The client
A small group of locals and a wish for a community garden was all it took to start SEED Northern Rivers (formerly Mullum Seed). From these humble beginnings in 2006, SEED has grown into a leading environmental organisation in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales. They now partner with other local organisations in the sustainability sector, and offer funding for emerging local initiatives. Talk about the power of community to create lasting change.
The brief
SEED came to us with the goal of a rebrand that better communicated who they’d become. They wanted to grow their impact and visibility in the community to attract attention from key stakeholders, like philanthropists, government bodies, and donors.
SEED was also in the middle of rolling out many exciting, high-impact initiatives, like establishing their Changemaker program that provides funding for local environmental initiatives. To grow these projects, a new brand identity was needed to position SEED as a key player in ecosystem-level change in the Northern Rivers and beyond.
The solution
Every branding project calls for close collaboration between the client to ensure we’re aligned on values and vision. We started with a workshop to define SEED’s core values, target personas, key competitors, and design goals.
Drawing on insights from the workshop, we then crafted three distinct creative directions alongside initial ideas for verbal identity, including key messaging, taglines, and tone of voice guidelines.
Once SEED chose their preferred creative direction, we entered the design and build phase. Our creative team brought the brand identity to life by refining visuals, typography, colour palettes, and imagery that reflected the new brand.
The final phase of the new brand identity involved a handover of all design assets, including logos, style guides, and marketing collateral. Our team was there after the project to give SEED full support to ensure the transition to the new brand happened without any hiccups.
The result
To create a brand that felt deeply rooted in place, we incorporated real elements from the Mullumbimby ecosystem into the design. The team at SEED gathered local leaves from native trees, which we painted with ink and pressed onto paper to capture their unique textures. These imprints were then scanned and digitally refined in Photoshop, where we created detailed bip-map patterns. The result was a distinctive design element that speaks to SEED’s grounded approach and connection to Country.
Through close collaboration and consultation, we were able to create a brand identity that was both aligned with SEED’s mission and distinctive personality. Regular presentations, workshops, updates, and concept refinements were the key to a visual and verbal brand identity that felt uniquely and unmistakably SEED.
SEED was stoked with their fresh brand and were keen to share it with their community.
‘You guys are phenomenal, thank you! We really appreciate all of the support that Young Folks have given Seed Northern Rivers this year.’ – Simon Jankelson, Partnerships and Strategy at SEED Northern Rivers
Our hands-on rebrand helped SEED proudly show who they’d evolved into, while supporting their vision for future growth.
