Davao 2040
Olympic Pictograms.

As a team, we imagined Davao City, Philippines, hosting the Olympic Games and built the visual identity around the community that gives the city its character.

My role was designing the pictograms and the tickets. I also contributed to the team's research, where I made the connection that shaped the whole look: the culture of the Philippines lives in the hand-lettered signs of its street vendors.

As a team we mapped Davao City on one large research web: its history, landmarks, festivals, food, money, icons and the Philippines' past Olympic teams. We looked for what makes everyday life in Davao feel like Davao. The answer kept coming back to its street vendors: hand-painted signs and calligraphy lettering on stalls and carts, made by the community rather than a brand. I concluded that this lettering was the strongest link to Filipino culture, and it became the reference for the pictograms.

BBT Martires carries the feel of hand-painted vendor signs: tall, condensed letters with a brushy contrast, set in a single case so every word reads like a sign. It comes in three weights, from a thin line to a heavy extra bold.

I started in my sketchbook with quick pen studies of each sport (archery, fencing, volleyball, baseball, rugby and gymnastics), using thick, brushy strokes like the lettering on vendor signs. From there I rebuilt them in Illustrator, refining the full set side by side and testing them next to the Davao City lettering, BBT Martires and our color studies.

A cohesive set of nine pictograms that reflect the signage of street vendors in the Philippines while staying recognizable as their sports, shown here in six color variations.

I carried the pictograms onto the tickets, giving each of the nine sports its own design for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.