Building a corporate brand identity for building control surveyors.

We undertook the brand naming strategy as the initial step before going on to consolidate the brand identity. Instead of using derivations of their full names, which seemed too cumbersome and long-winded, we decided to only utilise the initials of their surnames. We felt that it would be much more succinct to use on a daily basis as well as having strong visual identity possibilities from a design point of view.

For us is was key to bear in mind the subconscious associations that people sometimes make with symbols and visual devices. We felt that an ampersand in place of the word ‘and’ between the initials would be too traditional for the modern corporate id that the client was looking for, and in itself it was too irregular looking. The best option was to join the H and O by placing a ‘plus’ symbol between them giving the logo a contemporary look, and by association, a ‘positive’ feel.

A visual identity only really comes to life when all of its brand elements work together – the logo, typography, colours, etc. Our corporate id for H+O utilises a strong logo design combined with bold typography and brand colours that reflect their industry – particularly the hi-vis yellow which is ubiquitous in construction. We undertook the print design of H+O’s business cards and letterheads by sympathetically combining these elements. This continues through in our website design with its contemporary look designed specifically to enhance the client’s online presence.

Space is given for the text and imagery to breathe and the minimalist layout allows viewers to navigate the mobile-optimised site easily. It showcases what the company does with case studies backed up by testimonials from previous customers. Also, the supplied text on the main pages has been reworked – not only with SEO performance in mind but also to get the right tone of voice for the company as this too is an important part of the overall corporate id.