UNICEF and the Government of Malawi are spearheading the use of drones and data for development and humanitarian purposes. In June 2017, they opened the first drone testing corridor worldwide as a technology-friendly environment for local and international drone companies to test their solutions. However, Malawi and neighbouring countries lack qualified and skilled personnel needed to seize the opportunities offered by drone and data technology. To respond to the skills deficit, UNICEF established the first African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA) in January 2020.  

The African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA) aims to be a centre of excellence that will dually equip young people in Malawi and the African region with necessary 21st-century skills while strengthening the drone ecosystem for more effective humanitarian and development response. It follows UNICEF’s ‘Drones and Data for Good’ vision, focusing on the potential of technology to deliver positive results for every child.

Goals

  • Create a visual identity that gives the institution credibility and appeals to potential students, instructors, and funders

  • Communicates both the data collection and piloting aspects of the academy’s curriculum and future purpose as a data and research center

  • Ensure that the identity is strong enough to stand alone vs. be co-branded with UNICEF (in preparation to become a stand-alone initiative)

  • While the course of study is offered primarily in English, the branding should be easy to translate into different languages for future expansion

Approach

  • Interviews with the drone academy staff and team members to understand needs and goals of the academy

  • Took inspiration from a UAV single grid path, which is a type of flight plan defined by a pilot to collect imagery – UAV moves back and forth over a defined area 

  • Use colours present in the flags of African countries

  • Both horizontal and vertical versions, as well as an emblem version that resembles an aviation pilot’s patch

  • Selected a free Google fonts typeface for easy legibility and language support for future expansion

  • Developed initial wireframes for website

Impact

  • Build capacity – Malawi CO and academy now have tools and templates

  • Equipped 347 African youths with 21st-century skills in drone, data, and entrepreneurship

  • Awarded the XCELLENCE Award by the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI)

Featured In

CNN
BBC
New York Times

Roles

Identity development

Team

UNICEF Office of Innovation, UNICEF Malawi, Virgina Tech

Dates

December 2019 – January 2020