Sandra Polo

Winning this award with ILUNION is an enormous professional and personal satisfaction for me. Beyond recognizing three years of work, it is exciting to see how such a human project—aimed at demonstrating a unique business model through digital design—also stands out internationally. We were inspired by the opportunity to show that the true value of the project lies in the stories of the people behind the various businesses that make up the Group. ILUNION represents a new way of understanding digitalization: not as an end, but as a means to build a world where every person matters. I believe this award reinforces the conviction that by 2025, accessibility and empathy must be part of any digital strategy. Above all, it recognizes the collective effort of the teams that have transformed a social brand into a reference for digital innovation.

The story began three years ago with a clear need: for ILUNION’s web environment to truly reflect its essence—the “union of the social and the business.” It was a challenge to design a coherent, attractive, and fully accessible web ecosystem capable of uniting around 20 different websites under one identity. The result represents something we have been advocating for years: inclusion doesn’t limit creativity; it enhances it. Human beings evolve through challenges, and this one has made us all grow.

I believe the main reason has been the synergy between technology, business competitiveness, and the purpose of the project. In a context where many brands talk about inclusion, ILUNION demonstrates it every day across all its teams. Working side by side with the ILUNION Accessibility development team was a real advantage for us, as accessibility was structurally integrated throughout the project and not just an afterthought. And, of course, the results: a social project that achieves this level of organic growth, interaction, and conversion holds immense merit. It is the clearest proof that when Business, SEO, UX, and CRO strategies are aligned toward the same goal, the results will naturally follow.

One of the greatest challenges was unifying the diversity of the ILUNION group without losing the identity of each line of business. From hotels to industrial laundries, each brand had its own tone and visual language. Additionally, the strategies of the SEO, CRO, and UX teams needed to consider the highly competitive environment of each of ILUNION’s diverse businesses individually. Every micro-decision by these teams needed to be useful, demonstrate business excellence and conversion, and remain consistent with the brand’s DNA. We overcame this by collaborating with each brand within the Group, involving them throughout the entire process. From a design perspective, we created a flexible system that allowed each division's personality to be expressed without breaking overall coherence. From a business perspective, we emphasized the importance of demonstrating business excellence to achieve better results.

This award certainly establishes our team and Publicis Groupe as leaders in projects with significant social impact and digital excellence. We have already noticed increased interest from brands wanting to incorporate accessibility into their strategy, which shows that both the general mindset and the sector are evolving toward a more human vision. For us, it feels like renewed energy to continue innovating and supporting each brand in reaching its goals.

The reaction was incredibly positive. It was experienced as a shared recognition between ILUNION, Nurun, and everyone involved. On social media and within the company, there was a general sense of pride in having demonstrated all the effort behind the project.

The best advice is to clarify the challenge, set your objectives, and approach them with passion. It's not just about designing with aesthetics; it's about working with purpose alongside people and building from there. Empathy and continuous user validation are key to staying aligned with what you aim to achieve. It's also essential not to lose the balance between creativity and business: a project is only successful if it works, moves people, and creates value. And, above all, never forget that in business, behind every piece of data, there is a human story.

We are at a point where creativity needs to reconcile with utility. Technology and the standardization of artificial intelligence tools allow us to go further, but the key is still creating experiences with soul. In the digital world, every element must have a well-designed function, and if we want to be memorable, we need to avoid “digital Baroque,” or we risk diluting the clarity of our messages and our users’ trust. Personally, I am interested in continuing to drive projects where innovation and social impact go hand in hand, and where brands understand that being relevant today means being responsible.

I’d say don’t hesitate. Awards aren’t just for celebrating achievements; they’re also for sharing learnings. Participating forces you to look at your work with perspective, to tell your story, and to recognize the value of what you do. I believe what’s truly important is being part of a large community of highly qualified professionals who help each other transform reality.

That creativity has to return to the essential—to being memorable for people. In a hyperconnected world, the most disruptive thing is designing with empathy, from authenticity and feeling. Innovation begins when we stop staring at screens and start looking at each other.

This award belongs to everyone who was part of the project—from the ILUNION teams, who trusted our strategy, to the designers, developers, strategists, and testers who made it possible. But above all, I dedicate this recognition to the people who prove every day that inclusion is a way of working, not a distant goal. They are the true inspiration behind this achievement.

A demonstration that accessibility does not limit creativity—it multiplies it.

We are moving forward with new projects within the ILUNION web ecosystem, such as redesigning their corporate website and continually optimizing everything we have achieved so far. We have many ideas, and this is not the end—it is a pause to catch our breath and continue improving day by day.