Branding Fit for Life for UNESCO
Design Scope
Branding for Social Impact
client
UNESCO
year
2023
Objective
As the Brand Designer for UNESCO’s Fit for Life initiative, I collaborated with the UNESCO Sports section to create a cohesive visual identity. The goal was to develop a recognizable system that amplifies Fit for Life’s global mission—advocating for smart investments in sports to enhance education, equality, and well-being. The identity also needed to engage civil society, particularly youth, making them active participants in the initiative.
What I've achieved
- Designed a logo system that embodies Fit for Life’s core values: youth empowerment, health, well-being, collaboration, and equality.
- Developed a comprehensive visual identity, including a flexible color palette, typography, and design elements to establish a strong, adaptable brand presence.
- Created visual identity guidelines to ensure a consistent brand experience across various platforms, from digital to print.
Creative Process
1. Research and Discovery: This project began as a visual identity contest launched by UNESCO. My initial focus was to deeply understand Fit for Life’s mission, particularly how to translate sports, inclusion, and well-being into a strong and recognizable design.
2. Concept Development & Symbolism: My approach was to develop simple yet meaningful visual elements. The symbols in my winning proposal were later refined in collaboration with UNESCO’s sports team, ensuring they effectively conveyed Fit for Life’s values.
3. Color Strategy:
Yellow → Chosen to better reflect youth energy.
Green → Represents diversity, health, and inclusion.
Purple → Symbolizes empowerment.
Orange → Represents sports, community, and vitality.
Black & Off-white → Used for balance and accessibility.
4. Logo & Typography: The final logo balances bold typography with structured symbols, ensuring clarity at any size. The typography was selected to create a youthful yet professional look.
5. Refinement and Finalization: Winning the contest was only the first step—I later collaborated closely with UNESCO’s sports team to enhance the design. Key refinements included:
• Adjusting proportions to create a more sport-oriented aesthetic.
• Replacing blue with yellow to better represent youth engagement.
Results
“This visual identity depicts active, inclusive and equal societies in an innovative way, which is what we want to achieve through the Fit for Life Alliance. We are excited to share our vision and objectives with our existing and future partners.”
Gabriela Ramos
Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO
The Fit for Life visual identity is now a tool used across UNESCO’s networks, including:
✔ Public authorities (ministries, local governments, sports federations).
✔ Sports organizations (NOCs, clubs, media, sponsors).
✔ Educational institutions (schools, universities, youth programs).
✔ International partners (development banks, investors, NGOs).
This project not only created a memorable brand identity but also empowered the initiative with a system that ensures consistent recognition and engagement.
Conclusion
Designing Fit for Life’s visual identity was a deeply rewarding experience. Seeing my work contribute to a global initiative that fosters education, equality, and well-being through sports solidified my belief in the power of design for positive change.
I’m proud to have helped create a brand system that is now used globally—a design that is not just visually strong, but also purpose-driven and impactful.
