Breaking Barriers Virtual Run
Client: SPD
Project: Medal and Campaign Identity for the inaugural Breaking Barriers Virtual Run
Year: 2017
JAB Design’s role: Official Design Partner
SPD launched the inaugural Breaking Barriers Virtual Run to raise awareness of persons with disabilities and promote greater inclusion and independence.
Unlike a conventional race, participants could complete the run anywhere and at any time. Without a shared venue or physical finish line, the campaign needed a memorable way to connect participants with its purpose long after the run was over.
A strong design brief begins with purpose, not the object.
The Challenge
SPD wanted a distinctive medal for its inaugural virtual run.
It needed to be more than a commemorative item. The medal had to represent resilience, inclusion and the campaign’s central idea of breaking down barriers.
The challenge was therefore not simply:
What should the medal look like?
The real question was:
How could the medal itself allow participants to experience the campaign message?
Reframing the Brief
Rather than treating the medal as an award added at the end of the run, JAB Design approached it as a storytelling object.
We reframed the brief around one strategic question:
What if participants could physically break the barrier — and then bring it back together?
This changed the design direction completely.
The solution would not merely display the campaign name. It would invite participants to interact with it.
The Idea
JAB Design created a medal that separates into two magnetic halves.
One half reads:
BREAK BAR
The other reads:
KING RIERS
When the two pieces snap together, they form the complete message:
BREAKING BARRIERS
The physical action became part of the communication. Participants did not simply read the campaign message — they completed it.
In that moment, the medal became more than a reward. It became part of the campaign itself.
Design as an Experience
The magnetic mechanism transformed the medal from a passive keepsake into an interactive expression of the campaign.
Separating the medal gave physical form to the idea of confronting barriers. Reconnecting the two halves symbolised inclusion, resilience and the power of coming together.
The design worked on several levels:
- Symbolic — the medal embodied the campaign’s purpose.
- Interactive — participants could physically engage with the idea.
- Memorable — the unexpected mechanism encouraged conversation.
- Relevant — every design decision reinforced the message of inclusion.
The most memorable design ideas are not simply seen.
They are experienced.
Building a Recognisable Campaign
The medal was supported by a campaign identity that helped establish a consistent visual presence for the virtual run.
JAB Design developed the Breaking Barriers logo and campaign visuals, connecting the event’s name, purpose and participant experience across the relevant touchpoints.
Beyond the Finish Line
The medal became more than an award for completing the run.
It served as:
- a reminder of the campaign’s message;
- a conversation starter among participants;
- a physical expression of resilience and inclusion; and
- a lasting connection to SPD and its mission.
Beyond the event itself, the campaign helped raise awareness of SPD and its mission of enabling persons with disabilities to maximise their potential, become more self-reliant and participate more fully in society.
The result demonstrated how thoughtful design can reinforce an organisation’s mission without relying on lengthy explanation.
Partners and Support
The inaugural Breaking Barriers Virtual Run was made possible through the support of its sponsors, partners and participants.
Official Recognition
JAB Design was appointed the Official Design Agency for the Breaking Barriers Virtual Run.
The recognition reflects the role design played in translating the campaign’s purpose into an identity and object that participants could understand, remember and experience.
From Object to Meaning
This project began with a request for a medal.
By reframing the brief, it became an opportunity to create something more meaningful: a physical idea that expressed the campaign’s purpose through interaction.
That is the value of strategic design. It looks beyond what needs to be produced and focuses on what people should understand, feel and remember.
Design becomes more powerful when the execution and the message are inseparable.
Design Ideas That People Remember
Working on a campaign, event or initiative that needs a stronger central idea? JAB Design can help frame the challenge, clarify the message and translate it into a design system people can connect with.
Start a conversation with JAB Design.
More About What We Do
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Need help? Drop us an email at info@jab.sg, or connect with us via our contact form.
