Erthos

The brief

Erthos is a climate technology company working to cut the world’s dependence on plastics by scaling the adoption of biomaterials. Its scientists and engineers develop plant-based bioresins and bioadditives, and a proprietary machine learning platform takes bespoke materials for global brands from idea to market five times faster. As it moved from supplying materials to running a fully integrated material studio, Erthos needed institutional credibility to match, and a voice for what sustainability so often lacks: trust, real expertise and optimism.

The system

WØRKS worked alongside the Erthos leadership team and built the brand on three principles: trust, education and optimism. A complex technical story called for a modular, gridded system inspired by the design standards of NASA and the New York City Transit Authority. Adjustable grids and compartments hold variable data so the science reads at a glance, and repeatable spacing and sizing standards keep every touchpoint in proportion. Emotive photography and CGI bring warmth to the rigor, and the website carries the same system online.

The identity

At the center sits a circle of three dots, an essentialist mark that stands for circularity and for the planet and nods to historic symbols of planetary health. WØRKS refined it through development so it holds up in every application without losing recognition. The typography takes reduction almost to the extreme: one typeface, Suisse Int’l by Swiss Typefaces, in a single regular weight, governed by precise rules for tracking, proportion, color and leading. Color itself is used with intent, only to highlight key points and build clear hierarchies.