Ecological Intelligence

Building the plane while flying it

Marcus and Mark are co-founders of Ecological Intelligence, a new digitally-focused venture in the agricultural sector.

Their ambition is to give farmers direct access to essential tools at low cost and high volume, bypassing the traditional advisory chain entirely.

But while their vision was clear, nothing existed yet. No brand, no website, no investor materials, no go-to-market strategy. Everything needed to happen at once, and all of it had to feel like an established business, not a startup still finding its feet.

“We recognised that in building a new company that was going to be heavily digitally focused, we needed to do several things simultaneously. A bit like trying to fly the airplane and build it.”

They recognised the breadth of what was needed. Not just design. Not just development. Strategy, brand, technology and creative thinking, all under one roof and all moving at pace.

“We’re getting the same kind of really powerful capability that we would have got from a much bigger London-based firm, from a really strong team based here in Devon.”

What We Did

• Brand strategy and positioning for a new AgriTech venture
• Visual identity, logo, and comprehensive brand guidelines
• Website design and development
• Investor deck and presentation materials
• Go-to-market strategy informed by Daniel Priestley’s Oversubscribed framework
• AI-enhanced creative workflow using Miro for collaborative project delivery
• Ongoing strategic partnership and follow-on engagement

Craft and speed in the same room

The relationship started with a shared obsession. Richard, Vu’s co-founder, and Marcus were both deep into AI experimentation, swapping notes and quietly racing each other to find new applications.

That mutual curiosity meant both teams were already aligned before any formal brief was written.

The project evolved through genuine co-creation. Brand strategy workshops led into website design and build, then investor decks and visual assets. Design and development worked hand in hand throughout.

Miro-based project boards gave Marcus and Mark full visibility across brand, marketing and strategy in real time, with regular check-ins and open channels for feedback replacing the traditional agency cycle of vanishing for weeks.

“Historically, I was used to agencies disappearing for a week, two weeks, a month. This was much more iteratively dynamic and much faster turnaround.”

Dom brought strategic thinking from the very first meeting, drawing on Daniel Priestley’s Oversubscribed to propose a quick go-to-market model that created scarcity and allowed the MVP to be released and scaled.

AI accelerated the creative process without replacing the craft. More could be delivered in less time, and the quality went up, not down.

“As long as we have good context for the machine, and we don’t pretend that’s the final solution, then we can have a swift iteration to support the creative process.” explains Vu Director Dominic Cooper.

The Solution

A brand, website, investor materials, and go-to-market strategy, giving Ecological Intelligence clarity, confidence, and a platform to grow.

Since completing the initial engagement, Ecological Intelligence has seen a shift in how they present themselves and how others perceive them.

When the brand work was presented to their non-executive director, a senior figure in food industry M&A, he described it as beautiful.

The brand guide became the benchmark for everything the business produced. And when the assets went out into the wider world, the absence of criticism said just as much.

As Mark puts it, everyone’s a designer and everyone has an opinion. The silence spoke volumes.

The engagement has since evolved into a long-term strategic partnership, with follow-on work commissioned and Vu Digital built into Ecological Intelligence’s plans for growth.

“It’s a no brainer. Really good people. Know what they’re doing. Will challenge you in the right way. Will ask questions that push you to think about things you haven’t thought about, even if you think you know what you’re doing. Also, a good commercial partner. And it’s clear to us that this is a long-term relationship.”

Marcus Link, Co-founder, Ecological Intelligence