Redesigning the Bipper: A New Logo for the Indigenous Broker Development Program

When I approached redesigning the Bipper, my focus was on care, intention, and presence to create a version that could hold meaning, reflect values, and welcome new perspectives.

When the OneHoop team asked if I knew any Indigenous artists who could help reimagine the Bipper, I smiled and replied, “Well… me.” At the time, I was serving as Brand Advisor for OneHoop Indigenous Advisory Services, guiding visual strategy for initiatives that intersected culture, identity, and business. This project immediately felt different: how could a familiar national symbol evolve to carry a story that was inclusive, honouring, and forward-looking?

The Bipper is iconic. It represents trust, professionalism, and reliability. Redesigning it wasn’t about erasing its history, it was about expanding it to include Indigenous presence, values, and stories. Every detail was intentional.

The final design preserves the classic magenta but deepens it to carry more visual weight and translate seamlessly across digital formats. The figure’s head, once slightly separated from the body, is now aligned, anchored, and poised. Shoulders were softened to remove rigidity, creating a posture that feels both strong and approachable. Each subtle adjustment shifts the energy of the figure, reinforcing groundedness, care, and presence.

The most meaningful transformation was a cloaked star blanket, a symbol of honour, protection, and community in many Indigenous nations. The blanket is a gesture of care, recognition, and welcome. It turns the figure from a standalone emblem into a symbol of relationship and connection.

As part of my process, I explored five first-round concepts, each with its own story. Many of the ideas I talked with our internal OneHoop team to discuss what they had imagined for the brand based on the brief they had developed:

1. Ribbon Skirt designs that symbolize traditions, resilience, strength, and connection to heritage.
2. Star Blanket designs the evoke celebration and honouring an individual.
3. A minimal silhouette of an Indigenous person echoing the ribbon skirt design.
4. A sun-inspired gradient motif with the eyes depicted in Cree art.
5. A combination of the sun gradient with the star blanket, but open for embrace.

The client chose to go with the second design proof but with some adjustments to ensure it captured the brand effectively. The final version felt balanced, strong, grounded, and generous. An optional circular version reinforces unity, connection, and a sense of belonging, quietly reflecting the values the program stands for.

This logo now represents more than a program, it reflects positive change and impact. The Indigenous Broker Development Program is creating meaningful pathways for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people to step into careers in property and casualty insurance, supported by Saskatchewan brokerages, IBAS, and SGI. Every detail in the redesign was made to reflect care, recognition, and presence, values now visible wherever the Bipper appears.

Seeing this logo out in the world is a reminder that design can do more than communicate. It can amplify purpose, create presence, and hold space for meaningful change. For me, this project was an opportunity to contribute to something that will have real impact in people’s lives.