PROJECT.01 / 07
Brand Identity & Experiential / 2025
Hadean × Sceptre
A coalition identity and immersive booth experience for Hadean, launched at DSEI — shifting the perception of a Silicon Valley startup into a sovereign capability for next-gen synthetic training.
Hadean provides the invisible infrastructure behind next-gen synthetic training and strategic simulation. The challenge was twofold: stand out on a show floor dominated by BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin, and launch Sceptre — a new coalition of five UK tech SMEs spanning AI, drones, and command systems under a single, sovereign-feeling banner.
The identity had to communicate future-ready tech without alienating a traditional military audience, and unify five distinct product stacks without flattening them.
// The finished stand at DSEI — a physical manifestation of Hadean's Aether Engine.
For the booth, I moved away from standard corporate signage toward an immersive Mission Control environment: dark surfaces, neon data-accent colours, and large-format UI visualisations that turned the stand into a physical expression of Hadean's technology rather than an advert for it.
The Sceptre identity itself is rooted in precision. Stark typography sits on a modular grid system, symbolising how five partner companies plug into a single, robust stack. We initially explored a light theme, but committed to Digital Command (dark mode) to balance the military weight with the tech-forward edge.
Greater than the sum of our parts.
// Logo iterations leading to the official Sceptre mark.
// Hadean × Sceptre — the official brand identity.
// Hadean & Sceptre enamel pins — the identity translated into wearable detail.
The rebrand and activation cemented Hadean's position as a disruptive leader in the defence sector, shifting external perception from startup to sovereign capability. Five SME technologies were unified under the Sceptre banner, and the booth directly facilitated integration conversations with Palantir and the UK MoD.
Footfall and dwell time outperformed Hadean's previous industry events, and the identity system has since been adopted as the foundation for future defence sector activations.