2025
Role: Concept, Research Direction, Branding
Objective: Change the way we perceive seaweed—from foreign ingredient to future protein.
Collaboration: Cat Truong and Erasmus MC
We started with a question that seemed simple:
Why don’t people in the Netherlands eat seaweed?
Despite being one of the most sustainable protein sources on Earth, seaweed rarely leaves the sushi plate. Together with a medical professional from Erasmus MC, We explored how design could shift that perception, turning a climate-friendly resource into an everyday craving.
Our hypothesis: people don’t reject seaweed for its taste, but for its image. It feels slimy, distant, and unappetizing. We wanted to rebrand it by reframing it as something aspirational and functional.
From Research to Reality
We created OCN, a brand built from the ocean, for our health.
My partner did the prroduct development: cooking, testing, and prototyping.
The result was a real crisp made from seaweed, rice, chickpeas, and pea protein.
Reframing Functional Food
During research, I uncovered how functional foods, products promising health benefits beyond nutrition, are shaping a new kind of lifestyle.
Protein has become a status symbol, but one often tied to gym culture and masculinity.
The functional food market is highly fragmented, with each brand catering for its own audience. The brand you consume says something about your personal brand.
Around this idea, I built a visual language and first packaging designs for our actual and future products.