Migalka is a safety and harm reduction project designed for environments shaped by authoritarian regimes. It provides real-time alerts about local military, political, and law enforcement risks in situations where state systems either fail to protect people or are not designed to do so. Powered by AI, the platform analyzes publicly available information and delivers location-based alerts with a delay of no more than one minute.
I joined the project on a volunteer basis and helped shape its visual identity by creating the logo and a minimal branding system. I believe design should bring more than aesthetics alone, so the opportunity to contribute to a project aligned with my values felt especially meaningful. The Migalka team embraced my visual direction from the start, making the collaboration both comfortable and deeply rewarding.
The team provided clear conceptual direction from the start and articulated the idea behind the project in great detail. In russian, Migalka refers to the flashing emergency lights used both by authorities people may need protection from and by services that exist to keep them safe, making the image instantly recognizable as a signal of danger. Real-time alerts also naturally connect to the image of a phone screen lighting up with a new notification. While developing the logo, it was important to create associations with bright light, pulses, and flashing signals while preserving the project's character – not alarming or intimidating, but neutral, confident, and reliable.
RedAlert (Israel) – a volunteer-run alert app that notifies users
about rocket attacks and air raids, serving as an everyday safety
tool for many residents.
about rocket attacks and air raids, serving as an everyday safety
tool for many residents.
Citizen (USA) – a real-time alert platform for crimes, emergencies, and potential threats, focused on community awareness and rapid response.
I began by researching existing products with a similar purpose.
There are surprisingly few of them worldwide, and most focus
almost entirely on functionality, paying little attention to visual
identity. In the end, I identified two particularly relevant examples
that helped establish a foundation for the branding work.
There are surprisingly few of them worldwide, and most focus
almost entirely on functionality, paying little attention to visual
identity. In the end, I identified two particularly relevant examples
that helped establish a foundation for the branding work.
research & context
visual references
design process
reliability
trust
neutrality
clarity
functionality
alertness
simplicity
care
safety
essential
protective
reliable
early concept
A brand pattern based on the logo’s flash, designed for decorative and background applications
Primary typeface – Fira Sans Extra Condensed, a free font family featuring
18 styles
18 styles
A brand shape derived from the logo, designed to frame imagery and emphasize key information
Sample Social Media Posts
The logo is built around the shape of an emergency light (migalka).
A flash bursts through its center, echoing the way critical alerts suddenly break into the flow of everyday life.
A flash bursts through its center, echoing the way critical alerts suddenly break into the flow of everyday life.
Since the primary goal was to create a strong standalone mark, the typographic component remains intentionally neutral, visually aligned with the forms and character of the symbol.
I presented several directions to the team, and below I’m showing an unselected concept that played an important role in shaping the final solution.
At the center of the logo is a flash that creates a sense that «something is happening» while maintaining an association with an emergency light
(migalka). The mark remains simple and easily readable, while avoiding cliched alarm symbolism. The rays on the sides add movement and
a sense of living impulse, symbolizing the spread of information and signals between people and safety.
(migalka). The mark remains simple and easily readable, while avoiding cliched alarm symbolism. The rays on the sides add movement and
a sense of living impulse, symbolizing the spread of information and signals between people and safety.
final approved version
A brand pattern based on the logo’s rays, designed for decorative and background applications
Primary typeface – Golos Text, a free font family featuring 6 styles
A brand shape derived from the logo, designed to frame imagery and emphasize key information
