SWEDESD

SWEDESD Logotype

In the designer's own words

The logo contains many different interpretive elements: shapes, symbols, motifs, and colours and below Nina gives her own story of the logo.

"My design was first sketched by hand. I wanted a human touch to be represented in the final design, hence if you look closely the edges are a bit wobbly and the thickness of the strokes is not uniform – I wanted the logo to speak against ‘hardness’ - of life, politics, business, money and power, and of industrial design."

The open circle

The circle evokes the shape of the biosphere and references the cellular and atomic scale. The circle represents holism, but its openness suggests both fragility and interaction. It invites your entrance while at the same time elements contained in the circle reach out – it is a two-way conversation.

The text around the circle corresponds to the part of the biosphere that we inhabit – the atmosphere – our sphere of operation and influence.

The curved line within the circle is the “S” of SWEDESD but it also evokes the Taoist emblem of the ying and yang, representing complementary opposites within a greater whole; the harmonic flux of competing forces constantly in interaction, never existing in absolute stasis.

The plant

The plant or frond motif is a central element to the design – three sets of leaves/ribbons are connected to a central winding stem. This is a stylistic reference to the plant kingdom and natural environment. It connotes an organic vitality, the role of plants in converting energy from the sun and our role as stewards. It also represents the need to nurture for growth.

The plant  comprises a number of symbolic elements in its construction.

Three leaves

The leaves or “ribbons” symbolise the multiple dimensions of sustainability. There are many different ways to conceptualise sustainability but one popular way is to think of it as being applied in the 3 domains of environment, society and economy. Thus, the largest of the three ribbons represents the environment (see also colour interpretations below). The three leaves allude to the shape of a pyramid, narrow at the apex broad at the base; the environment signifier is at the base. It represents the ‘bottom line’ – the ecological imperative of ‘finiteness’ – all of human society relies on a viable environment. The ribbons can also be interpreted in at least two ways, either as an infinity symbol or as the “lazy eight” that is used as a shorthand diagram for the feedback loops often associated with the concept of ‘resilience’.

The infinity symbol was first used in the 17th Century but the concept of infinity has its roots both in ancient India and Greece. Unsurprisingly it has a multitude of meanings in different branches of mathematics, in cosmology, in physics, in computing and in the arts. For you and me, however, infinity is generally interpreted to mean ‘forever’, something that goes on and never stops, a limitless space. This has a resonance with the idea of sustainability.

The “lazy eight” is a device to portray how complex systems like societies, economies and ecosystems go through different phases of never ending cycles of growth, accumulation, collapse and renewal. Over time virtually all complex systems tend to pass, repeatedly, through these adaptive cycles which are nested in hierarchies across multiple time and space scales. Understanding these cycles and their interaction across time and scales is key to sustainability.

The stem

The stem of the plant suggests a road or pathway. The vision of sustainability as journey not as destination is an important operating principle in SWEDESD. Consider the phrase: ‘We make the road by walking it’. We seek to both create good learning outcomes through our activities but the process of achieving those outcomes is also a shared learning experience with our project partners.

In resilience thinking that references the “lazy eight” metaphor, the stem may also represent action in the bifurcation zone as it transits the juncture between the virtuous and vicious feedback loops. The bifurcation zone is the point at which a cycle may flip between resilient virtuous and vicious modes of feedback. ESD might be represented as being active in this zone, to help bring about the right conditions for the creation and maintenance of virtuous cycles; preventing a flip in the direction of a vicious cycle but also facilitating the conditions for a flip to occur in the direction of a virtuous cycle.

Colour

The colours in the SWEDESD logo can be interpreted to have many different meanings. Nina interprets the colours like this,

Yellow is a colour that invites conversation and dialogue – it represents the people; green, of course, is the colour of nature; and blue, is a cool colour, that has ‘professional’ overtones, hence I relate it to administration, management and finance. So of course, you could understand the three colours representing the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development.

Yellow

… the colour of the element Air. It can be used to symbolise the sun. It connotes intellect and confidence; it is associated with travel and movement; it speaks to the power of thought and eloquent communication. Yellow is often used for attracting attention or giving warning.

Blue

… the colour of the element of Water. It can be used to symbolise the sky and the ocean. It connotes peace and happiness, trust and loyalty. Blue is often associated with depth and wisdom.

Green

… the colour of the element of the Earth. It can be used to symbolise our planet’s fertility as well as life itself. It connotes prosperity, employment, healing and growth. Green suggests stability and endurance and has strong correspondence with safety.

Thanks, Nina!

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