Haio – a Bristol-based digital product consultancy – was born out of instinct, enthusiasm and skill. Creating world-class user experiences, they evolved without time to stop and think about their direction and purpose. In order to take the next step with confidence, they needed to define their USP and articulate it clearly for future and current clients.
It was essential to pinpoint what makes this business unique and put a confident strategy in place for sharing that message. The name Haio, although inspired by a cool Icelandic town, was tricky to pronounce and spell. We needed a new name that was memorable, with no risk of confusion. We also needed to build a strong brand, without looking bland. There are plenty identikit web design agencies out there that lack purpose and character. We weren’t about to create another one.
Working with Sue and the team at The Co-Foundry has been fantastic. They really know how to cut the fluff and focus in on the insights which bring value to our business. Together we were able to bring some much-needed clarity to our positioning and identity. I’m thrilled with the results and can’t wait to continue growing the business from the solid base they have helped us build.
—Harry Cobbold, Founder, Unfold
Our process was one of discovery and co-creation. During our brand workshop we learnt of the huge strategic input founder Harry and his team offer each and every one of their clients. Their investment in questioning and examining all the possibilities, opens up new opportunities for their clients. This, along with their ambition to simplify and remove technical barriers for clients, positions them as much more than web app developers. The new name chosen – Unfold – captures the role they provide aptly, creating systems that make room for clients to unfurl and reach their full potential. It also suggests a simple way of working with paper and pen, refreshingly going against the grain of hi-tech jargon named competitors. We developed a clear brand belief, values and purpose, and outlined the value they add to projects over other competitors. We also developed clear content pillars. These were topic areas that Unfold could structure their website around, offer consultancy on and in time, own within the B2B industry. All this was wrapped up in a kitbag of tools both visual and verbal to build character and express the Unfold brand promise.
The Unfold team work swiftly from low fidelity prototypes to high fidelity end products. Our concept focused on the value they bring at the prototype phase, with sketch marks representing the initial stages of product development. The combination of sketch book graphics alongside streamlined UI design examples demonstrates that ‘drawing board’ thinking and finessed design are equally important to Unfold on every project they take on.
