Brand guidelines: Introduction
Positively disruptive, vocal & iconic.
Inspired by the spirit of activism.
Less: polite and sedate
More: powerful, determined and brave
We exist to defend the right to a safe home
Defend > A safe home is a fundamental need. We must protect it and fight for it.
Home > Without a safe home, we don’t have the foundations to thrive.
We’re humanitarian fighters
We care about the welfare of our society, our communities and the people who live in them.
We’re fearless and unstoppable in our determination to end the housing emergency. We challenge the status quo and we fight injustice wherever we see it.
We stand by the side of people who need our help. We speak out against anyone who stands in our way.
We’re provocative, proactive and protective. These characteristics describe who we are, how we behave and how we communicate. But they don’t exist in isolation. We dial them up or down, depending on who we’re speaking to and what we want to achieve.
We’re provocative
If a truth is too uncomfortable to hear, it’s too uncomfortable to tolerate.
We’re in a national housing emergency. The system isn’t working – it’s ruining lives. We’re here to challenge this injustice with words and ideas that people can’t ignore.
We’re always direct, we say what we believe and we’re not afraid to get under people’s skin, especially those in power. But we’re not just another shouty voice – we’re here to give the housing emergency meaning, to
show the reality of the situation and make people think about it in new ways.
WE ARE: daring, defiant, challenging
WE’RE NOT: bitter, irritable, exploitative
We’re proactive
We know that real change happens when we act.
We don’t just talk about problems. We know that words are only powerful if we follow them through with deeds. That’s why we stand up for what we believe in and channel our energy into positive action.
We know that caring isn’t enough. We must campaign for the right to a safe home and invite people to join us. When someone is wronged by an unfair housing system, we’re here to do something about it. If those in power don’t step up, we’ll take a stand.
WE ARE: fearless, decisive, active
WE’RE NOT: cautious, neutral, passive
We’re protective
We defend the right to a safe home.
We believe that home is a human right. It’s a foundation that allows us to thrive and our wellbeing depends on it.
The housing emergency isn’t just hurting individual people, it’s affecting the whole of society.
That’s why we’re here to protect people’s housing rights.
Whenever those rights are denied, whenever people suffer at the sharp end of the housing emergency – we’re here to help, listen and understand.
WE ARE: compassionate, inclusive, strong
WE’RE NOT: othering, victimising, patronising
We’re standing up to the housing emergency.
This is what we’re up against…
For years, successive governments haven’t built enough social homes, private renters have very little protection in an unregulated system, and welfare support isn’t good enough.
Our housing system is broken and it's left millions without a safe, stable home. Homelessness is a growing problem and people are dying on our streets.
We’re rallying the country to come together and support our cause. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, we’re asking you to join us and fight for a fairer society.
For writing tips on the housing emergency, read our tone of voice.
Our primary strapline: Home is everything
Where appropriate our primary strapline can accompany our logo.
You’re also free to use it in headlines and body copy.
Shelter symbol
Our identity
Shelter was founded in 1966, as the ‘National Campaign for Homeless People’. Back then the UK was
facing another housing emergency.
In the following decades, we’ve seen social housing decline, years of austerity and thousands of people made homeless.
Our work is just as relevant today as it was when we began.
To continue our fight for social justice, our identity needs to reflect the times we live in. We need a symbol to launch our movement and make the housing emergency the major political discussion it should be.
Our symbol combines the iconic shape of a roof with a positive upwards arrow: an urgent symbol, inviting or demanding change.
Shelter symbol and brush graphics derived from it
Inspired by the visual language of protest and the grassroots movement we came from, our symbol is handmade from red paint brush strokes.
The paint nods to the inclusive DIY spirit of our founders. Everyone who works for us is an activist, anyone can be part of the solution.
Our brush strokes always intervene, highlight issues, add positivity or take a stance. They always capture
the urgent realism of a human hand – so they’re never perfect.
Shelter wordmark and bespoke typography derived from the wordmark
Never use our brush strokes for simple decoration.
Both elements of our logo are made from red brush strokes and our identity emerges from our logo.
Shapes and devices come from our symbol. Typography and punctuation from our wordmark.
Our paint brush assets aren’t there for decoration – they represent us and our purpose.
We use paint brush assets to emphasise and amplify important messaging, and to add extra meaning.
We also use them to make bold statements, intervene and catch your eye. We use them to disrupt and make
you see the world differently.
For more guidance, see the links below:
to point to a housing problem or an issue, or to protect people
to emphasise emotion or significant points in language, or for use in numbers
Exploring our full brand guidelines
Use the left-hand menu to visit each section.