Updated Design System for the Legendary Da Vinci Wolves Battalion
“Da Vinci Wolves” is a legendary volunteer unit named after Dmytro Kotsyubaylo, defending Ukraine’s independence since 2014.
Today, it stands as one of the most experienced and effective battalions in Ukraine and worldwide. Its strength lies in the combination of combat experience, brotherhood values, and cutting-edge weaponry.
The Challenge
Our task was to create a simple and flexible design system that would merge the unit’s legendary heritage and spirit with modernity, efficiency, and technological advancement.
In public communication, “Da Vinci Wolves” addresses crucial military topics, runs fundraising campaigns, and recruits new members. Therefore, it was essential that all their communication, whether a street banner, website, or social media post, looked cohesive, delivered the right messages, and required minimal effort to develop.
Execution
At the core of the design system, we embedded one of the unit’s greatest strengths — technological advancement, later reaffirmed when the unit joined the Unmanned Systems Forces, becoming one of the most high-tech units in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
From the unit’s side, the head of the “Da Vinci Wolves” Foundation, Artem Vakhrin, joined the project, ensuring the final branding accurately reflected the battalion’s essence. From our very first meetings, one thing was clear: everything could change, but the emblem with three wolves had to remain. It is the battalion’s identity, the recognizable patch, and the foundation of its visual presence.
For the new typographic logo, we aimed to preserve the historical continuity of the “Da Vinci Wolves”. Our ideas were inspired by cossack aesthetics, and the final version, designed by Roman Skrypchenko, references Narbut’s style — a choice that felt most authentic and resonant for the battalion.
The Design System
We developed a design system that unifies all visual communication and streamlines implementation. The foundation is the official font of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, UAF Sans, emphasizing that in early 2022, the battalion officially joined the Armed Forces.
We reimagined conventional typography methods with UAF Sans, making its application bolder and more contemporary. Our custom layout and typography system includes large headlines, highly readable text, accents, and stylistic glyphs.
The color scheme was also chosen with purpose. For regular communication, we kept grayscale tones — black and white for text, and, of course, khaki. For emphasis, special occasions, or acknowledgments, we introduced a striking yellow.
This design system became the foundation for other unit-related projects, including the branding of the “Da Vinci Wolves” Foundation, the redesigned website, and ongoing fundraising initiatives.
Social Media
Even as a military battalion, the rule in social media remains the same: you compete for attention. In business, attention converts into sales; for the “Da Vinci Wolves”, it converts into support and donations.
A key section of the design system is the photo style, adapted for various communication formats. For cover images with calls to action and emotional messaging, we use cut-out figures against wolf-gray or frost-brown backgrounds. For informational posts, we use photo blocks and color backgrounds to keep the focus on the text.
How the Design System Supports Fundraising
The efficiency of the new “Da Vinci Wolves” design system was tested through fundraising campaigns.
For example, “Fundraiser for 10 Million,” “One of the Pack,” and “Conquer the Darkness” raised over 35 million UAH in just six months. More than 50 businesses, 35 venues, and 20 opinion leaders joined the efforts, while 1,000+ individuals opened auxiliary fundraising accounts.
For our team, it is an honor to work with the “Da Vinci Wolves”. Beyond branding, we actively participate in fundraising efforts, making our collaboration even more impactful.
Oleksii Pokryshen — Creative Director
Masha Bystrova — Design Director
Pavlo Karelin — Designer
Pylyp Miniukov — Designer
Anya Partyn — Manager
Artem Vakhrin — Head of the VDV Foundation
Daria Valiavska — Project Manager of the Foundation
Sashko Alymov — Head of Fundraising
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