Ngaren
Brand Identity

Studio: Trollbäck+Company
Role: Chief Creative Officer

We were asked by renowned paleoanthropologist Dr. Richard Leakey to create a brand identity and online home for Ngaren, a first-of-its-kind science museum in Kenya dedicated to telling the story of human origins, evolution, and climate change.

“We have the technology, and I believe we also have the brains to realize that the damage happening to the planet right now is not an asteroid, it is us.”

—Richard Leakey, Founder

Ngaren means “beginning,” and as its name suggests, the brand celebrates the beginnings of life and humanity. Rich with paleontological history, Ngaren is situated on the edge of Kenya’s Rift Valley where our ancestors were first discovered. Here, the museum allows visitors to immerse themselves in the human journey where mankind’s story began.

In 2018, the team came to us to help unify the vision for the first-of-its-kind museum while it was under development. We began by crafting a strategy that positioned Ngaren as a place where we come face-to-face with forces of change—where we celebrate the unpredictable and undeniable circumstances that shape us.

View the full case study at Trollbäck+Company.

Sustainable, flexible, and bold design elements help tell the story of our origins and future obligation to protect the planet.

We set out to create a visual brand identity that was emblematic of a beginning. The result was a logo mark that characterizes the ‘N’ of Ngaren as a spark, a heartbeat, or a timeline. The striking design functions as a multi-platform icon for Ngaren. It represents a starting point that moves forward in a continuous state of dynamic change—just like our beginning as humans on Earth.

Our logo draws users through the website as a functional navigational tool that flexes into an image mortise and page divider. As viewers click through the sections, they learn all about Ngaren’s mission, can donate to the project, and get a taste of what to expect from the full experience when it launches. Thought-provoking and informative copy invites viewers on Ngaren’s epic journey of knowledge—knowledge that will empower us to protect the planet that is our only home.