GULF BLUE NAVIGATOR Brand

Navigating the changing ocean

Gulf Blue Navigator, a Bluetech accelerator program created by SeaAhead and the University of Southern Mississippi Research Foundation, is laying the groundwork for a new ocean innovation hub. We developed a brand to attract international innovators to the Gulf Coast’s incredible possibilities.

CHALLENGE

With a temperate climate and year-round water access, the Mississippi Gulf Coast has great potential to become a bluetech innovation hub. Gulf Blue aims to raise the state’s profile through an international startup accelerator.

INSIGHT

Successful brands are built on authenticity. To truly represent your brand, it’s essential to celebrate what makes you unique and communicate through specific details.

IMPACT

We developed a brand that tells the unique story of the Gulf Coast, using illustrations that highlight the region’s natural biodiversity to express the interconnectedness of the bluetech industry.

01 / brand design & illustration

Finding inspiration in local biodiversity

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is a unique area teeming with life. To tell the true story of the Gulf Coast, we needed a brand that celebrates everything that makes this area so special.

We collaborated with the Mississippi Aquarium to learn everything we could about the local ecosystem. Our program branding focuses on minimal design and illustrations based on actual Gulf Coast wildlife. These images were then used on everything from the website to banners to event T-shirts for their successful first cohort.