Greener By Default | Corporate Identity Design

Greener By Default is a nonprofit organization helping businesses, universities, healthcare institutions, conferences, and other foodservice environments make plant-based food the default while preserving diners’ freedom of choice. Its approach uses behavioral science to support goals around sustainability, health, inclusivity, and carbon reduction.

I developed a new corporate identity and logo system that could visually express the organization’s plant-forward mission while feeling credible enough for institutional, corporate, healthcare, and academic audiences.

The core graphic transforms the letter D in “Default” into a stylized leaf that also functions as a forward-pointing arrow. The leaf connects directly to plant-based food, while the directional shape suggests progress, momentum, and changing the default. A palette of deep blue, green, teal, and bright chartreuse reinforces the organization’s environmental focus without relying on the more predictable visual language often associated with plant-based brands.

I created both an acronym-based GBD logo and a fully spelled-out Greener By Default version, giving the organization flexibility across different applications. I also developed brand guidelines covering logo usage, typography, and color so the identity could remain consistent as the organization expanded its communications.

The result is a flexible nonprofit identity that communicates plant-based food, institutional change, and forward movement in a simple, recognizable visual system.