Hi, I’m Caitie, a product designer at Leanseed. One of my first projects here was to update our visual identity to better reflect who we are as a team and where we’re headed. This process was about more than just a new look—it was about capturing the deeper meaning behind what Leanseed stands for. In this post, I’ll share the steps I took to create the new branding, inspired by symbols of creativity and wisdom, while building something that aligns with our evolving mission. As with everything we do at Leanseed, I followed the design thinking process. The steps are empathise, define, ideate, prototype and test. You can find out more about our process here.
Empathise: Understanding Our Roots
5 years ago, Vicka started Leanseed as a way to share what she had learnt about starting and running businesses with other startup creators. Our first logo acted as a visual representation of Leanseed’s aim – helping people grow into their potential. It was based on the seed of life, a symbol that represents the interconnectedness of people, ideas and the universe. Our next logo was a simplified version, focusing more on the theme of growth.
The seed of life
Version 1 (2020)
Version 2 (2021)
Earlier this year, after Vicka completed her most recent studies, she had a renewed vision for Leanseed’s focus. With that came the need for a new identity that everyone in the team could identify with, an identity that better represented our values while being professional, distinct and impactful.
Define: Research and Insight
This project was the perfect opportunity to get to know the team and what’s truly important to Leanseed. Lifelong learning is hugely important to every member of the team, Leza, for instance, has 17 UX qualifications (and counting). We value both formal education but also learning from others; looking at proven methods from the past in order to make the future better. Other important values at Leanseed are a strong belief in the power of female leadership, authenticity, making a positive impact, and working in lean, effective ways.
Ideate: Generating Logo Concepts
Inspired by these values, I researched global symbols of creativity, knowledge, and wisdom, focusing on four ancient goddesses whose qualities resonate with Leanseed’s mission. I chose to focus on 4 goddesses—Athena, Yemayá, Brigid, and Saraswati—each represent aspects of creation, transformation, and growth, the essence of what we do at Leanseed.
Athena
Greek Goddess of Wisdom
Athena symbolises wisdom, strategy, and creativity, inspiring innovation in crafts, intellect, and problem-solving across various domains. Athena drives logical innovation, blending intellect with practical skills.
Symbols
Gold aegis, olive branches, the owl, and the sun.
Colours
Cold blue light represents her intellect and honesty.
Yemayá
Yoruba Goddess of Abundant Creativity
Yemayá, goddess of the sea, represents flowing creativity, nurturing growth, emotional depth, and continuous evolution in nature and life. Yemayá represents the natural, ever-flowing force of creativity and emotional innovation.
Symbols
Cowrie shell (sign of abundance).
Colours
Deep turquoise ocean blue.
Brigid
Celtic Goddess of the Forge (Fire) and the Well (Water)
Brigid embodies the creative balance of fiery passion and flowing intuition, representing transformation in both craft and inspiration.
Brigid personifies the balance of fiery passion and intuitive insight, essential for innovative creation.
Symbols
Fire, water, the forge, and the well.
Colours
Bright orange (fire) and deep blue (water).
Saraswati
Hindu Goddess of Elegant Wisdom
Saraswati, goddess of knowledge and arts, inspires intellectual and artistic creativity, blending learning with the harmonious expression of ideas. Saraswati inspires the harmonious blend of intellectual growth and creative expression, essential for innovation.
Symbols
The veena, lotus flower, and triangle (Mind, Body, Intellect).
Colours
White, representing purity and wisdom.
Prototype: Designing the New Logo
While studying the symbolism of these goddesses, I noticed a recurring motif—a petal from the seed of life, the inspiration for our original logo. Each of these symbols also has specific meaning which aligns with Leanseed’s values.
A leaf from the olive branch representing Athena
The values of peace, prosperity, and wisdom through balanced leadership and strategy.
An element from the veve representing Yemayá
Her connection to the ocean, embodying flowing, nurturing, and transformative powers.
A loop from the Celtic trinity representing Brigid
Balance, creativity, and the cyclical patterns of life, symbolising transformation and renewal.
An element from the yantra representing Saraswati
The dynamic and infinite flow of wisdom and creative potential through learning and growth.
At first, I experimented with tessellating these symbols around the seed of life, but soon realised that simplicity held the key to a more distinct and impactful design.
I eventually extracted a piece of the larger symbol, forming the base of our new logo. This shape represents three key ideas central to Leanseed’s mission:
- A welcoming gesture: The figure resembles a woman holding her arms out for a hug, symbolising the welcoming and inclusive nature of Leanseed. This reflects our commitment to creating a supportive and nurturing environment where ideas, individuals and businesses can grow.
- Curiosity and questioning: The shape also evokes the image of a person shrugging, illustrating our deep-rooted curiosity. We always ask “why?”—we aim to challenge assumptions, foster creativity, and explore new possibilities.
- Growth and foundation: Finally, the figure represents a seed in the process of growing, with a strong foundational root network. This reflects Leanseed’s focus on cultivating ideas and supporting their organic growth from the ground up, ensuring a stable and sustainable foundation for innovation.
These three aspects—the welcoming embrace, the curious shrug, and the growing seed—perfectly encapsulate Leanseed’s approach: human-centred, inquisitive, and rooted in strong principles of growth. I added three dots, growing in size, to reference our old logo, symbolising how we help people and businesses reach their full potential.
In choosing our new colour scheme I went back to the goddesses:
- Deep blue for the well of knowledge we draw from (inspired by Athena)
- Teal for the flow of creativity (inspired by Athena)
- Light blue for honesty and integrity (inspired by Saraswati)
- Coral for the passion we bring to everything we do (inspired by Brigid)
- Green for growth (not directly inspired by the goddesses)
Deep blue
Teal
Light blue
Coral
Green
Test: Launch and Feedback
Our new logo not only honours Leanseed’s core values but also reflects our journey toward innovation, growth, and meaningful connection. As we continue to grow, this logo serves as a reminder of the creative potential within all of us, a seed that keeps evolving. We’d love to know what you think!
