This work shows how relevant design can be not only in terms of aesthetics but also in terms of meaning and impact. This is a brand position and visual identity entirely based on the sounds of the earth. It is a living visual identity that reacts, changes, and transforms according to the ecosystem we are representing. This is a unique perspective for a visual identity system that shows that design and science can complement each other.

This is not a product.

The climate crisis is not new news. The climate crisis is no news. However not everyone is entirely convinced of the need to address it. According to Statista, only 41% of global audience say they see climate change as a serious threat, 28 %somewhat serious, and 13% say not a threat at all. People don’t realize how deep in this crisis we really are. And that’s exactly why the planetary Guardians were born: to elevate the science of the planetary boundaries created by Johan Rockströn and 28 other scientists. There are nine boundaries, and humanity has already crossed 6 of them. But we can do this together.

The good news is that the world has done it before. People have come together to identify a problem with the ozone layer. We didn’t ignore the science and hoped it would all be okay. We saw clear trends, changed industries, and reimagined policies. It was one of humanity’s greatest achievements, and a handful of committed people were at the center of it.

Planetary Guardians believe we can do it again.

We can come together across nations, sectors, generations, and cultures, leveraging our differences to find solutions that will not just bend the curve but reinvent it altogether.

Our Planet is an interconnected system, and we need to start responding to the root causes of its issues, not just the symptoms. That is why Johan Rockström and over 28 of the best scientists in the world have created a measurement model called Planetary Boundaries.

This model scientifically identifies nine Planetary Boundaries within which humanity can continue to thrive. Unfortunately, six of them now have been crossed.

However, there’s hope, and this model can guide us, highlighting the potential tipping points and providing solutions for a healthy partnership between people and the Planet.

The Planetary Guardians were created to amplify these boundaries and raise awareness of our current situation. This independent collective elevates science to make the Planetary Boundaries a measurement for the world.

We were challenged to create the brand positioning and visual identity of the brand, which was launched during Climate Week in NYC in 2023.

Earth is fascinating. It’s beautiful, complex, and ever-changing. But some changes have a massive impact on our society, just like they do on our climate.

Research shows that, when it comes to these changes, audiences don’t know who to listen to. So, when creating Planetary Guardians’ brand positioning and visual identity, Bloom brought them the most important voice to listen to – the Earth’s voice.

Going beyond design elements, we established a visual identity powered by the Earth’s “voice.”

Collaborating with Aza Raskin and the Earth Species Project, the design employs machine learning to transform sounds emitted by nature into 3d shapes that become our logo and the entire visual identity system.

Currently, the visual represents the Great Barrier Reef, The Amazon Rainforest, and the Arctic Tern, but this is just the beginning. The brand will keep evolving, just as our planet does.

A single point represents the acoustic structure of a short clip of audio. We get the points by using a machine learning algorithm to take the clip and compress it down to 3 measurements, which correspond to the 3 axes in the animations. The different axes don’t signify any characteristic of the sounds we could perceive, such as pitch; they’re more like combinations of different acoustic characteristics that the model is able to measure.

The creation of point clouds is complex. We took the three recordings, meticulously chopped them into numerous small overlapping clips, and then engaged the machine-learning model to generate the X/Y/Z coordinates for each. We used 0.5 second clips with lots of overlap so it was possible to generate lots of points for each recording.

Because of how the dimensionality reduction works, when we project an audio recording onto three axes, the points naturally form a cloud.

The main goal for our work launching the Planetary Guardians was to help lift the science of the Boundaries. We were tasked with reimagining the system and sparking a cultural shift. This was achieved by providing a visual identity that credibly uses science and storytelling to influence humanity's relation with the planet.

The brand launched at Climate Week. One of the KPIs was to urgently raise awareness of the planetary boundaries and that we have already crossed six of them. This got the attention of many media outlets including articles in Time magazine, The Guardian, and the Independent.

An additional KPI was the facilitation of the partnership with individuals that will act as Guardians. Critical to this success was the development of the brand, and subsequent launch of it during Climate Week. Twelve guardians were confirmed and participated in the unveiling of the organisation at the Virgin Hotel, Times Square.