Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
GEA — Seed Research Identity & Tool Design
Seed researchers rely on outdated, fragmented methods to study germination, dormancy, and storage behaviour. There was a need for a modern tool that combines scientific rigor with accessibility, enabling both labs and nurseries to conserve seeds efficiently while adapting to different research needs.
GOAL
Develop a flexible identity and design system for GEA (Germination, Dormancy and Storage Experiment Assistant) — positioning it as an innovative, modular, and seed-efficient tool while ensuring it communicates both scientific credibility and approachability.
APPROACH
Logo — seeds forming a “G”, modular and rounded to reflect flexibility and organic transformation.
Typography — Avenir Black for strong headlines paired with Roboto for clarity and accessibility across body text and captions.
Colour System — a natural canvas base, a grounding deep green accent, and four segment colours symbolising stages of growth (Early Sprout, Bright Sun, Warm Earth, Fresh Leaf).
Application — identity tested on UI mockups, scientific posters, and conference assets to ensure scalability from digital platforms to physical environments.
IMPACT
The new identity system positions GEA as a trusted assistant for seed science, balancing innovation with conservation. The modular colour and type system ensures flexibility across research segments, while the organic yet precise logo captures the transformation from seed to leaf. This created a foundation for GEA’s launch — uniting scientific communities around a tool that is both functional and future-facing.
