DEEP

A design infrastructure for making humans aquatic

Design Systems
Technology
Brand Architecture
Product Design
Climate Tech
Illuminated futuristic underwater research station with large circular windows and divers nearby on the sea floor at night.
MAKE HUMANS AQUATIC

THE CHALLENGE

DEEP needed to shift from startup chaos to credible, NASA-scale ocean exploration company. No design system. Multiple teams. Products ranging from submarines to dive habitats to mission patches. Brand needed to reflect the audacity of making humans aquatic.
DELIVERY

Complete brand design system spanning physical and digital products. UX/UI for website and app with 3D animations. Internal dive sign alphabet for technical dive teams. Liveries for submarines and habitats. Mission patches, uniforms, expedition maps. Communications design system. Sustainability program materials. Operational design across campus architecture, interiors, pitch materials, and meeting frameworks.

Grid drawing of the Deep logotype showing measurements and instructions for correct proportions, stroke width, and curves for large applications.
Two-page document featuring a circular Vanguard mission patch with a helmet and dates on the left, and Deep headquarters letterhead including logo, address, letter, and envelope outline on the right.
Two-page layout showing iconography on the left with various symbols in a grid, and on the right, text explaining cover and interior formatting concepts with three example page layouts using orange blocks and black text.
CREATIVE LEAD

MY ROLE

Complete brand design system spanning physical and digital products. UX/UI for website and app with 3D animations. Internal dive sign alphabet for technical dive teams. Liveries for submarines and habitats. Mission patches, uniforms, expedition maps. Communications design system. Sustainability program materials. Operational design across campus architecture, interiors, pitch materials, and meeting frameworks.

Underwater industrial platform with a large green cylindrical tank and two divers swimming nearby.
Industrial machinery model with a bright green cylindrical tank mounted on a black metal framework with red coil components.
3D model showing a cutaway section of an offshore oil platform with an internal view of the living quarters and equipment in white and green highlights.
Industrial black metal platform structure with a bright green cylindrical tank secured by a grey frame, elevated on four legs with red piping beneath.
CATEGORY CREATION

THE OUTCOME

Created new category in ocean exploration. First product (Vanguard habitat) now live. Design system enabled DEEP to operate at institutional scale - from dive operations to investor pitches to physical infrastructure.

Timeline of pioneering underwater habitats with models from Conshelf I (1962) to Sentinel (2027), including Sealab III (1969) and Vanguard (2025).
Floating modular structure with stacked containers and an orange equipment unit on a calm body of water, surrounded by rocky cliffs and trees.
Industrial robotic arm inside a factory positioned behind a large cylindrical metal piece resting on a wooden pallet.
Modular floating platform on water with cargo containers and mechanical crane arm handling orange container.
Dimly lit industrial space with multiple open doors revealing workstations and equipment inside.
Six black cylindrical mechanical parts with circular openings aligned horizontally on a beige background.

ARTICLES

FURTHER READING

VIEW ALL

DOCUMENTATION

AI

Modern building with angular concrete walls and vertical rust-coloured metal accents under a clear blue sky.

Gendo AI

Created product documentation architecture for generative AI design tool that improved code quality and designer-developer communication.

WEBFLOW

ENVIRONMENTAL

Black and white aerial view of a winding river flowing between sandy terrain and dark forested land with the text 'Huma/n/ature' and large partial text 'Moshun.'

Moshun Earth

Web development and Webflow build under tight deadline with custom brand implementation and seamless client handover.

TRAINING

TRANSFORMATION

Black and white photo of an open-plan office with four people working at desks with computers, large windows, indoor plants, and a patterned rug on wooden floors.

Hey! What?

Five-day systems training that transformed agency from platform dependency to £60k+ in new Webflow sales and promoted designer to senior role.

Hamish Duncan runs HUX, a design systems practice in Bristol, UK. He teaches operator-led no-code workshops for teams who need to scale without chaos. Before design systems: professional snowboarder. Spinal injury 2004. Shift from momentum to structure. 16 years building systems that hold—Hargreaves Lansdown (1.7M users), brand architecture, technical implementation.

Build at the speed of thought.

BOOK AN INTRO
BRISTOL, UK

Winter 2025/26 workshops now open.
‍hamish@hamishduncan.com
‍+44 (0)7832 839 543

HUX flag
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