Setl – HBD.
Home life matters
Setl is HBD’s first residential development for sale in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter. The apartments are aimed at people who wanted more than the standard city centre offer: design-led homes with a focus on quality, detail and a sense of place. The challenge was to create a brand identity that reflected this ambition, stood apart from generic residential schemes, and appealed to buyers who value craft, community and contemporary living.
“Modern Designers were excellent to work with in developing the Setl brand. As a creative agency they understood the brief and nailed it. They brought the type of energy and ideas that we were hoping for, and expertly developed the ideas into a full brand concept.”
Simon Raiye, Director, HBD
We developed the name Setl, drawn from Old English meaning to make your home and establish a place of your own. The identity was designed to speak directly to its audience, combining a confident wordmark with warm, characterful messaging that put the idea of home life at its centre.
The visual system took inspiration from the Jewellery Quarter’s heritage of craftsmanship and making, with a palette and typography that balanced simplicity with distinction. We delivered a full suite of applications, from sales collateral and marketing materials to digital assets, environmental graphics and signage.
The brand presents Setl as a home for people who want to live well in the city. Messaging emphasises quality of life and a sense of belonging, while the design system creates a clear and confident presence in a competitive residential market. The result is an identity that feels rooted in place yet forward-looking, with the flexibility to support both lifestyle marketing and corporate communications.
The brand helped position HBD as a developer offering more than just apartments, reinforcing its reputation for design-led, people-centred places.
