Our plan:

Our plan: use our design expertise to raise awareness and funds to create a future for elephants. How you can help...join us by using the hashtags #LendAnEar #flightoftheelephant #WildAid #NoIvoryEver

hi, I’m Amy.

I teach graphic design at the University of Central Oklahoma. In December of 2014 I'd had a pretty rotten day so I thought I'd zone out with some TV. It was going pretty well until I saw this on the Daily Show. http://www.lastdaysofivory.com/

Unbelievable, it felt like we'd dealt with poaching, I mean just a few years ago elephant numbers were up! Now this?! I felt like giving up...but then I got immediately angry…what if I could make a difference from here? What if I don't have to quit my job to guard elephants, what if I could convince designers to use their super powers of persuasion to help in the fight by raising funds and awareness?! That would be good! That would be something!

So I called the most connected person I know, Louisa McCune and told her what I wanted to do…she helped me form the Design Committee to Protect Elephants, which became Design to Protect Elephants via the logo designed by John Clifford. And just like that we’d all called people we knew who called people they knew and eventually I got to talk to Andrew from WildAid. And we had this sort of weird conversation where he skeptically offered to put me in touch with some NGO's I could partner with and I confusedly thanked him but said I didn't want any partners and then it was quite because neither one of us was sure why I called. Then…ohhhh….no, no I don't want to start a new thing I want to help you do your thing more! We don't want anything to do with the money people donate, we just want to push more people to you be raising awareness.

Design to Protect Elephants believes that there should be elephants. That’s it. We want elephants to exist and we are committed to raising awareness and funds to assist WildAid in their mission.

the kirkpatrick foundation

We have been generously funded by the Kirkpatrick Foundation. Over the course of these grants, which have deeply benefited UCO Design students, the surrounding community and WildAid, we have created a poster collection and a multidisciplinary performance called Flight of the Elephant. The purpose of the posters and the performance is to harness the power of design and partnerships to raise awareness and funds to halt the slaughter of elephants for ivory.

All designs created for Design to Protect Elephants engage our local community, designers and design students in the advocacy for animal rights and the power of design and partnerships.

About the posters.

The creation of these 33 posters by both professional and student illustrators has been generously supported by the Kirkpatrick Foundation. Proceeds after the cost of paper, printing and shipping benefit WildAid’s elephant programs.

Flight of the Elephant, an illustrated concert

What is it? It’s a way to get involved to raise funds and awareness about the fact that the African Elephant is facing extinction. Is it sad? No, it’s funny, poignant, touching, and engaging. Will people like it? Yes, and it’s a way to engage new audiences! Is it playable? Yes! this can be played by a variety of skill levels. Will you send me the slides? You betcha! Does it have books? Oh, yes! It would be so cool if there were sculptures. There are! What if I just want one part? This is a plug and play system, use what you can accommodate and afford!

To learn more call Amy at 405-313-7076, best times T/TH 9am-12pm CST

Buy the book!

The first follower meets Franklin Leonard’s black list and the first things first manifesto

(v.1 and v.2)