I was responsible for crafting the brand identity for Helia Collaborative, a feminist intermediary working to connect funding with projects that centre women. Guided by their strapline, we are the light the cracks let in, the identity is built around the idea of light as both a visual and conceptual device: something that reveals, reaches, and redistributes.
The design language unfolds through a carefully selected typeface featuring ink traps and moments of exposure, allowing light to quite literally seep into the letterforms. This subtle intervention becomes a core gesture across the identity, reflecting Helia’s role in opening up existing systems and creating space for new pathways to emerge. The logo was refined to emphasise the sun as a central motif, acting as a symbol of both warmth and redistribution; a quiet but constant force.
Art direction leans into a sun-dappled, filmic quality, foregrounding human presence and lived experience. Light is never static; it moves across skin, surfaces, and environments, echoing the flow of funding and support. The colour palette draws from ideas of sun and democracy, balancing warmth with clarity, and reinforcing a sense of openness and accessibility.
Extending across digital and physical touchpoints, the identity creates a cohesive and intentional visual system that mirrors Helia’s mission: to help funding flow where it’s most needed, and to support feminist work in being seen, sustained, and realised.
ART DIRECTION
GRAPHIC DESIGN
BRANDING