HYELM | B1 Creative

HYELM

Hyelm are a friendly, informal, not-for-profit landlord. They support young working people who can’t afford to rent or buy privately by offering convenient and quality accommodation in great London locations. Their refreshingly open and transparent approach, with no surprises or hidden costs, makes renting with us hassle-free. Young people know exactly where they stand. They offer all their clients security, comfort and simplicity in relaxed and welcoming spaces. Hyelm also offer accommodation to key workers at less-than-market rates.

Intro

Branding is more than just a great logo; it’s how you make people feel when they come in to contact with your business, and how they respond to it. Branding speaks for you when you’re not in the room, whether that’s an email footer to a potential client or billboard ad to passersby. But it’s not enough to just look good. People are savvy and quickly see-through shallow brands with hollow promises: left unchecked reputations are quickly destroyed.

We scrutinised many aspects of the business, reviewing and rewriting processes, and interviewing past and present residents and a wider group of stakeholders. All of them felt passionately about HYELM and the great work they do, making it even more important to create a robust new identity that was fit for purpose and that everyone could be proud of.

What did we want people to think, feel and do when interacting with HYELM?

As an established provider of affordable, quality housing for young people in London for nearly 100 years, it was essential that the new identity was grounded in its heritage. In a city where rogue landlords are ten a penny, we also needed people to understand and believe that HYELM is on the side of its residents and making a positive difference to London’s housing crisis. Finally, we wanted people to feel inspired to become advocates of HYELM and spread the word. By putting residents front and centre we were able to design a bold and vibrant identity that not only stands out, but which young people relate to and want to engage with. The base colour blue instils confidence and inspires feelings of trust, loyalty and integrity. A contrasting colour pallet suggests youth and vibrancy, making people stop and take notice.

Conclusion

The new website clearly articulates both why HYELM exists and what it can offer. Navigation is intuitive and the application process has been stripped back, simplified and designed to be hassle-free. HYELM are straight-talking, approachable, fair and reliable, traits firmly rooted in the foundations of the new identity and which we are confident will serve young people well today and for the next 100 years.