Hyperfocus puts the recruiting agency founder at the center of its innovation

Based in Berlin, Undiscovered is a creative recruitment agency. In particular, it matches design, product, engineering and marketing talent with startups, agencies and businesses across Europe.

They recently changed their name and started expanding into new areas. To support these lofty aspirations, they felt the need for a new translation.

So they turned to Hyperfocus, a small, enthusiastic Hamburg-based boutique that sits at the intersection between brand design and product.

Hyperfocus worked on positioning, design and brand development, branding, and website design.

It is short

Initially, Undiscovered was called MR Recruitment, named after the founder of the business. But after many years in the industry, creating a successful track record, it was time to make a new big name.

“Initially, it was uncertain whether we should rename the company, as they were already established,” recalls Paul Watmough-Halim, co-founder and digital brand manager of Hyperfocus. But as we continued to think about the ideas and instructions we had, it became clear that it would be a smart thing to do.

As a result, the name became the driving force behind the brand story. “We wanted everything to spark interest and excitement at all levels,” he says. “We at Hyperfocus believe in creating products that are bold, daring, and fun. So that’s what we were all about.” want to do for MR Recruitment: create something people will remember and love.”

Naming method

So, how did they come up with the names? “We have a process here in the studio that is almost like eliminating a lot of people,” explains Paul. “We divide words and nouns into groups: nouns that combine and nouns that also do not make sense. Combining words and building new ones helps us to find candidates. This takes a very long time and often it is the most difficult part of the process.

“Usually, when you get a name, it’s already taken,” Paul continues. “There is a local, regional and international registration section, which is a killer. There were a few names at the end, which we selected internally and on social networks.

“However, in the end, this name came up when we were discussing other names towards the end of the process. This may be the case with naming: you can create a structure and activity around it, but sometimes it only appears as part of the whole. The concept of discovery.”

Nice texture

They created a new identity around the character of the detective, who, with endless perseverance, found the best jobs and talent for his voters and clients.

“Our little antagonist is the embodiment of the founder, who is like wearing a little pig pie hat,” explains creative director Paul Watmough-Halim. “He’s been wearing it for years. He’s a big French guy and can be seen very easily from a distance. So that hat was to be in memory. In addition, it was a bag from the old logo, which was a black hat. “

The team also looked to old French comic books for inspiration. “Some people said it reminded them of Inspector Jacques Clouseau from the Pink Panther,” recalls Paul. “And we never had our opinions or research, but we find it a great compliment that people find a lovely relationship there. We know that in real life, Mathieu works hard to take care of his customers and the chosen ones. So the story was already there; we had to figure it out.”

In short, the Misunderstood claim was, ‘We go to extraordinary lengths to find you the right job’. “So, with this claim, the game begins, as our character does so well. Jumping out of planes, looking under rocks, trees, cafes, behind cactuses … his impatience has never been greater.”

Policy level

Undiscovered has two areas of focus when it comes to procurement: talent, and those looking to hire talent. “This kind of storytelling helps with our opponents being ready, doing everything they can to find those talents,” explains Paul. “The key to solving these problems, however, is mainly in the overall user experience in the digital world.”

Careful attention was paid to the UX to keep this straightforward and easy to understand as Hyperfocus divided the overall experience into two sections, one for ‘Candidates’ and the other for ‘Talent’. “Our mission was to make applying for jobs easy, maintain open lines of communication, and build strong, lasting relationships with clients and hiring managers,” says Paul. “Our goal was to create a simplified, accessible, and convenient rental experience. This aligned with everything we thought about when developing the branded experience. in general.”

Typography and graphics

For typography, Hyperfocus used a serif from the STK Bureau font and made it into a wordmark. “The script was created by Smuss Studio and it was the right choice for us,” says Paul. “He is a real horse, as well as being very handsome.”

Meanwhile, the sans version was used for body copy and subheadings on other sites, including the website. “This text gives us a very recognizable logo,” says Paul. “It adds an air of sophistication but sits happily next to our playful and fun antagonist”.

Regarding the illustrations, Paul says, “We knew it had to be simple and the writing style was clear, but still, the format had to be emotional and very flexible and to be easy to animate. hat and eyes allowed us to do this; my eyes say!

He adds: “We have a lot of eye expressions in our style.” “The hat also adds a sense of humor to the character and plays an important role in communicating the situation and mood. Our character also has a hand, which was an added feature so that it could be interactive. and the environment in which we are placed.”

When it comes to animation, everything was done in After Effects and again kept as simple as possible. Paul says: “We wanted to create threads that could become contagious. “Small stories help us continue to tell our story. Motion is very important to the products we build, adding joy and love to the whole experience.”