Eco Design Initiative rebrands to Shift: Inspiring sustainable design

The Eco Design Initiative – who hosts the annual Fresh Talent Competition, announced that the non-profit organisation will be rebranding and will now be known as Shift.

Janine Johnston, CEO of Shift said: “In a very short existence (officially registered in December 2010) the Eco Design Initiative has successfully created a number of projects to meet our aim of promoting sustainable design. Now is the time to rebrand and align all our activities succinctly to that brand.”

We feel that Shift is the perfect fit, as it sums up what we do and what we’re aspiring to achieve: change the mind-sets of creative youth, to facilitate new ways of production and consumption and to accelerate opportunities for South African talent. The name “Shift” was coined when we recognized the hidden acronym Sustainability Heroes Inspiring Fresh Talent.”

The organization aims to develop skills and opportunities for youth entrepreneurship in the field of sustainable design, as a precursor to environmental, social and economic well-being.

 Adam Shear, creative director at Deep Design, who was asked to re-design the organisation’s identity, explains more about the re-design process: “We decided to keep the strong visual identity of the existing logo and adapt it to bring in the social side of the work Shift does. The previous logo had a strong focus on the principals of design. The new Identity is about people, prosperity and product, and these ideals are represented by different icons around a globe structure. The icons all have meaning - from a farmer to a designer chair, the cycle of design through social understanding is made clear.

Shear said changing the logo colour from orange to coral was an easy decision after visiting Sweden, where the culture is all about colour. “We decided to go bright and alive for Shift’s new colour pallet.”

By mobilizing global youth and creative industries through three main platforms: education, exchange, and exhibit, The Fresh Talent competition, hosted in partnership with the Department of Arts & Culture, invites young South Africans to design sustainable solutions for a range of challenges faced by people and the environment. 

For more information visit the new website www.theshift.org.za or email info@theshift.org.za.