Natural and formaldehyde-free
Many adhesives are one or the other. Being both is what sets Sestec apart — and it can be said plainly, with data.
CASE STUDY 2024
A warmer identity for a science-led company
Sestec develops formaldehyde-free, protein-based adhesives for wood panels. The technology was ready; the brand and website were not. I refreshed the identity, designed the communication materials and website, and supervised the Webflow build.
01 THE PROBLEM
Strong technology, but very little to show a potential partner.
Regulation was increasing interest in formaldehyde-free adhesives, and Sestec already had a working technology. What it lacked was a clear identity, a website that explained the offer and practical materials the team could use in sales conversations.
Its adhesives end up inside furniture boards sold under its partners' names, so the company lives on trust and service rather than on a product shelf. The old identity did not show a company leading the move away from formaldehyde.
A house with a glue drop. The old logo had recognition worth keeping — and several companies share the name Sestec, so clients had to keep recognising this one.
Three names, no system. Different notes on every business card and nothing ready for fairs, print or the web.
Many thin pages. Different content in each language and no single place for proof.
Not a shop. Every client gets a custom solution, so the site had to explain the technology, not sell from a catalogue.
02 WHAT THE WORKSHOPS SHOWED
One workshop gave us a much clearer brief.
FROM THE BRAND DNA WORKSHOP
Science, but human
No cold, “medical” lab look. Wood, the process and real people, with the women who run much of the company in front.
Two kinds of clients
Long-term partners want predictability; startups and R&D teams come for innovation.
European, proud of Poland
Global in its partnerships, European in its roots, with a mostly Polish team.
Methods: personality sliders, archetypes, a values matrix, SWOT
03 THE IDEA
Bonding with Nature, Building the Future.
The direction combines two things that are central to Sestec: scientific expertise and natural raw materials. The visual language needed to feel credible and technical without becoming cold or clinical.
Innovation
A new path for clients cutting their carbon footprint.
Sustainability
Safe products that meet ecological standards.
Competence
Quality, support and deliveries clients can rely on.
THE BRAND PERSONALITY
Explorer meets Sage.
Explorer reflects the company’s interest in new materials and new applications. Sage adds the research, evidence and technical confidence that clients expect.
Brand archetypesExplorer + Sage
04 BRAND SYSTEM
The drop stayed. Everything around it became simpler.
Several companies use the name Sestec, so recognition mattered. The old house-and-drop mark was simplified rather than replaced, giving the company a cleaner system without making the brand feel unfamiliar.
06 INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Five focused sections instead of many thin pages.
The structure follows the questions a potential partner is likely to ask: who Sestec is, how the technology works, what cooperation looks like and how to get in touch. Evidence sits close to the claims it supports.
07 THE WEBSITE
A clearer explanation of the technology and its uses.
THE STARTING POINT
The old site had many thin subpages, different content in each language and no single place for proof.
Two technologies, clear uses. Soy-based and animal protein-based adhesives each get their own page, with their raw materials and applications.
Proof in one place. A Pfleiderer case study, published work, patents, certificates and partners such as Globmix, IHD and Poznań University.
Built so the client can run it. A Webflow build, planned for English, Polish and German, that the team can update without a developer.
08 DESIGN SYSTEM
A small system for consistent pages.
The same colour, type and component rules were used across the website and communication materials.
COLOUR
Forest Green #58703B
White #FFFFFF
Muted Green #BAC593
Sapphire Blue #1E3855
Light Blue #758FA5
Gradient #BAC593–#1E3855
Aa
TYPOGRAPHY
Red Hat Display
Regular and Semibold for everything — technical, open and easy to read in English, Polish and German.
09 INTERACTIONS
Selected interactions.
10 FINAL DESIGN
Five pages, one calm system.
EXAMPLE SCREEN · HOME
Open live Webflow prototype
11 STATUS
The website was completed and published.
The final site was built in Webflow and handed over to the client. Its main domain is currently offline, but the complete build remains available at sestec-prototype.webflow.io.
MY PART
— Brand refresh — logo, colours, type
— Print — letterheads, cards, signage
— Client workshops and brand DNA
— Sitemap, wireframes, clickable prototype
— UI design — desktop and mobile
— Webflow build and launch
HANDED OVER
— Brand guidelines and logo files
— Print templates
— Photo shoot brief
— Figma files — desktop and mobile
— Webflow site the team can edit
— Structure ready for EN, PL and DE