Category
Brand Identity Design, Art Direction, UX/UI Design
Program
Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, and Lightroom
Description
At its core, DODO tackles the challenge of translating a complex global issue—climate change—into an accessible, engaging, and memorable brand experience. Rather than relying on traditional fear-based imagery, I identified species and everyday objects (coffee, coral reefs, crops, flowers, honey bees, birds) that are both threatened by climate change and intimately connected to people’s daily lives. This strategy invites empathy and connection, helping audiences see themselves in the story of environmental impact.
Recognition
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2021 UCDA Design Awards_Silver : DODO (Branding)
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2021 C2A Creative Communication Award Winner in Social responsibility Focus / Social Responsibility : DODO (Branding)
DODO_Do now Do together
DODO is an MFA research project exploring a purpose-driven brand identity and digital experience. The project focuses on communicating the urgency of climate change through familiar, everyday cultural symbols. By combining strategic storytelling, art direction, and scalable visual systems, DODO translates abstract environmental issues into experiences that feel personal, relevant, and actionable.
DODO: Translating Climate Change
into Everyday Brand Experiences
MAIN TARGET
This brand targets people in their 20s and 30s who want to practice sustainability in daily life but lack clear guidance. They are highly engaged with social media, value design and trends, and enjoy sharing their actions with others. To build meaningful relationships, the brand focuses on creating holistic experiences that reflect users’ values and emotions. By offering eco-friendly products made with biodegradable materials, the brand enables users—and their families—to actively participate in environmental movements and share their stories.
SYMBOL OF BRAND
The brand name DODO comes from the tagline “Do now, do together.” The repeated “D” forms the core symbol and visually resembles an hourglass, representing the urgency to act for the environment. A customized “D” was designed as the key visual element, containing an arrow shape that signifies forward movement. Together, the symbol expresses collective action, time sensitivity, and positive change through everyday choices.
COLORS
The brand uses a four-color palette with two primary colors, Foggy Mountain and Infinite Wave, inspired by nature. Infinite Wave represents trust, confidence, and faith, and is used for key brand elements such as the logo and symbol. The remaining muted and unsaturated secondary colors create a calm, relaxed tone and support the main message without overpowering it. This color system is applied consistently across all brand communications, including posters, postcards, and products.
BRAND ELEMENTS
The visual system is inspired by endangered species that are closely connected to human life, such as coral reefs, crops, flowers, honeybees, and birds. From these, three were selected to represent animals, plants, and insects. Rather than distant or abstract imagery, these familiar species highlight how climate change directly threatens everyday life. This approach uses subtle emotional tension to raise awareness and encourage action.
INTERACTIVE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE
The project includes a website and mobile platform where users can purchase customizable brand items featuring DODO symbols. Competitive research was conducted to analyze how other organizations communicate climate issues and to identify design opportunities. The site is organized into four main sections: DO NOW (climate information), DO TOGETHER (brand shop with symbolic storytelling), DO WITH (eco-friendly picnic kit), and WE DO (user photo gallery). Through this structure, the website encourages learning, participation, and community-driven action in everyday life.
Project Scope
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Brand Strategy & Concept Development: Defined a brand narrative that bridges climate science and cultural relevance, shaping both macro messaging and visual tone.
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Visual Identity & Creative Direction: Designed visual symbols reflecting endangered species and environmental impacts, forming a cohesive brand language used across digital and physical media.
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Digital Experience Design: Built an interactive online experience where users can explore educational content and purchase branded items—with each item symbolizing an element of the climate narrative, encouraging both awareness and advocacy.
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Tangible Impact Through Physical Objects: Curated branded items (eco-friendly picnic kits, reusable bottles, bamboo cutlery) that serve as conversation starters and daily reminders of sustainable choices.
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Narrative-First Focus: Framed climate change not as a distant, abstract threat but as something connected to the user’s everyday life.
Design Challenges & Solutions -
Complex Topic Simplified: Rather than generic climate imagery, I crafted a visual language rooted in cultural familiarity to reduce cognitive distance and increase emotional resonance.
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Multichannel Engagement: Developed a brand system that works across web, product packaging, and physical lifestyle goods, reinforcing consistency and deepening user engagement.
