UNDERSTOREY: RESTORING PLANETARY HEALTH
We’re running out of time to change the course of irreversible ecological loss. Understorey is an impact investment company investing in critical solutions by visionaries tackling the climate and nature crises with transformative ideas and technologies, guiding humanity towards a net positive impact on nature.
Understorey believes in nurturing the transformational narratives that will inspire the next generation to grow a better, more hopeful future. It seeks to help restore planetary health and support a regenerative society that’s just, inclusive, and conscious of all living things. MEK was engaged to build a brand from the ground up to support this vision, leading with impact-led strategy.
SCOPE OF WORK: STRATEGY
Vision & Mission
Brand Positioning
Brand Values
Brand Purpose
Brand Messaging
Brand Idea
Brand Story
Vision & Mission
Brand Positioning
Brand Values
Brand Purpose
Brand Messaging
Brand Idea
Brand Story
SCOPE OF WORK: IDENTITY
Verbal Identity
Brand Identity
Visual Language
Design System
Copywriting
Brand Guidelines
Verbal Identity
Brand Identity
Visual Language
Design System
Copywriting
Brand Guidelines
UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
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Through the strategy stage the core brand idea emerged: micro/nature and macro/climate. For micro/nature we focused on anthocyanins—the red, blue and purple pigments found in forest understorey plants that help increase photosynthetic effiency. For macro/climate we focused on Earth’s five major subsystems: atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. When these spheres all interact with each other, they form the global climate system.
The brand idea became the foundation for Understorey’s visual and verbal identity. The brand mark references the elemental symbol for earth (micro/nature), NASA’s solar system symbol for Earth (macro/climate), and denotes the area of the understorey in the forest. We created a visual language that heroes the interconnected relationship between nature and climate. The colour and icon systems are derived from the symbiosis of understorey anthocyanins and earth subsytems.
The identity positions Understorey as a leader in impact investment addressing the duality of the nature and climate crises. It supports the company’s investment values and service sectors in biosphere, food systems, circular economy, environmental data and finance, and sustainable cities.
The identity intentionally avoids trends and common cues in the nature and sustainability sectors and the finance and investment sectors, in order to differentiate and create a strong, memorable brand presence. It exudes a quiet confidence that instills trust and speaks to the possibilities of its vision, while conveying its personality, tone of voice, and underdog spirit. Because Understorey is a B2B company, it's important its identity doesn't overpower or detract from its partners’ identities, but also stands on its own.
The brand disrupts the impact investment category with a unique, impactful identity synonymous with innovation yet uncommon in the B2B nature and climate space. It conveys a hopeful future with a compelling narrative that supports Understorey’s motivation of unlocking abundance and prosperity for people and the planet by using science and systems design inspired by nature.
WWF AUSTRALIA: CONSERVING ENDANGERED BIODIVERSITY
World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) works in the field of wilderness preservation and reduction of human impact on the environment. Each year, the organisation faces the significant task of raising awareness of the world’s most endangered species and communicating their plight to a growing audience of people who preference the cutest and cuddliest animals.
SCOPE OF WORK
Campaign Design
Campaign Development
Digital Design
Print Design
Campaign Design
Campaign Development
Digital Design
Print Design
UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Animalia
Harrison Warne
Animalia
Harrison Warne
Tasked with this challenge, we created a campaign to raise awareness of some of the most endangered animals in Australia. We designed a series of posters, postcards and an interactive mobile site. The designs feature a graphic representation of a physical characteristic unique to each animal, with information about their home, threats, numbers and status.
Because people tend to preference animals by their appearance, the campaign focuses on their unique colours and patterns to draw attention and raise awareness, calling for public donations to help preserve them.
The result is a bold and impactful design that stands out against the urban landscape of street posters and celebrates the uniqueness of each animal.
This campaign has successfully raised awareness of the endangered animals, particularly the Southern Corroboree frog whose numbers significantly declined after the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires.
REVIVAL PROJECTS: REVOLUTIONISING SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICES
Revival Projects is a multidisciplinary building practice revolutionising the handling of existing materials destined for landfill by the building and construction industries. Faced with its next stage of evolution, the company needed to clearly communicate its impact, purpose, and what it does as team of activists.
SCOPE OF WORK
Website Strategy
Web Design
Digital Design
Website Strategy
Web Design
Digital Design
UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Tom Graham
Tom Graham
MEK worked closely with Revival to strategise, develop and design a comprehensive website and digital collateral to support its mission and communicate its purpose. We immersed ourselves in the company’s ethos to gain a better understanding of the impact it wanted to make, and created a unique narrative that visually transformed Revival from a building and construction company to a world-leading changemaker in sustainable production.
Through our close collaboration, we focused on amplifying the Revival’s activist roots in order to stand out from the sea of sameness in its industry; communicating its message with clarity, boldness and confidence, embracing its uniqueness, and focusing on the change it’s making in the world.
The result is a strategic, impactful design outcome that transforms the company’s activism and mission; using innovative, unconventional design that boldly communicates Revival’s vision and groundbreaking impact in its industry and the world.
EXPLORE THE REVIVAL WEBSITE
“I can’t imagine a better design team than MEK for a purpose-driven brand. MEK invested in establishing a genuine knowledge of what we wanted to change in the world and how we’re able to do it; to the extent that I would describe them as ambassadors of our cause.
The work that MEK produces for us is consistently effective and has elevated our communications and the presentation of our brand, fit for a global audience. We cherish our partnership with MEK and couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible work they deliver in the name of our mission.”
ROBBIE NEVILLE, FOUNDER
THE GREEN DOT: SYMBOLISING A GREENER PLANET
In use by 130,000 companies and appearing on 460 billion packages each year, the Green Dot is the financing symbol for the organisation of recovery, sorting and recycling of sales packaging in Europe. The Green Dot packaging means a financial contribution has been made to a qualified national packaging recovery organisation, but it does not mean recycle, recycled or recyclable.
The Green Dot symbol adopts the same motif as the recycling symbol, and due to this, has lead to confusion and widespread recycling contamination. MEK was invited by climate initiative TwoºCreative to redesign it.
SCOPE OF WORK
Brand Identity Design
Digital Design
Packaging
Brand Identity Design
Digital Design
Packaging
UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Our design incorporates a green circle representing Earth and a white circle mapping Europe where the symbol is mostly used. The symbol is quick and easy for people to understand as a shorthand icon while being scalable and adaptable across a range of materials from outdoor advertising to packaging.
Shopping bags from a supermarket in Naarm/Melbourne, incorrectly using the Green Dot logo to signify the bags as being recyclable.
The boldness of the symbol is designed to attract attention and encourage conversation. Its simplicity builds recognition, facilitating informed purchasing decisions that contribute to change.
The Green Dot redesign demonstrates the power of transformative design in truth and storytelling; conversely highlighting the damaging, negative impact of design when used carelessly without strategy or consideration.
