HAMK – Brand strategy, visual identity, website and application design
Encapsulating the spirit of a changemaking community
The business target
Ambitious goals require an ambitious brand
Häme University of Applied Sciences operates across seven campuses and online, offering a wide range of disciplines. In response to the increasingly competitive global talent landscape, HAMK aims to attract dedicated students and researchers committed to driving positive change. However, their brand image fell short of reflecting the institution’s ambitious goals. Our objective was to capture the authentic spirit of the community and develop a compelling brand story and identity that resonates.
Ways to make the brand refresh collaborative
- Brand Taskforce of people from all corners of the organisation was involved in strategic decisions and workshops
- Brand Coffee Breaks, organised by the HAMK communications team, provided a simple way for everyone to contribute
- Continuous feedback loop for iterating the content
- Interviews with students – both current and prospective – in two stages of the process
- Quantitative validation study in key international markets to ensure global desirability
Brand strategy
You can save the world with both feet on the ground
To truly grasp the essence of HAMK’s identity, we opted for a bottom-up approach. Throughout the process, we actively sought input from HAMK employees, researchers, and students. Additionally, we conducted interviews with upper secondary school students to gauge the type of academic branding that resonates with potential future learners.
We developed and tested various positioning and brand identity strategies. To ensure global appeal, a quantitative study was carried out in multiple international markets. Following a thorough assessment, a clear direction emerged: HAMK stands as a community of practical problem-solvers who believe in making a tangible impact on the world.
Visual identity
Can you solve the puzzle?
The refreshed visual identity represents HAMK’s diversity. It blends a forward-looking, almost boldly futuristic look with a humane, down-to-earth feeling. Resembling a puzzle, the logo invites personal interpretation and engagement. The vibrant colour palette offers abundant choices for impactful communication. The brand photos by Carl Bergman also play with the contrasts between distinctive rural landscapes and state-of-the-art modern learning spaces. In developing the visual identity, a significant emphasis was placed on accessibility, with meticulous curation of typefaces and colours that surpass the most stringent standards.
Digital design
Inspiring and user-friendly website
The HAMK website is accessed by thousands of students, researchers, employees, and applicants every day. It serves multiple roles, from inspiring potential applicants to learn more about HAMK, to aiding students in navigating between diverse learning platforms and course materials. Our task was to bring the new brand identity to life while creating a user-friendly and clear web service for every member of the HAMK community.
Results
“The Kuudes team quickly caught up with our thinking and ambitious goals. The work was genuinely done together, and the core was refined until it became a true diamond. The end result is an international and forward-looking brand that our entire community can be proud of.”
– Mari Kamaja,
Director of Communications
Häme University of Applied Sciences
