Invest Hertfordshire
Branding a bold new force in regional investment
A confident brand identity for a local authority initiative, designed to compete with the UK’s top regions and capture investor attention.
The challenge
Hertfordshire LEP launched Invest Hertfordshire to do exactly what the name says – secure county-wide inward investment. The standalone brand was created to attract new business, support expansion, and retain thriving companies in the region.
With no existing coordinated offer across Hertfordshire, the dedicated new nonprofit brand needed to unify key stakeholders and speak directly to investors, landowners, developers, and business decision-makers. To succeed, the brand needed to be clear, confident, and distinct – both from the local authority and from competing cities and regions.
Having worked with Hertfordshire Futures (formerly Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership) since 2015 on multiple brand design projects across their portfolio, I was brought in as a trusted partner to lead the creative direction and design a visual identity for this ambitious new brand. They needed a strategic partner who understood the third sector, local authority context, and the realities of in-house implementation.
Project scope
Visual identity
Logo design
Creative direction
Exhibition stand design
Prospectus design
Digital templates
Positioning a nonprofit brand with purpose
The brief called for a standalone brand that confidently raises Hertfordshire’s profile on the national and global stage – a nonprofit brand that functions independently, speaks to multiple audiences, and holds its own in a crowded national marketplace of regions seeking investment. It needed to create clarity, momentum and credibility.
Working with the in-house team, we started with brand strategy, defining the traits that guide the brand’s behaviour and actions:
Values: knowledgeable, action-oriented, customer-driven, accessible.
Personality: energetic, confident, straightforward, dependable.
This strategic foundation shaped the brand’s voice and visual style, driving an action-inspired creative direction with accessibility at its core.
Logo design – from ‘V’ to visual pointer
The bold and flexible brand identity system is centred around a confident, expressive concept: the arrow as a symbol of action and momentum.
In the logo design, the “V” in Invest is replaced with a custom arrow, pointing towards Hertfordshire, reinforcing the brand’s mission to attract investment to the county. The repetition of the arrow acts as a visual cue for speed, using the familiarity of the fast forward symbol to convey the brand’s action-oriented approach and the energy of a forward-looking region.
The simplicity of the logo design supports co-branding with other logos – a key requirement for a nonprofit service working with multiple partners.
The arrow graphic is the brand’s most distinctive asset. It’s repeated throughout the visual toolkit to create brand recognition, forming the basis of the icon set and a standalone graphic device. The arrow graphic creates cohesion across layouts and adds energy to everything from templates to social graphics.
Colour palette with personality
A limited palette projects Invest Hertfordshire’s dynamic and confident personality. Orange is warm and energetic, bright blue is professional and trustworthy, while navy is timeless and strong.
Together, the colours create a vibrant look that balances energy and reliability – equally at home on a web page, printed report, or large-format event backdrop. The brand guidelines clearly demonstrate colour pairings for WGAC compliance and accessibility best practice.
I also developed a bold colour gradient for a distinctive look on applications such as hero banners or event stands – with guidance to use it sparingly, so it creates big impact.
Typography with accessibility
The typographic system is accessible and practical for use across different channels. I selected an open-source modern sans serif as the primary font for readability, paired with a monospaced secondary typeface that adds character and a subtle digital-first feel.
This pairing gives the brand flexibility and visual interest, while keeping legibility front and centre – a key consideration when designing for nonprofit and public sector teams managing day-to-day communications.
Client feedback
“What a positive experience – a complete collaboration. I’ve come out with a brand identity that will speak to our audience in the right tone, and with a set of striking assets that stand out from the crowd. I loved the process from start to finish.”
— Melanie Miller, Inward Investment Manager, Invest Hertfordshire
Practical branding for nonprofit teams
As with many nonprofit and third sector organisations, ease of use was a core priority – the identity was designed to be practical. I created a flexible toolkit and clear brand guidelines so the in-house team and partner organisations could confidently produce on-brand materials. Deliverables included:
Logo suite and visual identity toolkit
Brand guidelines and co-branding guidance
Templates for presentations and social media
Event collateral, including UKREiiF exhibition stand and prospectus design
Brand guardianship consultancy, collaborating with web agency to ensure website design stayed fully on brand
Real-world design impact
Invest Hertfordshire launched at UKREiiF 2024, the UK’s leading real estate and infrastructure investment event. The stand, designed around the new brand identity, drew high engagement from potential investors.
By UKREiiF 2025, the brand had earned a reputation, with the team reporting one of the busiest stands in the hall.
“The room was packed, buzzing with energy – proof that our presence this year was well anticipated and made an impact”, explains Melanie Miller, the brand’s Inward Investment Manager.
Built to last
Over three months, Beehive Green delivered a comprehensive visual identity system, providing Invest Hertfordshire with the tools to communicate consistently and compellingly.
This identity is built to work. Grounded in strategy, accessibility, and real-world application, it’s a future-proof brand that supports long-term goals while delivering immediate, high-visibility impact.
That’s what good branding does – especially in the third sector. It’s exciting to see Hertfordshire competing at national and global levels.
