Design Support for the Sustainable Energy Academy

The UNDP Sustainable Energy Hub is a network of partners that work alongside countries to transform energy systems though an integrated agenda focused on the policy, technology and financial shifts that shape sustainable economic development. We help countries build net-zero, people-centered societies driven by a just, sustainable energy transition. Our core principle is to promote an integrated agenda that supports energy for development, including by mobilizing partners to enable 500 million additional people to have access to sustainable, reliable, affordable energy by 2025, leaving no-one behind. The global transformation of energy systems has already started, but is being altered by the current geopolitical context. However, this transformation must be accelerated, and it must be done in a way that advances the Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Energy Hub is UNDP’s answer to these challenges. To drive the systems-level change needed, the Sustainable Energy Hub aims to bring about a completely new way of thinking, doing business, connecting people and knowledge. UNDP’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan has put sustainable energy at the heart of a joint corporate mission, and UN-Energy has pledged to reaching key energy milestones by 2025. UNDP will focus efforts on mobilizing partners and catalzing action to provide access to sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy – both electricity and clean cooking – to 500 million people by 2025, focusing on the world’s poorest communities. UNDP will not do this alone – our role here is to mobilize strong, meaningful, impactful partnerships to deliver action on the ground. We aim to bring about a new way of thinking about energy and advocate for an integrated, inclusive approach, where all stakeholders participate meaningfully in its design.

We are looking for 4 online volunteers to support the next phase of the Sustainable Energy Academy (SEA) development. This phase focuses on integrating case study content into the Academy’s learning modules and improving the overall use of text templates across existing slides. Volunteers will work in Figma to ensure that the SEA’s visual materials are clear, engaging, and make the best use of available design space. This is a hands-on design role that requires attention to detail and a strong sense of layout and visual communication.

Each of the 4 volunteers will be assigned a set of 2 Sustainable Energy Academy learning modules to provide support for. The assignment will be structured in three phases: In Phase 1, volunteers will conduct a comprehensive review of text template usage across assigned modules. This involves identifying slides where content could be better presented by switching to alternative text templates that make more efficient use of space, improving readability and visual balance. Volunteers will implement these template adjustments directly in Figma, following guidance provided by the SEH team. In Phase 2, volunteers will integrate case study content into designated Sustainable Energy Academy learning modules in Figma. This includes laying out text, images, and data visualizations according to the existing design system, ensuring that case studies are presented in a clear, compelling, and consistent format across all modules. In Phase 3, volunteers will perform a final quality assurance review of all updated slides, ensuring visual consistency, proper alignment, correct use of the design system, and that all changes are accurately reflected. Any issues identified will be documented and resolved before final handoff.