The art direction for this year 's festival focuses on the emotional experience of the attendees, with metallic, abstract 3D faces (sometimes dancing) conveying reactions such as surprise, curiosity, and delight.  Leeds International Festival of Ideas (LIFI) https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/ is an annual event that brings together leading thinkers, innovators, and creatives to explore some of the most pressing issues of our time. Covering topics across science, technology, culture, and society, the festival is a platform for exchanging ideas, fostering dialogue, and encouraging curiosity. Hosted in Leeds every autumn, it attracts national and international audiences.     Notable figures on the LIFI24 programme included Nile Rodgers and BEKA discussing creativity, journalist Kate Adie and Stacey Dooley on conflict reporting, and Tim Spector on gut health. Other topics included neurodiversity, addiction, AI, and the UK care system. The festival offered lively debates and insightful discussions from speakers like Rylan, Matt Willis, Carol Vorderman, and Christine McGuinness. Leeds and Glasgow-based design studio Rabbithole has played a pivotal role in shaping LIFI 's evolution over the past four years, assisting its transformation from a multi-arts festival into a ideas festival focused on debate and inspiring new perspectives. Rabbithole creates fresh art direction for the festival each year, built on a consistent and recognisable brand identity. "Over the past few years, LIFI has built a highly engaged audience, " says Creative Director Tim Dee. "Watching this audience grow has been fantastic—the energy at the events can be electric. We 've had people aged 8 to 80 in one room, listening, sharing, and debating emerging ideas. Seeing the audience engage in healthy, dynamic conversations is incredibly satisfying and something worth celebrating. " Creating the visuals was more challenging than Rabbithole anticipated. With sensitive topics like How do we talk about addiction? the team had to be mindful of how facial representations might influence viewers ' perceptions of the subject matter."We created a wide range of variations, testing them against the subject matter to strike a balance between distinctiveness and appropriateness," Designer Claren Tran explains. "Some felt too childish, others too intense. "The final artwork finds the balance and captures the spirit of a curious audience seeking to explore new perspectives and participate in open, honest, and courageous conversations. "This year 's artwork has struck a chord with our audience, and we've seen increased engagement across all events, " says Martin Dickson, Festival Director. "Ticket sales for 2024 have been exceptionally strong, with all events selling out in advance. Unprecedented demand for events such as We 're all neurodiverse, aren 't we?, featuring Christine McGuinness, Ellie Middleton, Dr Alice Siberry, Doddz, and Tumi Sotire, have required venue changes to increase capacity. " As participants gather to engage in this year 's conversations, the festival reaffirms its role as a vital platform for dialogue and discovery, inviting everyone to join in the celebration of curiosity, creativity, and community.