Brand sprint and pitch deck design for a winning start-up.
52% of the fish we eat come from aquaculture and it takes 816 fish to put just 1 salmon on your plate. Synthesea, from Imperial College, is putting a stop to that by developing an industry changing alternative to fish oil for fish feed in aquaculture.
We worked with Synthesea at an exciting moment as they were competing in ClimateLaunchpad, run by Climate-KIC.
In their pre-seed stage Synthesea did not have branding, logo or consistent visual way of communicating their idea.
For the purpose of this competition, they required a pitch deck which visualised the elegance of their solution, wrapped in a brand that communicates their larger goal to protect our oceans and keep balance in the food chain.
We initially ran a brand sprint exercise, inspired by their innovation and focusing on their relation to the sea which was a key value for the brand to express.
Part of this exercise was to create a logo form which represented balance, inspired by ocean waves. Alongside this, we created a vibrant colour palette with blue as the protagonist. The logo is characterised by a dual blue gradient that recalls the shades of the ocean in its movement.
We developed a brand guideline that included a custom set of icons and hand-drawn illustrations as well as a photographic style to be followed for future material.
After reviewing their pitch and script for the ClimateLaunchpad competition, we aligned them both to visually match and be easy-to-follow.
We themed the pitch deck, utilising their new brand and introducing common elements found in aquafarm imagery. Aerial views of fish farms provided the perfect circular structure for slides with data to be visually impactful at first glance. Their custom illustrations overlaid on contextual photography gives the brand a personal look and one in connection with nature and people.
By establishing their new brand presence with a clear visual theme, culminating in a custom pitch deck presentation, Synthesea now has the foundations to cement a strong identity and relevant visual language that can be recognised in their sector and reach the funding needed to transform their much-needed idea into a global solution.
Synthesea acclaimed the title as the European Regional Final winner for the Climate Launchpad, going on to be a finalist in the Global competition. Today the team continues working on their aim to significantly reduce the devastating disruption of the ocean’s ecosystem by offering an alternative to harmful fish-based feed.
