Long-Term Brand Strategy for a Bio-Inspired Robotics Startup
THE IDENTITY
How might I help a modular robotics company build a mythological brand world - while turning their lifelike prototype into the symbol of a new evolutionary system?
THE CHALLENGE
Hengbot had world-class innovation: a modular tech system inspired by evolution and a robotic dog prototype with uncanny realism. But the brand fell flat - no clear audience, no emotional pull, no cohesive story. Their ambitious platform lacked the world, language, and belief system it needed to become more than tech.
THE APPROACH
I reframed the work: this wasn’t about selling Sparky. It was about designing a brand universe that made Sparky feel inevitable.
The process began with renaming Sparky to Sirius, then recontextualizing Hengbot’s modular system as a new species architecture - more like nature’s codebase than robotic parts. I built a full speculative narrative system (“The Hengbot Universe”) that mapped modular robotics to bio-inspired evolution and framed each upcoming device as a character within that system. The strategic roadmap included short-, mid-, and long-term innovation arcs - each tied to archetypal themes, product purpose, and worldbuilding logic. Visuals, language, sound, and tone were all redesigned to speak not just to engineers, but to audiences, creators, investors, and future partners. It wasn’t branding. It was myth-making.
THE OUTCOMES
Deliverables and External Results
Developed The Hengbot Universe: a future-facing mythological brand framework
Renamed and repositioned flagship product (Sparky → Sirius)
Designed strategic product roadmap across three narrative evolution phases
Created visual identity system blending glitch futurism + nature logic
Delivered 60+ page Brand Bible: strategy, philosophy, visuals, naming, tone, campaigns
Crafted modular messaging and story architecture for future product launches
Designed hero campaigns: virtual mascot + AI-generated narrative short
Internal Shifts
Founder felt the brand finally reflected the vision in his head - something no prior team had achieved
Strategic narrative enabled future hires and partners to instantly grasp the mission
Teams adopted a shared worldview for design, comms, and development
Sirius was no longer just a prototype. It became a symbol of the Hengbot origin story
