The IUCN, based in Geneva Switzerland, is the world’s largest environmental organisation — it has 1,200 government and NGO members and 11,000 experts in 160 countries around the world. We wanted IUCN’s identity to reflect its stature and authority – and to make the organisation look unapologetically modern and professional. Funding from governments and multinationals is critical.

The grid of dots represents IUCN’s global network of experts and how the organisation can link them together to create informed decisions. The dots also represent the interconnectedness of life. The images are either from very high up or from very close – to communicate the scale and the detail with which IUCN works.

In addition, we introduced IUCN to a phrase that, after the environmental degradation of the 20th Century, would sum up their contribution to the planet going into the new millennium: A more responsible century.

The IUCN produces annually more than 100 books and journals out of their London publishing house. This design provides the organization with a coherent and democratic look and feel.

You know how motivating it is when you’re on a mission. Everyone needs that – they thrive when they’re doing something that they believe in. All companies need to make money, but what else about your company matters? Do you know? Do you have a sense of it, but can’t put your finger on it? Or have you lost your way, hoping to stumble back onto the road?

If a product is what you do, then a brand is who you are. A brand should make a business identifiable, memorable and, above all, meaningful in someone’s life.

The work above is an example of a company that owns a Big-Hairy-Ambitious-Goal (BHAG,) a purpose-driven Big Idea that will make you stand out, humanize your business and give meaning to all stakeholders. Tiger Airlines have grown their market share by some remarkable numbers. The business (named after the regional ‘tiger economy’ phenomenon in South East Asia) is driven by three interdependent marketing components:

1. Building a name and organisation that truly makes a difference in the marketplace.
2. Become a leader of great environmental purpose; and
3. Invest in bringing our goal to life so that our constituents know exactly what we stand for.

What makes one company thrive while others languish in mediocrity? There’s no doubt hard work is involved, but owning a BHAG / Big Idea shows companies and organisations can exude a genuine and truly distinctive sense of purpose. The effect? The brand will neutralise the competition, click with customers, inspire and guide employees, and reshape the sense of what’s possible in the marketplace.

The National Endowment for the Arts created an online platform to allow ordinary people to participate in the arts. ‘Art Works’ allows them to experience the power of their imaginations, develop their artistic skills and even share their enthusiasm. ‘Seeing Art in Everything’ is the campaign that BHAG Design developed for the platform. We developed the strategy, the naming, and the logo that practices what it preaches – seeing art in what at first seems to be a random collection of shapes.

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