Universal Design: Creating for the World

The brand of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games™ captivated and enchanted the world with its innovative three-dimensional curves and shape.  It quickly became known around the globe as the “Brand-Sculpture”, reaffirming its irresistible appeal.

Since the launch of the brand, we have carefully observed how different people perceive it in different ways. During a visit to the Benjamin Constant Institute for the Visually Impaired, we were moved when we realized that the power of the meaning exceeded even more barriers than we ever imagined.

In designing the brand for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games™, we felt an even greater challenge and responsibility. A three-dimensional design was no longer a novelty and had become the norm. We had to create an even more innovative symbol with the same essence, while also possessing a global understanding – reaching out and speaking to people around the world.

Immersion in the Paralympic Universe: Accessibility versus Universality

Of course accessibility was the most frequently discussed term when we talked to the target audiences. We reflected greatly on the fact that this word may have lost the power of its meaning. Thus we set out to approach this issue in an innovative, more comprehensive way.

At a government briefing, we participated in a discussion about universal design and came away with an even greater appreciation for this concept.  We listened to Antônio José Ferreira, the national vice-secretary of the National Department for the Promotion of the Rights of People with a Disability, who said, “That which is highly specialized, adapted for people with disabilities, is often also very expensive, complicated and segregates. It excludes, instead of including.”

According to the dictionary, universality is that which “opposes particularity”, the perfect marriage with our goal of serving everybody at once.

How do you create a brand that is recognized, understood, felt and experienced in the most universal way possible? We based our creative principle on two premises:

Universal Symbols – easy to understand and able to connect with the entire world

Perhaps the biggest legacy of the brand of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games ™ was the powerful use of universal symbols.  The understanding, identification and receptiveness we observed made it clear that the Brand of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games™ couldn’t be any different, although it faced an even greater challenge.  Once again, it was essential for the brand to transmit a clear message to 7 billion viewers who will interact with it over the next 5 or 6 years.

Our challenge was to find symbols with that power of communication and that would simultaneously reflect the essence of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games™ and the ideals of the international Paralympic movement.

We found three symbols endowed with positive associations around the world that express growth, determination, expansion and optimism, lending universal form, strength and meaning to the Brand of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games™:

The spiral: represents performance and achievement. It has an evolutionary, ascending design.

The infinity: symbolizes the drive and motivation inherent to the Paralympic spirit. It possesses a powerful, infinite, cyclical energy.

The heart: the core essence of every human being. It is the vibrant source that nourishes and moves the spirit. Representing equality, it reinforces the notion that inside we are all the same.

A Multisensory Brand

We also decided that this brand should be multisensory. It should be able to stimulate the senses and generate feelings and as a result transmit its meanings.

We knew that the brand could only be fully experienced if it had the capacity to connect with all of its audiences, making people recognize it and feel that they are represented by the symbol. Our wish was that anybody could experience the brand – athlete or not, disabled or not – and more than that, make people respond to this encounter. Thus it became our priority to use design as tool for promoting accessibility in a broad and intelligent way.

But how do you promote this experience? How should this brand interact with people? Based on the information we gathered throughout this process, in discussions, meetings and interviews, we concluded that it was important to stimulate three senses and transmit the feeling of a vibrant brand. More than that, a brand that feels alive.

With its three-dimensional design -and thus easily manipulated – the first obvious choice was to stimulate the sense of touch. Its curves and shape should represent the aggression that is present in the performance and drive of the athletes in achieving their goals, while simultaneously being pleasant and comfortable to the touch. Its shape must instigate a desire to explore what lies beyond, while also revealing symbols that live in our subconscious.

In response to our touch, the brand comes alive, the same way that athletes and the audience come alive when stirred by conquests and accomplishments. The way a heart pulses as it throbs with infinite energy. This vibration is created by the sound that the brand emits, appealing to our second sensory choice. This sound both simulates the breathing that accompanies the heartbeat, as well as the roars from the crowd that motivate the athletes to always reach further.

Our third choice was to ‘materialize’ the propelling force of the spirit in motion, make it visible. With the help of lights that are programmed to follow a specific sequence, we have brought this spirit to ‘life’, creating a design that repeats the infinity symbol, reinforcing the idea that this is a truly infinite resource.

To make all this possible, the sculpture was fitted with several photo-sensitive sensors that activate a program with three different levels, ranging from weaker to a more intense version, based on people’s proximity.

Mission accomplished?

Our experience on the day of the launch exceeded our wildest imagination; moving statements, surprising compliments and a sense of joy, satisfaction and gratitude of all who had awaited this moment.

“When I touched it, with the sound of the crowd and the beating heart, I saw my entire career flash before my eyes. It moved me so much. It was very beautiful. – Adria dos Santos

Our greatest Paralympic medalist, Adria dos Santos, was so moved at the launch of the brand that she touched all those who were present.  She said that for the first time, in her 24-year career, she was able to interact with the brand that represented the most important element in her life!