Yoon Bee Baek / Hyunji Jun – Cellsense: A Biomaterial Brand Identity for a Post-Plastic Future

Cellsense is a biomaterial company pioneering sustainable embellishments—most notably beads—made from algae and regenerated cellulose. Colored with non-toxic alternatives such as bioluminescent compounds and bioengineered bacterial dyes, these embellishments offer a thoughtful and ethical alternative to microplastic-based materials and unethical production. Born in a bio lab as a compassionate response to the fashion industry’s environmental and human cost, Cellsense embodies a regenerative, science-driven vision for the future designers.

The brand identity reflects this origin and ethos. The visual system draws from the product’s circular-modular form and its unique lifecycle—from bio-based formation to its compostable return to the earth—while a delicately scripted logo evokes human touch and craftsmanship. These elements evolve in motion, portraying cells and the vitality of living nature. Together, they serve as a reminder that we, too, are small, dynamic parts of the greater organism of the world.

Bringing biotechnology into fashion’s language, the Cellsense brand system was built at the company’s formative stage, helping the B2B biotech startup secure global presence and making its technology more approachable to designers and industry partners. Its identity has elevated the company’s visibility through international publications including Vogue Britain, i-D Italy, The Hindu, Voice of Fashion, and Grazia, as well as global platforms such as the UN and Forbes. In 2025, the brand identity was recognized with a Red Dot Award in Brand & Communication Design, acknowledging the system’s role in shaping a new aesthetic and ethical vocabulary for biomaterial innovation.