Skills for Planet

Design Council

Identity, report and exhibition design

Brand identity, social graphics

We were absolutely delighted when the Design Council asked us to create the identity, blueprint and exhibition concept and artwork for the launch of their Skills for Planet mission. Skills for Planet is a movement to equip 1 million designers with the green design skills needed to shape a regenerative future by 2030. That's right up our street!

To meet this challenge, we needed to craft a visual identity that did more than communicate – it had to inspire action and lead by example.

There is so much meaning packed into the Skills for Planet identity. The logo reflects collective action and urgency. The gap at ‘one minute to midnight’ signals how little time we have to act. And the accompanying graphics highlight key skill areas for designers, signifying the adaptability needed to meet global challenges.

We designed all the assets with a bold, campaigning feel, encouraging the design community to be part of a movement, make the change... be 'one of the million’.

We also considered environmental impact at each point. That's everything from colour and typography to digital file sizes and production materials, as well as re-use of the exhibition designs built in from the off. Through this, we made sure that we were reflecting the brand values and minimising the impact of design and production.

The Blueprint Report made up a large part of this project. This landmark resource is designed to provide the shared language, practical steps, and mindset shift needed to make regenerative design the default, not the exception. Our job was to apply the newly created brand to this, and make sure that we were presenting everything in a way that could be easily understood.

The Green Mindset Diagram is at the heart of all of this. Building on the exiting Design Council language of the 'Double Diamond', this visual represents the six key areas in which designers need to develop their skills and ultimately recognising that design must benefit both people and planet.

The Skills for Plant Blueprint was unveiled at the London Design Biennale. An interactive exhibit invited visitors to explore the key green design skills and reflect on their own motivations for shaping a better future. Thought-provoking messages from design leaders like William McDonough, Ellen MacArthur and Sasha Costanza-Chock encouraged visitors to reflect on their own motivations for designing for planet and to pledge themselves as #I’mOneOfTheMillion.

We really embraced the green challenge presented by the exhibition design. We used the space to showcase the alternative and more sustainable materials that are available to us as designers, even with a modest budget. PVC vinyl was rejected in favour of the PVC-free eco-vinyl, and panels were produced using reboard and water-based paint from the Little Greene Company. We used local suppliers to minimise travel and the exhibition boards are detachable, meaning they can be used at future Design Council events.

Creative Concern.

Creative Concern.

Skills for Planet

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