Shark Conservation Fund Branding for endangered species

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation was established in 1998 with the intention of protecting the world’s last wild places. Having worked with Superfried on numerous design projects – World Oceans Day . LEAF . Don't Let Them Disappear . Elephants . QRFN – they appointed graphic design agency Superfried once again to develop the brand identity for a global conservation partnership set up to protect sharks and rays.

The client requested that if possible the brand identity should simultaneously represent both species and their natural habitats since they would be aiming to protect all three. With this in mind, the initial design strategy was to conduct some research looking for similarities in the form of rays and sharks. Likewise to convey their habitat, waves and their fins were conveniently close in shape.

Initial design iterations were tested with a viewpoint from above and in profile. The latter route was a stronger creative direction since even at the smallest scale it was clear that the organisation was protecting sea life.

The similarities in form meant it was possible to convey all three within a single marque. Use of negative space revealed the ray residing within the outline of the shark. Use of a lighter path weight created the distinct presence of waves which simultaneously formed the sea creatures. After further design iterations, it was felt that the ray tended to disappear when close to the shark. To resolve this an alternative illustration style was employed, with the shark being switched from outline to block colour to create a greater distinction between the species.

With the final creative solution selected, mock-ups – visuals shown – were developed to ensure the new marque was sufficiently versatile to work across all media and scenarios. To create a stronger presence for video and social media content, an animated logo ident was designed and developed.

Shark Conservation Fund