diff --git a/backend/README.md b/backend/README.md
index c3f97aa9..8ba6775b 100644
--- a/backend/README.md
+++ b/backend/README.md
@@ -12,12 +12,8 @@ npx directus-sync push \
   --directus-email admin@it4c.dev \
   --directus-password admin123
 
-npx directus-sync seed push \
-  --directus-url http://localhost:8055 \
-  --directus-email admin@it4c.dev \
-  --directus-password admin123
+./seed.sh
 
-./directus-config/seed-manual/seed.sh
 ```
 
 ## Pull Data from Docker to Harddrive
@@ -44,27 +40,8 @@ npx directus-sync push \
 
 ## Seed Data for local development
 
-Seed the development data via:
-```
-npx directus-sync seed push \
-  --directus-url http://localhost:8055 \
-  --directus-email admin@it4c.dev \
-  --directus-password admin123
-```
+In order to seed the development data, run the script `backend/seed.sh`.
 
-## Seed Data - find differences
-
-In order so see what changes would appear when seeding, you can execute:
-```
-npx directus-sync seed diff \
-  --directus-url http://localhost:8055 \
-  --directus-email admin@it4c.dev \
-  --directus-password admin123
-```
-
-## Manual Seed
-
-In order to seed files and additional data not covered by `directus-sync` run the script `backend/directus-config/seed-manual/seed.sh`.
 
 ## Backup Database
 
diff --git a/backend/directus-config/seeds/.gitignore b/backend/directus-config/seeds/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..eb9ad4c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/directus-config/seeds/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+*
+!development/
+!.gitignore
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/directus-config/seed/directus_files.json b/backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/directus_files.json
similarity index 100%
rename from backend/directus-config/seed/directus_files.json
rename to backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/directus_files.json
diff --git a/backend/directus-config/seed/files/utopia-logo.svg b/backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/files/utopia-logo.svg
similarity index 100%
rename from backend/directus-config/seed/files/utopia-logo.svg
rename to backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/files/utopia-logo.svg
diff --git a/backend/directus-config/seed/layers.json b/backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/layers.json
similarity index 100%
rename from backend/directus-config/seed/layers.json
rename to backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/layers.json
diff --git a/backend/directus-config/seed/layers_maps.json b/backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/layers_maps.json
similarity index 100%
rename from backend/directus-config/seed/layers_maps.json
rename to backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/layers_maps.json
diff --git a/backend/directus-config/seed/maps.json b/backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/maps.json
similarity index 100%
rename from backend/directus-config/seed/maps.json
rename to backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/maps.json
diff --git a/backend/directus-config/seed/types.json b/backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/types.json
similarity index 100%
rename from backend/directus-config/seed/types.json
rename to backend/directus-config/seeds/development/directus/types.json
diff --git a/backend/directus-config/seeds/development/manual/branding-logo.sql b/backend/directus-config/seeds/development/manual/branding-logo.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e9efc137
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/directus-config/seeds/development/manual/branding-logo.sql
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+UPDATE public.directus_settings SET project_logo = (SELECT id FROM directus_files WHERE filename_download = 'utopia-logo.svg');
diff --git a/backend/seed.sh b/backend/seed.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ac58d444
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/seed.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# base setup
+SCRIPT_PATH=$(realpath $0)
+SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $SCRIPT_PATH)
+
+DIRECTUS_URL="${DIRECTUS_URL:-http://localhost:8055}"
+DIRECTUS_EMAIL="${DIRECTUS_EMAIL:-admin@it4c.dev}"
+DIRECTUS_PASSWORD="${DIRECTUS_PASSWORD:-admin123}"
+
+PGPASSWORD="${PGPASSWORD:-'directus'}"
+PGUSER="${PGUSER:-'directus'}" 
+PGDATABASE="${PGDATABASE:-'directus'}" 
+
+PROJECT_NAME="${PROJECT:-development}"
+PROJECT_FOLDER=$SCRIPT_DIR/directus-config/seeds/$PROJECT_NAME
+
+
+npx directus-sync seed push \
+  --directus-url $DIRECTUS_URL \
+  --directus-email $DIRECTUS_EMAIL \
+  --directus-password $DIRECTUS_PASSWORD \
+  --seed-path $PROJECT_FOLDER/directus
+
+
+SEED_SQL_DIR=$PROJECT_FOLDER/manual
+
+# apply database updates
+for filename in $SEED_SQL_DIR/*.sql; do
+  docker exec -i utopia-map-database-1 /bin/bash -c "PGPASSWORD=$PGPASSWORD psql -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 --username $PGUSER $PGDATABASE" < $filename
+done
\ No newline at end of file