Hearst UK partnered with London College of Communication (LCC) to collaborate with MA Graphic Branding and Identity students on shaping the future visual identity of its home interiors brand, House Beautiful. The brief challenged students to develop a distinctive, widely recognisable pattern identity that captures the essence of “home,” translating brand insight into future-facing design applications across homeware and outdoor products, and online brand touchpoints.
The project was embedded within the curriculum and launched to 40 students through a live briefing and Q&A hosted at Hearst’s headquarters, led by the company’s in-house creative team. Students gained first-hand insight into the brand, its audiences, and emerging trends within the sector.
Contact
LCC Research and Knowledge Exchange
Email: partnerships@lcc.arts.ac.uk
Across the project, students participated in two innovation-led workshops led by LCC academic experts, Oswin Tickler & Josie Molloy, exploring creative coding and screen-printing techniques to experiment with more innovative and sustainable design approaches.
Following an initial development phase, 25 students were shortlisted to submit detailed project proposals, which were presented to Hearst UK at a final pitching and review event.
The winning team - Claire Olibet, Pauline Seidlich, Jada Thavisri, and Joy Witty - was selected for their concept Layers of Home. The proposal centred on bold geometric patterns adaptable across different domestic contexts, using interchangeable motif silhouettes inspired by furniture and crockery to signal use across varied living spaces.
Runners-up Yingfan Wang, Hoda Khalifa, and Mengyuan Jin drew inspiration from patchwork quilts, reinterpreting traditional notions of home through contemporary pattern design. Their concept demonstrated how a single pattern system could be transformed through multiple colour palettes-ranging from vibrant and playful to neutral and timeless-allowing for broad application across product ranges.
Student work
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Work by Claire Olibet, Pauline Seidlich, Jada Thavisri, Joy Witty, MA Graphic Branding and Identity
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Design by Mengyuan Jin, Hoda Khalifa and Yingfan Wang, BA Graphic Branding and Identity.
Project credits
- Paul Jackson, Course Leader MA Graphic Branding and Identity
- Ellen Mather, Lecturer MA Graphic Branding and Identity
- Pearl Sun, Senior Lecturer MA Graphic Branding & Identity
- MA Graphic Branding and Identity students: Claire Olibet, Pauline Seidlich, Jada Thavisri, Joy Witty, Mengyuan Jin, Hoda Khalifa, Yingfan Wang
Find out more
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