Twice Shy’s punk Underbug branding gives overlooked insects a voice

Most people think about bees when conservation comes up. But what about the ladybirds, the lacewings, the dragonflies? These insects keep ecosystems functioning, yet they’re rarely part of the conversation. Shams, who founded Underbug, started making 3D-printed clay habitats for these overlooked species during his studies. The handmade shelters worked beautifully, but the project needed something more to become a viable brand. That’s where Twice Shy came in. The studio’s first move was the name itself. Underbug plays on underdog, immediately positioning these forgotten insects as scrappy fighters deserving attention. It’s cheeky without being cute, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. That attitude carries through the entire visual system. The identity takes its cues from punk zines and protest culture, with GT Pressura Mono as the sole typeface – the kind of stencil or typewriter font anyone could use to make something at home. “The typography system is modular, raw and mechanical,” Co-Founder Jeroen van den Bogaert explains. “Every decision ties back to the core idea of the zine… collaborators working from their own spaces to create something unified yet full of individual character. And in this case, the ‘zine’ being created is focused on insects fighting for housing rights.” Set in all caps, it demands rather than asks. The colour palette started broad and vibrant, like pages printed on different paper stocks, then got refined for packaging. “The beige became our anchor colour, referencing old paper and reused newsprint, grounding the identity in something tactile and real,” van den Bogaert adds. This wasn’t arbitrary aesthetic territory. The founder’s initial mood boards pointed toward raw, DIY energy, which the studio developed through research into protest culture and early zine layouts. “We’re moving away from a culture of politeness and careful messaging, and into a more raw, demand-led era, whether it’s the environment, social justice, or global conflicts,” van den Bogaert notes. “Punk gives us permission to meet that moment – to be imperfect, outspoken and real.”