AdaptyvBio is a biotech startup developing a platform for the synthesis of proteins with engineered properties. Proteins are the most advanced known nanotechnology. They can help to solve many substantial problems, such as developing personalised medicines, finding biodegradable materials, and building renewable energy sources. The key is the ability to engineer proteins on demand with desirable properties, and AdaptyvBio is aimed to turn this into reality.
AdaptyvBio required a new visual identity and webpage. They wanted to keep the logo but update stylistics for visuals. The special request was to integrate into the new stylistics mesh-like looking graphic elements to pay homage to the computational methods they use.
We started with references and mood boards to accurately define what they would like to have. The AdaptyvBio team wanted a clean and bright solution, so we agreed on light stylistics with vibrant colours. As the next step, I looked at what types of visuals they normally use.
The two main domains where Adaptyv Bio uses graphics are informative and decorative. For the informative elements, e.g. plots and infographics, I use flat shapes with semitransparent gradient fills and black strokes. My priority was to make the stylistics easy to follow and apply through standard data visualisation tools. For decorative purposes, I use 3D models of proteins. I chose 3D to support the logo’s aesthetic and to separate decorative and informative contexts.
The challenge was that almost every protein synthesis company uses images of proteins as decorative elements. Moreover, the vast majority of protein pictures used in the field are generated by standard software and look similar. To stand out, we needed a unique image style for AdaptyvBio communications.
It was important to me to create reproducible and easy-to-use stylistics. That is, to be able to take any protein and apply styling to it by following a step-by-step algorithm. As was mentioned above, the constraint was to integrate into the graphics some mesh-looking elements. We went through various solutions to find that very one.
Explanatory graphics is an essential part of AdatyvBio communication. I aimed to create both informative and aesthetic assets for this. The crucial element was understanding the subject matter because one can not explain something that one doesn't understand. I am grateful for the fruitful discussions with the AdaptyvBio team that allowed me to dive into the topic. Thanks to this, we built together informative and illustrative visuals.
The search for proteins with a list of requested properties is a multiparameter optimisation task. A conventional one-by-one optimisation is ineffective because each next step loses the achievements of the previous ones. On the contrary, simultaneous optimisation of all the parameters gives required results. The peak values might be lower compared to the sequential approach, but the overall performance is closer to the target.
Protein synthesis and testing.
The protein is synthesised in the ribosome from the floating-around nucleotide "soup". Then the protein characteristics are measured: for example, how well it binds to the target. All the processes go simultaneously in a single microfluidic chip. That makes each iteration faster and cheaper.
The website's purpose is to convey the idea of the AdaptyvBio platform to a non-scientific audience. The narrative goes from the general to the specific: what problem the company solves, what tool it uses, what the primary approach is, and, last but not least, who the people behind it are.
Working with Elena has been very smooth and effortless. She was able to understand our point of view and ideas including the more technical and scientific ones; and she was able to materialize our concepts into a unique, novel and consistent design language. Furthermore, she was creative and came up with several proposal at every stage of design, allowing our team to identify the best way of expressing our identity. She was also confident with exploring new design techniques and tools based on our requests. I highly recommend working with her.
Daniel Nakhaee-Zadeh, AdaptyvBio COO
