DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE

With a name like Defenders of Wildlife, I saw the opportunity to give them a voice that was strong and assertive. Our planet needs us more than ever, and reaching contemporary audiences to push forward wildlife conservation is crucial to making lasting change.

I simplified the original logo to create a strong first impression that felt reliable and confident. The new logo, GAIA, represents the unity of humanity and wildlife. Each piece of GAIA represents a different facet of nature. If the environment (the tree) is protected by people (the house), then wildlife (the wolves) can thrive.

The colors of Defenders of Wildlife are inspired by natural elements: each one crucial to the world's ecosystem. The striking contrast evokes the moody and intense tone I wanted them to exhibit.

I wanted to refresh Defenders of Wildlife by developing a system with bright, striking colors and assertive tone of voice. This would set them apart from other conservation organizations that are more reserved in branding.

Exploring photography helped me develop the tone of Defenders of Wildlife: something moody and intense. Sunlight was a large factor in these photos, so I wanted to use it as a basis of my color palette as well.

Defenders of Wildlife started as an organization to protect wild wolves in the United States. I wanted to keep this in mind as I developed my logo. Instead of eliminating the wolf, I expanded upon a representative symbol and gave it further meaning while still representing the organization's history.

I wanted to emphasize the scope of extinction through transforming spaces in high-traffic areas. Extinct animals would come to life again in advertising such as Times Square or have harrowing messages about the impermanence of life.

It's hard for the average person to know what exactly their donations are going to. Inspired by sites like Arab.org and FreeRice, I developed a mobile app to show a database of Defenders of Wildlife's active efforts for change as well as a place to directly donate and support specific causes.

For their office buildings, I added an interactive experience where visitors and employees can see their actions directly influencing change. Office spaces would be transformed into greener spaces to the benefit of both the environment and those that work there.

Defenders of Wildlife works regularly in the field to create change, so it was necessary to create uniforms. These would also be worn to events such as pop-ups.

I developed a simple graphic language that could be applied to their vehicles. Wildlife would be represented in monochrome and layered to represent the ecosystem's unity.

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO
Gerardo Herrera / Elliana Lee