Bringing the forest to life: A symphony of nature in brand design

The visual system, titled In Tune with Nature, captures the ecosystems' biodiversity.

Forest Carbon, an ecosystem company revitalising degraded wetland forests across Southeast Asia, has developed a new brand identity in partnership with Design Bridge and Partners.

Built to support the launch of the company’s campaign to leverage markets to protect high biodiversity areas, the visual system, titled In Tune with Nature, captures the biodiversity of healthy ecosystems, reflecting Forest Carbon’s commitment to proving that forests can be more valuable left standing rather than cut down.   

Faced with the challenge of scaling its portfolio of nature-based solutions amidst sector complexity and credibility concerns, Forest Carbon sought the expertise of Design Bridge and Partners to tell their story.

They have crafted a rebrand that highlights Forest Carbon’s impact and their understanding of how critical ecosystems such as tropical forests and wetlands are an emerging asset class. The new brand identity supports their efforts to raise large-scale capital by emphasising the company's holistic approach, on-the-ground expertise, and scientific rigour.

“Working with Jeff, Devan, and the Forest Carbon team has been a sincerely inspiring journey for all of us at Design Bridge and Partners,” said Jonathan Brodie, creative director at Design Bridge and Partners.

“From our initial kick-off sessions right through to launch, our team was in awe of the work they are doing on the ground. Their willingness to break from convention and challenge expectations was liberating, allowing us to create something genuinely differentiated together. As we head into launch, it’s been amazing to see them embracing their identity as a sonic-first brand. We look forward to witnessing this work ‘out in the wild’ where it truly belongs,” he added.

Inspired by the science of bioacoustics and Chladni figures – visual representations of sound frequencies – the new identity lets nature speak for itself. Just as a symphony features a diverse range of instruments, a healthy ecosystem thrives with the harmonious sounds of diverse species. 

Using recordings from Forest Carbon’s environmental assets and a custom-built digital tool, the team can translate any frequency into dynamic Chladni patterns, transforming the sounds of the forest into a living visual system. This visualisation of soundscapes is juxtaposed with an aesthetic inspired by the founder’s multiple publications in scientific journals.

“Our brand identity is a living thing, creating art from the frequencies of plants and Animals. It reflects a desire to focus on the core value of nature, rather than the commodification so often seen in carbon and other environmental markets. By using our own nature-powered technology, Design Bridge and Partners helped us create a design that feels organic and truly stands out from a Sea of Green,” said Jeffrey Chatellier and Devan Wardwell, founders of Forest Carbon.

"As an innovator in a category that was suffering from a lack of standardisation and full of controversy, Forest Carbon needed to elevate their impact and legitimise their brand. We had to tell their story—both emotionally and scientifically—whilst reinforcing their commitment to restoration and local communities,” said Matt Di Paola, head of marketing at Rippleworks.