The brief is to develop a brand identity for Cove, a new youth hostel and safe community space opening in central London. The organisation supports teenagers and young adults who are experiencing homelessness, unstable housing, or who are seeking support to move away from environments involving crime, abuse, or substance misuse. Originally founded as an online support forum and resource platform, Cove has grown into a trusted community network and is now expanding into physical spaces that provide both accommodation and social support. The new site, located in Lewisham, will transform disused warehouse buildings into a youth hostel capable of housing over 100 residents, alongside shared social areas and an event space designed to encourage community, connection, and personal development. With the opening scheduled for the summer, the organisation is seeking a bold and disruptive visual identity that will help raise awareness of its work, guide marketing and campaign materials, and create a memorable and impactful brand that reflects its mission as a safe, supportive space for young people.

My concept is centred around the idea of building foundations, using London’s brutalist architecture as a visual reference to create a bold and disruptive design style. A custom monospace typeface reinforces this idea, reflecting the structured, modular quality of building blocks. From this, I developed a flexible logo system constructed from a single “Cove brick,” allowing the identity to expand and adapt as the hostel grows. The largely monochromatic aesthetic provides a neutral base, giving residents the freedom to add their own expression and personality to the space. In this way, the branding acts not only as a visual identity but also as a symbolic foundation -supporting both the hostel itself and the community that will grow within it.