CNN Style_Identity and design for
a modern digital editorial experience.
CNN Style_Identity and design for a modern digital editorial experience.
CNN Style_Identity and design for a modern digital editorial experience.
(Overview)
(Overview)
(Overview)
CNN Style is a global editorial platform exploring art, design, fashion, architecture, and culture. While part of the wider CNN network, it speaks to a visually literate, culturally curious audience and plays a key role in attracting high-end advertisers.
Despite its editorial ambition, the platform lacked a distinct identity. Visually, it sat too close to CNN’s core brand, and the existing website limited storytelling, engagement, and commercial flexibility. The challenge was to evolve CNN Style into a confident, standalone editorial brand, without losing the authority and trust of its parent.
CNN Style is a global editorial platform exploring art, design, fashion, architecture, and culture. While part of the wider CNN network, it speaks to a visually literate, culturally curious audience and plays a key role in attracting high-end advertisers.
Despite its editorial ambition, the platform lacked a distinct identity. Visually, it sat too close to CNN’s core brand, and the existing website limited storytelling, engagement, and commercial flexibility. The challenge was to evolve CNN Style into a confident, standalone editorial brand, without losing the authority and trust of its parent.
CNN Style is a global editorial platform exploring art, design, fashion, architecture, and culture. While part of the wider CNN network, it speaks to a visually literate, culturally curious audience and plays a key role in attracting high-end advertisers.
Despite its editorial ambition, the platform lacked a distinct identity. Visually, it sat too close to CNN’s core brand, and the existing website limited storytelling, engagement, and commercial flexibility. The challenge was to evolve CNN Style into a confident, standalone editorial brand, without losing the authority and trust of its parent.
Made at
Made at
CNN
CNN
Industry
Industry
Media & Boradcasting
Media & Boradcasting
Services
Services
Art Direction
Brand Assets
Brand Identity
Creative Direction
Custom Typeface
Design System
Website Design
Art Direction
Brand Assets
Brand Identity
Creative Direction
Custom Typeface
Design System
Website Design
Website
Website
cnn.com
cnn.com
(Strategy)
(Strategy)
(Strategy)
The redesign began with a series of workshops to define CNN Style’s editorial voice, audience expectations and commercial goals. Led by Aaron Darveniza within CNN’s wider creative, product and editorial team, the strategy focused on three pillars: visual distinction, editorial flexibility and technical performance.
Content needs were mapped across articles, long reads, video, galleries, and special features, informing the structure of a modular design system. From the outset, brand and commercial requirements were considered together, ensuring the platform could support premium storytelling while creating space for luxury advertisers.
The redesign began with a series of workshops to define CNN Style’s editorial voice, audience expectations and commercial goals. Led by Aaron Darveniza within CNN’s wider creative, product and editorial team, the strategy focused on three pillars: visual distinction, editorial flexibility and technical performance.
Content needs were mapped across articles, long reads, video, galleries, and special features, informing the structure of a modular design system. From the outset, brand and commercial requirements were considered together, ensuring the platform could support premium storytelling while creating space for luxury advertisers.
The redesign began with a series of workshops to define CNN Style’s editorial voice, audience expectations and commercial goals. Led by Aaron Darveniza within CNN’s wider creative, product and editorial team, the strategy focused on three pillars: visual distinction, editorial flexibility and technical performance.
Content needs were mapped across articles, long reads, video, galleries, and special features, informing the structure of a modular design system. From the outset, brand and commercial requirements were considered together, ensuring the platform could support premium storytelling while creating space for luxury advertisers.
(Solution)
(Solution)
(Solution)
At the heart of the new identity is CNN Display, a bespoke typeface developed in collaboration with A2-Type. It gives the brand a bold, modern editorial presence while remaining distinctly CNN.
The visual system uses a restrained black and white foundation, with CNN red used sparingly. This allows photography, artwork and video to lead, giving the platform a gallery-like quality. Modular layouts support a wide range of content, while light and dark themes distinguish editorial and video-led experiences.
The homepage and article templates were restructured to support richer storytelling and greater variety. A new Guest Editors section, illustrated by Kate Copeland, introduced curated content from leading artists and designers, bringing new voices and perspectives into the platform.
The site was rebuilt in React with server-side rendering and AMP, improving performance, responsiveness and SEO while creating a faster, more robust editorial platform.
At the heart of the new identity is CNN Display, a bespoke typeface developed in collaboration with A2-Type. It gives the brand a bold, modern editorial presence while remaining distinctly CNN.
The visual system uses a restrained black and white foundation, with CNN red used sparingly. This allows photography, artwork and video to lead, giving the platform a gallery-like quality. Modular layouts support a wide range of content, while light and dark themes distinguish editorial and video-led experiences.
The homepage and article templates were restructured to support richer storytelling and greater variety. A new Guest Editors section, illustrated by Kate Copeland, introduced curated content from leading artists and designers, bringing new voices and perspectives into the platform.
The site was rebuilt in React with server-side rendering and AMP, improving performance, responsiveness and SEO while creating a faster, more robust editorial platform.
At the heart of the new identity is CNN Display, a bespoke typeface developed in collaboration with A2-Type. It gives the brand a bold, modern editorial presence while remaining distinctly CNN.
The visual system uses a restrained black and white foundation, with CNN red used sparingly. This allows photography, artwork and video to lead, giving the platform a gallery-like quality. Modular layouts support a wide range of content, while light and dark themes distinguish editorial and video-led experiences.
The homepage and article templates were restructured to support richer storytelling and greater variety. A new Guest Editors section, illustrated by Kate Copeland, introduced curated content from leading artists and designers, bringing new voices and perspectives into the platform.
The site was rebuilt in React with server-side rendering and AMP, improving performance, responsiveness and SEO while creating a faster, more robust editorial platform.
(Outcome)
(Outcome)
(Outcome)
CNN Style relaunched with a confident, distinctive identity and a significantly improved digital experience. The platform attracted over 20 new and returning luxury advertisers and won multiple industry awards, including an Eppy for Best Overall Website Design.
Journalists gained more flexible tools for storytelling, audiences experienced a faster and more immersive site, and CNN Style was repositioned as a culturally relevant destination for visual journalism.
CNN Style relaunched with a confident, distinctive identity and a significantly improved digital experience. The platform attracted over 20 new and returning luxury advertisers and won multiple industry awards, including an Eppy for Best Overall Website Design.
Journalists gained more flexible tools for storytelling, audiences experienced a faster and more immersive site, and CNN Style was repositioned as a culturally relevant destination for visual journalism.
CNN Style relaunched with a confident, distinctive identity and a significantly improved digital experience. The platform attracted over 20 new and returning luxury advertisers and won multiple industry awards, including an Eppy for Best Overall Website Design.
Journalists gained more flexible tools for storytelling, audiences experienced a faster and more immersive site, and CNN Style was repositioned as a culturally relevant destination for visual journalism.
(Testimonial)
Aaron led the reimagination of CNN Style, delivering a platform that balanced brand distinction with editorial credibility. He partnered seamlessly across product, tech, editorial and commercial teams to ship a faster, more immersive site that won multiple awards and brought in new luxury advertisers. Rare to find a creative director this fluent in both brand and product.
Matt Brown
Executive Creative Director, CNN
(Testimonial)
Aaron led the reimagination of CNN Style, delivering a platform that balanced brand distinction with editorial credibility. He partnered seamlessly across product, tech, editorial and commercial teams to ship a faster, more immersive site that won multiple awards and brought in new luxury advertisers. Rare to find a creative director this fluent in both brand and product.
Matt Brown
Executive Creative Director, CNN
(Testimonial)
Aaron led the reimagination of CNN Style, delivering a platform that balanced brand distinction with editorial credibility. He partnered seamlessly across product, tech, editorial and commercial teams to ship a faster, more immersive site that won multiple awards and brought in new luxury advertisers. Rare to find a creative director this fluent in both brand and product.
Matt Brown
Executive Creative Director, CNN
(Testimonial)
Aaron led the reimagination of CNN Style, delivering a platform that balanced brand distinction with editorial credibility. He partnered seamlessly across product, tech, editorial and commercial teams to ship a faster, more immersive site that won multiple awards and brought in new luxury advertisers. Rare to find a creative director this fluent in both brand and product.
Matt Brown
Executive Creative Director, CNN
(Credits)
(Credits)
Design
Design
Design
Aaron Darveniza
Alexandre Pavé-Martinot
Esa Matinvesi
Matt Brown
Aaron Darveniza
Alexandre Pavé-Martinot
Esa Matinvesi
Matt Brown
Aaron Darveniza
Alexandre Pavé-Martinot
Esa Matinvesi
Matt Brown
Development
Development
Development
Nav Garcha
Zoltán Lantos
Nav Garcha
Zoltán Lantos
Nav Garcha
Zoltán Lantos
Product
Product
Product
Sara Macnab
Sara Macnab
Sara Macnab
Illustration
Illustration
Illustration
Photography
Photography
Photography
CNN Style
CNN Style
CNN Style
(Awards & Recognition)
(Awards & Recognition)
Browse
Browse
