more than crafting a look and feel; it was about ensuring that the environment itself reflected the way creators work—fluid, responsive, and deeply connected to their audiences. We built a visual system that wasn’t static but alive, evolving in real-time with the energy of the events, the movements of the hosts, and the reactions of the fans watching from every corner of the world.

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The creator economy is often spoken about in numbers—views, likes, engagement rates—but what we did here was make its cultural weight undeniable. When a TikTok creator walked onto one of our stages, they weren’t just being recognized within the app; they were stepping into a space that carried the same sense of prestige as any major awards show. Every detail reinforced that shift. The graphic treatments made creator names feel monumental, stage animations reacted to live voting, and in every market, the design adapted to the creators it was spotlighting rather than forcing them into a traditional broadcast mold. By putting them at the center in a way that felt distinctly TikTok, we reinforced that their influence doesn’t stop at the screen—it reshapes the industries that once defined fame.

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TikTok’s DNA is built on constant reinvention, and that had to be true for the way we honored its talent. Instead of creating a rigid template, we developed a system flexible enough to adapt to different regions, talent pools, and audience expectations while still feeling unmistakably unified. A creator in Vietnam needed a different kind of moment than a creator in Italy, and a fan voting from Australia engaged with the awards differently than one tuning in from Korea. We accounted for those nuances, not just in format but in the way the experience unfolded. Whether it was the dynamic stage configurations, the integration of live comments into on-screen graphics, or the way music performances were woven seamlessly into the awards flow, the result was a show that felt immediate, participatory, and entirely in step with the creators it was built for.

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Key Collaborators: Hamilton Tamayo, Ishaan Mishra, Vanessa Rizk, Joy Seet, Michael Hinson, Parris Pierce, Mah Lobo, Lais Salvastro, Eduardo Lyl, Marissa Hammonds, Kim Farell, Dana Viltz, Alainna Schiano, Christie Ramistella, Tracy Llewellyn, Yin Yin Hooi, Sakura Tanaka, Hannah Kavner, Simon Bates, Joshua Duncan, Nina Tan, Henry Kwon, Shoujin Li, Jae Hoon Jung, Stefania Trinchero, Maddie Rowe, Viktoria Adams, Felicity Mdhluli, Thais Miranda, Ana Luisa Marzano, Nicholas Pham, Ekikere Udofia, Yi Chen, Katherine Morin, Aiko Kudo, Daniel Tubies, Lily Hall, Taylor Hill, Haris Ahmed, Ariadna Morales

Tools: Adobe Creative Suite, After Effects, Figma, Cinema 4D, and Sketch.

Deliverables: Immersive installations, branded activations, co-branded workshops, executive speaking engagements, and integrated design narratives.

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