Under After created the brand identity for Temporal, translating epigenetics research into grower-friendly language. The visual system and plant memory metaphor help differentiate the technology in a $50B crop loss market.
“We had a compelling story about our technology, but Mark helped us make it more accessible. He gave us our best tagline: Plants have memories too. The bookmark-leaf symbol instantly communicates what we do. The brand imagery positions us differently. Instead of looking like an AgTech startup, we stand out as a company that respects agricultural tradition while advancing the science. I highly recommend Mark as a creative partner and am thrilled with the outcome of our work together.”
American farmers lose $50 billion annually to unpredictable weather. Heat waves, drought, frost damage. Temporal, an agriculture-focused startup backed by Notation Capital, Alt Capital, and Night Capital, discovered a different path: using epigenetics to activate defense systems already encoded in plant DNA.
The brand challenge was communication, not science. Growers evaluating Temporal's technology needed to understand how molecular bookmarks activate stress resistance genes without requiring a biology degree.
Mark Forscher worked with Temporal's founders, CEO Chuck Frazier and CTO Savannah Dearden, to create a brand identity and messaging that made the science accessible.
The brand strategy centered on a metaphor: plant DNA as encyclopedia, epigenetic markers as bookmarks. Plants contain all the information needed to defend against stress, they just need help finding it quickly. This framing respected agricultural expertise while making molecular biology comprehensible. The tagline emerged from this approach: Plants have memories too.
The visual identity reinforced biological positioning over technological aesthetics. Under After developed a leaf-bookmark symbol representing how Temporal's molecular bookmarks help plants access genetic defenses. The imagery avoided typical AgTech conventions. No satellite imagery, dashboard screenshots, or precision agriculture graphics. Instead, the brand used botanical illustration combined with contemporary typography, signaling respect for agricultural tradition while communicating advanced science.
The website architecture followed grower decision-making patterns. Lead with the problem growers recognize: unpredictable weather destroying crops. Show the outcome they want: yield protection during stress events. Then explain the science using the bookmark metaphor to make epigenetics concrete rather than abstract.
The brand identity positioned Temporal to address a $50 billion annual market in crop losses by making molecular biology accessible to agricultural audiences. The technology offers approximately 15-20% yield protection during heat waves. The messaging framework and visual system gave Temporal tools to explain sophisticated science without alienating growers.
