We needed to create a way to turn a regular ID Badge in to something they could use on their daily routine and in to a symbol that could make them feel proud.

That's why we created the Extreme ID: an ID badge that is also a tool for exploring the world.

We studied their routines and needs to develop a product that could help make their jobs easier and to make them feel safer to explore further. This research guider our choice of 10 features to transform a simple ID into a fundamental Explorer's item.

More than a mere identification, the Extreme ID is a powerful symbol that embodies what National Geographic is: a brand that believes the world was meant to be explored.

The Extreme ID has 10 different features that can help an Explorer on their daily tasks and if they ever face an emergency.

1. Built-in GPS with Panic button to be found when lost.

2. NFC chip with all their medical informations, in case of being found unconscious.

3. Eureka Button, a tool to save on a digital map interesting places to research later.

4. Flashlight.

5. Solar Panel to recharge the system.

6.Anti-Mosquito Button that turns on a special radio frequency that can make mosquitoes go away.

7. Chlorine Capsules to turn water into clean water.

8. The string is made of Paracord 550, a strong braided rope that can hold up to 550 pounds.

9. Flint to start a fire anywhere.

10. A whistle to be found in the woods

All this comes in a lightweighted package that can resist the extreme conditions that these Explorers face every day.

The ID was designed to highlight Nat Geo's famous Yellow Border, to be recognizable from any distance and to be a symbol of the work we have been doing for the last 130 years.

Our Explorers were fascinated with the news: the word quickly spread between them and the feedback couldn't be better. They felt remembered, safer and part of something bigger. A new batch of IDs are already under production. The idea is to expand the project for the next year, and we aim to cover our entire Latin America crew of Explorers very soon.

But most important: National Geographic's Yellow Border is now more than ever present on the fields, forests, caves and rivers, as a reminder of the brand's powerful connection with nature.

The Extreme ID is an entirely new way to look at our regular ID badges. When you work in the wild, like our Explorers, there are no doors to open - and this reduces the usefulness of your ID Badge to just a way to identify yourself.

However, National Geographic was able to give a new meaning to it by giving it a technological twist and a redesign that could fit 10 features and transform it into a tool that can help you explore the world.

And made it in the shape of its iconic logo.

October 20th: Start of R&D.

November 15th: Extreme ID's features are defined. They are 10.

December 6th: Start of mockuping and material testing.

January 4th: Start of eletronic development.

January 8th: LORA is added.

January 20th: Alpha version is tested.

February 3rd: the first 5 operational Extreme IDs are ready for stress test.

February 13th: 5 Explorers start testing the IDs for a week.

February 20th: IDs back to improvements on tech and battery.

March 20th: The on/off switch is installed.

March 31st: Updates on Chlorine Capsule compartment.

April 7th: The final version of the IDs are delivered.

April 26th: Launched at Campus Party Argentina.

National Geographic Explorers is a group of researchers, biologists and conservationists committed to explore the world and to fight for preservation of endangered species and the planet. Despite the importance of their jobs, most people are oblivious to their existence and their researches.

We wanted to create an identification badge for our Explorers, to make it easier for them to be recognized and, as they usually work on far away places, to make them feel part of our team.

However, as they work in the open wild, a regular ID Badge wouldn’t be of much use most of the time. We needed to create a way to turn a regular ID Badge in to something they could use on their daily routine and a symbol that could make them feel proud.