United Nations

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals promise a more just and sustainable planet for everyone. In 2010, all 193 U.N. member nations agreed to this unique roadmap for a better future. But, for the plan to succeed, we needed everybody to be engaged. To do this, we created a logical communication system and designed a colorful visual language that is now understood and loved across the planet.

We began by giving each of the 17 goals a concise name that makes them easy to talk about and remember. We gave each goal its own colorful icon with bold typography and bright colors to express the determination and optimism of the effort. We also designed the foundational logotype for the initiative—a bright circle made up of the colors of the 17 individual goals to remind us that they all must be solved together.

Next, we made the language of the SDGs resolution more approachable by simplifying the positioning and crafting a powerful manifesto to inspire global action. By linking seemingly disparate issues like climate action, economic growth, and gender equality into an inspiring, actionable vision for the future, the Global Goals manifesto further iterates that there is no hierarchy and every goal is connected when it comes to building a better world.

Nearly every event designed to propagate the Global Goals message uses our design system in some capacity from local events to global conferences. Experiential content has included building projections at the UN building; branded pavilions for the World Economic Forum in Davos and Habitat III in Quito; a fleet of SDG sailboats welcoming Greta Thunberg’s arrival to the UN’s 2019 Climate Action Summit, and is even available for avatars within Pokemon Go. Our branding has also been taken up by grassroots organizers and like-minded advocates everywhere—showing up everywhere from new, sustainable clothing lines to protest signs to classrooms around the world.

The Global Goals brand inspired the launch of The New Division: a communications agency dedicated to civic-minded and sustainable messaging. Based in Stockholm, The New Division seeks to educate and guide companies towards future-positive messages that can be understood by everyone. Learn more at thenewdivision.world.