EFWE25

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Group Project:

Cameron Mathie
Holly Davies
Patrick Barret

When designing the visual identity for the Environmental Futures World Expo 2025 (EFWE25), the goal was to break the mould.

Traditional sustainability conferences often inadvertently exclude young people through dry, corporate design. Recognising that youth are the ultimate stakeholders of our planet’s future, this project sought to invigorate Gen-Z and spark a new wave of environmental sustainability.

The Concept: Punk, Pop, and Eco-Activism

Research revealed a troubling sentiment: a large proportion of young people feel powerless and incapable of effecting change against today's monumental environmental crises. Furthermore, contemporary eco-activist groups often lack the stylistic charisma needed to capture the youth's imagination.

To combat this, we drew inspiration from the relentless vigour of the 1970s environmental movement, fused with the energetic, pop-punk aesthetics of the 1980s. The result is an identity that is bold, proud, and completely unashamed of its love for the environment. The colour palette is loud and vibrant, offering high-contrast combinations that hark back to retro positivity while refusing to be timid in the face of ecological disaster.

The visual foundation relies on a single typeface: Antipoda Variable. This font offers an old-school, nostalgic feel whilst remaining unequivocally modern. It is agile enough to create a loud, striking logo mark, yet lightweight enough for dynamic headers.

Additionally, numbers throughout the design are modulated randomly so that no two are the same, symbolising the unpredictable, constantly evolving nature of the climate crisis.

To visually merge the past and the future, the image treatment follows strict yet adaptable guidelines. A monotone half-tone effect references the grassroots activist leaflets and propaganda magazines of the 70s and 80s. This is overlaid with a dynamic spin blur symbolising the cutting-edge, fast-paced technology of the 21st century.

A central visual metaphor in the identity is liquid mercury. Highly toxic, it mirrors the massive pollution spewed into our environment. As a crucial element in traditional thermometers, it serves as a direct metaphor for the rising temperatures of global warming.

This liquid metal motif manifests in visual models of climate crises (such as forest fires) and heavily influences the typography on the expo map. The map itself is designed as a loud, pop-punk souvenir poster - reminiscent of taking home a gig poster from a music event. Featuring half-tone aesthetic, mercury trees, and distorted text, the poster juxtaposes our poisoned objects with the real world, serving as a lasting warning and ensuring attendees keep thinking about EFWE25 long after the event concludes.

Messaging & The Call to Action

The messaging strategy directly confronts climate denial and horrendous environmental statistics to create a sense of urgency. Key facts featured in the campaign’s typography include:

‘Coca-Cola is the world’s largest plastic polluter.’

‘Oil Kills.’

‘When petrol burns, acid rain falls.’

‘Unilever is one of the largest consumers of palm oil; they buy 3 million metric tons each year.’

These stark realities are paired with unique ‘mercury pictograms’ and deliberately juxtaposed with rhetoric from climate deniers, such as:

‘The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.’ – Donald Trump, 2014

Confronted with these realities, the identity addresses the viewer directly with a provocative, uncompromising Call to Action: ‘WHAT WILL YOU DO?’. It is a direct challenge designed to break through the apathy, make the audience feel the weight of remaining silent, and inspire them to actively join the movement.