Holdfast
Coastal stewardship rooted in science and shaped by community.
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Holdfast is a self-initiated rebrand for a California-based non-profit I followed in my time in Los Angeles.
The non-profit is responsible for protecting the state's 124 marine protected areas, bringing together scientists, tribes, fishermen, artists, and volunteers across 14 regional groups to steward the coastline and advocate for the communities who depend on it.
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In creating the project brief, I was drawn to the holdfast, the root-like structure at the base of kelp. Its primary role is to anchor to the seafloor, keeping the kelp plant and forest from being washed away by the current. Given the goals of the organization and its regional and ecological importance, I used kelp as a primary inspiration for the brand identity system.
The visual identity system draws from natural history field guides, the Whole Earth Catalog, and the deep, saturated greens of kelp forests, blending scientific utilitarianism with editorial design. Holdfast is a reconsideration of what brand can look like for mission-driven organizations.
