Fish stocks have decreased by 87% since data collection began. If we continue like this, our seas will be empty by 2048. The NGO The Black Fish wants to prevent this scenario. It trains volunteers to identify and document illegal fishing and overfishing. They needed a new name (as The Black Fish was misleading) and a new corporate identity. The guiding question for us was: How can design best support the NGO in its mission?

For us it was clear from the beginning: Such a new identity should not only be well-designed and emotional, but the CI itself must be a contribution to fish protection. Our idea: We turn the new logo into a campaign. The logo shows a swarm of 30 fish, one for each year from 2018 to 2048. Since the recognition of The Black Fish as an NGO, 3 fish have already disappeared from the logo. Each year one fish will follow – unless the data improves. This makes the logo a living infographic about the world fish stock. It is simultaneously a warning and a hope providing a permanent medium of communication.

The development of the logo is based on extensive analysis of various databases, e.g. of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea which publishes annual maximum catches per sea. From this data, it is assumed that the seas will be empty in 2048. The new logo was launched at a press conference in December 2018. The countdown to the logo's resolution in 2048 was also started here. From now on there will be annual press conferences to discuss the development.

Additionally, the logo becomes a living infographic on a specially designed microsite. Here, extensive data from the tracking institution, which influence the logo development, are presented in detail – visually accentuated by an adapting shoal of fish. How many tons of sardines are expected to be left in 2032? Which oceans are as good as empty? The microsite also links the ongoing countdown to a call-to-action for donations.

Through the idea of the disappearing logo we have created more than just a corporate design. The logo itself has become the biggest supporter of the NGO. It draws attention, is the central information tool about the state of fish stocks. By not only losing fish, but also adding fish when the numbers improve, it is both a warning and a hope. Thus the logo becomes a permanent cause for communication about the state of the oceans.

Parallel to the logo, a naming process was initiated, and the name FishAct was born. The name turns all members into "FishActivists", calls to action and designates one of the most important goals of the organization, namely to influence the legislation.