HalloBasis

2023 has been an eventful year for HalloBasis. We finally found our base in Frankfurt am Main. Our profile as a design studio for brand, digital and content has continued to sharpen. We were also honoured to serve as lecturers, sharing our experience and skills with a new generation of designers. Last but not least, we have had the opportunity to contribute to exciting and meaningful projects. None of this would have been possible without reliable, courageous and forward-thinking partners and collaborators. From the bottom of our hearts – thank you!

Q1 – Spring

At the beginning of the year, we delved into a familiar realm: sustainability. RWZ, one of the largest agricultural trading houses in Germany, entrusted us with crafting their sustainability report.

Simultaneously, we ventured into a new arena – culture. For instance, we collaborated with Please Don’t Touch, a fellow design studio specializing in scenography, in a pitch for the exhibition design for the Max Ernst Museum. Additionally, we shaped the visual identity and website for Rigythm, a series of jazz concerts in Switzerland, in collaboration with Timothy Maurer.

We've also been invited to the University of Mainz, our alma mater, to give a talk on our journey as a young design studio – or in other words, "How To Screw Up Successfully". We took this opportunity to start our recruitment campaign for the vacant position of digital designer.

Q2 – Summer

Starting from the summer term of 2023, we kicked off teaching at HBK Saar. In our course titled "Digital Design for the Real World" students embarked on an exploration of how digital products can facilitate community engagement and address local challenges effectively.

Meanwhile, the vision of our new office in Frankfurt am Main became clearer with the assistance of our friends from NOIE Studio. We aimed to create a space that not only serves as an excellent workplace but also offers the opportunity to host everything from exhibitions to workshops.

We also had the pleasure of launching the new product brand SEMBLA, which we developed and designed in collaboration with our long-time client and partner Polycare. Check out the full case study.

Q3 – Autumn

As our annual field trip, we revisited the Dutch Design Week. Our appreciation for the socially driven and often humorous design approach of the Dutch design community never fails to leave us inspired. It always offers fresh perspectives and ideas across various design disciplines.

Furthermore, we assisted Schlaraffenburger, the orchard specialist unique in Central Europe, in making their brand and communication future-proof. This extensive strategic process encompassed everything from brand positioning to revamping their product range and from developing a contemporary digital presence to creating an extensive set of documentary content for their digital channels.

Q4 – Winter

In the final quarter of 2023, our new office space began to take shape and form. After a lot of hard work, moments of joy, and occasional frustration, we were thrilled to finally set foot on our shiny floors.

Towards the end of last year, we gave the corporate design of Wissel GmbH a facelift, focusing particularly on creating new product and process visualizations. Currently, we are collaborating with Matthias Gallo on implementing the new website, including the integration of an online shop connected to the enterprise resource planning system (ERP).

In the second semester of our teaching at HBK Saar, we conducted a week-long workshop where students were tasked with bringing poster design to life through motion. Under the on-going theme of "Digital Design for the Real World" students explored the necessity of responsive design for various formats and different media.

Finally, we want to share some first impressions of the results from our partnership with the great NOIE Studio. In exchange for redesigning our office, we redesigned their visual appearance and website. We created a unique three-dimensional wordmark that matches their holistic approach to interior design.

What's Next?

The new year started off busy right away. We began our strategic and creative partnership with the South African financial services provider Sygnia. Additionally we're collaborating with HBK Saar on something that we have been contemplating since our Master's studies in Düsseldorf. We're hyped for an exciting 2024, new friendships, and bold projects aimed at making a positive change.