Every Earth Day, many of us find ourselves slowing down — even just a little — to take stock of the world around us. Maybe it’s while tending to a windowsill herb garden, out on a morning walk in the park, or in those small, hopeful conversations that seem to surface more easily this time of year. There’s a collective awareness in the air, a reminder that this planet is something we all share responsibility for and shouldn’t take for granted.
Within the design community, there’s increasing discussion about our role in that shared responsibility. What does it truly mean to create work that contributes to environmental healing, not just visually, but meaningfully?
Take something as simple as choosing to support a company that gives back to the planet. Some of us have started doing that by buying furniture from businesses that plant trees with every order, or choosing brands that utilize plastic-free, biodegradable packaging. They’re not revolutionary acts, but these small moments add up. They’re moments of intention. And that kind of thoughtful alignment is exactly what makes the Forest Carbon rebrand by Design Bridge and Partners feel so resonant right now.
Forest Carbon isn’t your typical carbon offset operation. They restore degraded wetland forests across Southeast Asia, which house some of the most carbon-rich and biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth. But in a society where carbon credit schemes often face scrutiny for being performative or opaque, Forest Carbon is doing something rare: they’re backing their impact with science, transparency, and now, a beautifully resonant brand.
Design Bridge and Partners approached the rebrand with an idea both poetic and precise: “In Tune with Nature.” That’s not just a metaphor — it’s literal. Forest Carbon uses bioacoustics to monitor forest restoration. This means recordings of returning birds, frogs, and even the calls of endangered species like the Sumatran tiger. Those soundscapes are translated into Chladni patterns, which are visual representations of sound waves, and become the core of the visual identity.
The identity doesn’t just look like nature, it is nature, rendered in waveform.
It’s one of the most refreshing uses of generative design and sonic branding I’ve seen in a while, not just because it’s gorgeous, but because it’s grounded in purpose. The identity becomes a living portrait of environmental recovery. It doesn’t just look like nature, it is nature, rendered in waveform.
What I find especially meaningful is the brand’s rejection of commodification. Rather than relying on the tired tropes of greenwashing, Forest Carbon leans into credibility. Design Bridge and Partners layered in a visual language inspired by scientific journals, evoking trust, data, and grounded fieldwork. The result is elegant, quiet, and confident, like the work itself.
“We wanted to focus on the core value of nature,” said Forest Carbon co-founders Jeffrey Chatellier and Devan Wardwell, “not just the commodification often seen in carbon and environmental markets.” That sentiment feels especially poignant on Earth Day, when sincerity can sometimes get lost behind marketing campaigns and hashtags.
Jonathan Brodie, creative director at Design Bridge and Partners, summed up the process beautifully: “Their willingness to break from convention and challenge expectations was liberating.” That kind of freedom, paired with integrity, is what allows truly impactful work to emerge.
As designers, we know how much branding can shape perception. But it’s when design starts shaping behavior — urging people to listen more carefully to the planet and trust the people working to protect it — that the real magic happens.
This Earth Day, I’m celebrating work that not only honors the natural world but collaborates with it. And I’m reminded again that when we give nature a voice, through sound, image, and story, people will listen. I encourage you to take a moment today to reflect on the brands you support and consider making one intentional choice for the planet moving forward. Even the smallest action can create meaningful impact.
