A quarter-century of learning, trust, and collaboration
This year marks 25 years of Wikipedia – one of the most significant learning resources ever created.
Wikipedia at 25: Founded in 2001, Wikipedia now supports over 65 million articles across 300+ languages. It is maintained by around 250,000 volunteers worldwide. Free to access, ad-free, and guided by principles of neutrality and verification. It has become a quiet but powerful backbone of global knowledge.
A starting point for learning – not the end
Wikipedia’s true value lies in how it is used. It is rarely the final authority. It‘s often the first place people go to build understanding, context, and curiosity. Whether in education, business, or everyday life, it helps learners frame better questions and explore subjects with confidence.
Through my wider involvement in education governance, I see how access to reliable, well-structured information supports critical thinking and informed learning at every stage. In a digital world shaped by speed and automation, human-curated knowledge still matters.
How we use Wikipedia at Visual Identity
Visual Identity‘s unique creative ideas are built on a strong understanding. Wikipedia plays a role in our early-stage research and discovery process. It helps us explore context, terminology, sector history, and cultural references before deeper specialist research begins.
Used responsibly, it supports joined-up thinking: connecting insight, strategy, creativity, and digital execution. This means that the work we deliver is not just visually strong, but intellectually sound and strategically aligned.
A lesson in good systems
Wikipedia works because it is collaborative, transparent, and accountable – maintained by people who care deeply about accuracy and shared standards. That makes it so much more than a website. It is a reminder of what good systems look like when they are designed around trust and collective responsibility.
After 25 years, Wikipedia shows us that knowledge shared freely doesn’t lose value – it creates it.
To mark the milestone, the Wikimedia Foundation is celebrating Wikipedia’s 25th year by highlighting the volunteers behind the platform. It’s evolution over time, and the role human knowledge plays in the future of the internet.
Happy 25th birthday, Wikipedia. You are a remarkable reminder that shared knowledge, freely given, can connect the world and improve learning globally. And thank you to the volunteers who continue to make learning accessible to millions, every single day.
Want to know more about our research-led approach?
Get in touch with Visual Identity – we’d love to talk.
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