Visual Identity for UNSD Goal: Zero Hunger
Industry:
United Nations
Client:
Academic Project (MSU Denver)
Start:
End:
This project was developed for my Identity and Systems course and focused on creating a visual identity for United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger. The challenge was to design a symbol and supporting system that could communicate a complex, global issue in a way that felt thoughtful, adaptable, and meaningful rather than literal or decorative.
The goal was not only to create a logo, but to build a complete identity system—including stationery and brand standards—that could function across a wide range of contexts while clearly representing the mission of ending global hunger.
Problem solving
I approached this project through problem seeking, first exploring how the Zero Hunger mission statement—to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture—could be represented symbolically rather than through direct or literal imagery. I focused on identifying a visual metaphor that acknowledged both the systemic causes of hunger and the collaborative, global effort required to address it.
Using principles of semiotics, I explored how meaning could be communicated through form, structure, and use. I tested different brandmark typologies and symbolic approaches, evaluating how each solution could support a scalable identity system while clearly communicating the mission, rather than functioning as a standalone logo.
Implementation
The final brandmark merges a fountain pen with wheat stalks, expressing the relationship between education and agriculture as interconnected solutions to global hunger. An organic linking form visually unites these ideas, while the varied wheat kernels represent unity—symbolizing how every nation contributes to achieving Zero Hunger.
The fountain pen is shaped through circular subtraction, referencing the globe and pointing to global inequality as a central issue that must be addressed. Semantically, the symbol communicates knowledge, nourishment, and collaboration. Syntactically, the balanced construction and internal relationships between forms create clarity and cohesion. Pragmatically, the simplicity and adaptability of the mark allow it to scale effectively across stationery, printed materials, and digital applications.
Building the identity system from the ground up—through color, typography, composition, and brand standards—reinforced how structure supports consistency and longevity in a visual system.
The final identity demonstrates how clear meaning, thoughtful structure, and purposeful use can shape a successful brand system. Evaluating the design through semantics, syntactics, and pragmatics helped refine both the symbol and its applications, ensuring the identity remained legible, flexible, and impactful across real-world contexts.
This project strengthened my ability to design symbols that communicate layered meaning while remaining functional. It reinforced the importance of systems thinking in identity design and highlighted how strong visual identities grow from clarity, intentional structure, and an understanding of how symbols operate within broader cultural and global contexts.
