When The Oceania Project began conducting Whale research expeditions in 1989, they needed a logo that captured the essence of their mission, the care and conservation of Cetacea through original research, dissemination of information, education, and networking. To achieve this Stephen focused on presenting the predominant view of Earth, the Pacific Ocean. Drawing attention to this view raises awareness of the ocean’s critical role in the Earth’s ecosystem. The Nautilus, unchanged for more than five hundred million years, was added as a symbol of the ocean’s ancient nature, while also giving it a voice through the shell’s resonance. An illustration of a mother and calf Humpback Whale was subsequently added to reflect the research focus of The Oceania Project expeditions. This logo has since continued to effectively communicate the main objective of the organisation: ‘To promote community awareness and co-operation to instigate and maintain the process of rehabilitation, preservation, and conservation of Cetacea and the Oceans’.

Creative Direction: Stephen Franklin
Graphic Design: Stephen Franklin
Illustration: Stephen Franklin
Oceania Project logo with Ocean world, Nautilus shell, Humpback Whales, and brand name below.
Oceania was called out as the primary part of the brand name, providing a single focus whilst tying it to the symbol above.
The logo was used extensively throughout The Oceania Project’s marketing materials, as seen here with the Expedition brochure, and a variant of design created for The Oceania Youth Project.
Songlines CD cover with illustration of Humpback Whale floating through sound waves, and logo.
More recent usages saw the addition of the “Caring for Whales & Dolphins” tagline as seen above on the Songlines CD Cover.

View more projects

AGL Brochure Illustrations
Children's alphabet blocks illustrations created for an AGL bill payment brochure.
Kellogg's Froot Loops Back of Pack Illustration
A promotional back-of-pack illustration created for Kellogg's Froot Loops cereal packaging. Included the digital creation and preparation of the finished image for use in the packaging artwork.
Microsoft Communiqué Cover Image
Front cover image for the Microsoft Communiqué magazine featuring the new Microsoft Front Page application. Utilising Alias Sketch 3D software to set the lighting and texturing of the composition of the image, and Photoshop for the final shading and colour balance.
FOOD Club Night 1st Birthday Poster and Flyer
Street poster and flyer for FOOD club night 1st Birthday celebrations, Dublin, Ireland.
Thick & Thirsty Point of Sale Hero Image Retouching
Retouching of hero image for Thick & Thirsty point of sale promotion.
TAFE NSW Snakes & Ladders TVC Illustration
Snakes and ladders illustration used as the central prop for a TAFE NSW television commercial. Final artwork was produced at a size of 3 x 3 metres and used on set. The largest snake was later animated and composited with live action to complete the ad.
Brightspark Brand Identity
Identity design for Brightspark, a Dublin-based digital marketing agency.
Donegal Catch Packaging Artwork
While working as the Creative Artworker at Mesh Design, Stephen was tasked with building the finished artwork for the Donegal Catch range from Green Isle foods.
Escape to Luz Illustration
Cover illustration for the Escape to Luz promotional brochure.
Microsoft Catalogue Cover Image
Cover image of the Microsoft Windows product catalogue produced for the Frontline agency, Sydney, Australia. This image is a composite of multiple stock photography images and a photographic shoot involving two models: one for positioning and one for face and hands.
Back to Top