Repositioning a historic organisation for a new generation of Londoners

HYELM had reached a point where its identity no longer reflected the organisation it had become.

Established in 1926, the charity has a long history of supporting young people moving to London by providing affordable, secure accommodation. But while the organisation continued to evolve, its brand, communications and digital presence had become fragmented and increasingly difficult to manage. There were also wider questions around relevance and recognition, including whether the organisation’s historic acronym still resonated with modern audiences.

At the same time, this was an organisation with deep heritage and a strong internal community. Any change needed to balance modernisation with continuity, ensuring long-standing stakeholders still felt connected to the organisation’s identity and purpose.

Before any design work began, we worked closely with residents, staff and stakeholders to understand how the organisation was perceived and whether a rebrand was genuinely needed. That collaborative approach continued throughout the process, helping create confidence, engagement and shared ownership around the direction of the work.

The result was a more cohesive and confident identity system that helped HYELM communicate more consistently across both physical and digital touchpoints.

Alongside a refreshed visual identity and brand guidelines, we supported the organisation with everything from stationery and resident communications to website redevelopment, digital marketing and ongoing strategic communications. The work focused not only on how the organisation looked, but on creating practical tools and systems that made day-to-day communication clearer and easier to manage.

Our relationship with HYELM continues today through an ongoing partnership supporting annual reports, strategic documents, campaigns and digital development. More importantly, the work helped reinforce a sense of pride and alignment across the organisation, ensuring its identity felt both relevant to new audiences and respectful of its long history.