TED Countdown, 2021

People know climate change is real. They know it’s bad. But they aren’t acting.
How do you cut through the noise and challenge apathy without alienating or accusing?

The idea - FINE. WE GIVE UP.
Nothing is scarier than the experts throwing in the towel.
We launched with deliberately jarring headlines like:

“We give up.”
“We love natural disasters anyway.”

Signed by TED, these messages were designed to stop people in their tracks. Visually, we built the brand around a flip clock—a ticking countdown to mass extinction. Urgent. Minimal. Impossible to ignore.

Lead Design - This direction was born at 1AM out of sheer frustration—none of the ideas felt bold enough. I wanted something that would silence the noise, not add to it.

Together with Rachel Denti (managing designer) and the team, we created a brand that could extend over every touch point from OOH, event graphics to eventual online stream due to Covid 19.

Outcome - The campaign launched a global movement, reaching millions through TED’s platform and partners. The identity still powers TED Countdown today—used by governments, businesses, and climate activists all around the world.