Think Green

Overview

With energy costs skyrocketing, YHA England & Wales needed a way to reduce energy use across. The obvious fixes, like retrofitting insulation or installing solar, were off the table. Many YHA properties are historic, listed buildings where structural overhauls are both financially unrealistic and legally restricted. Through conversations with guests we learned that YHA weren't the only ones watching their bills. Visitors were feeling the exact same pinch at home, and we realised if we couldn't make the big structural changes, we needed to rally the people inside them. We built an awareness campaign that gave guests actionable, energy-saving tips they could use during their stay and take home with them.

Project type

Signage

Client

YHA

Role

Creative Lead

Services

Strategy, Illustration, Digital & Print Assets

Getting to it

The creative challenge was delivering critical environmental instructions without sounding preachy. To strike the right balance, I developed a friendly flower mascot and the 'Think Green' visual framework to serve as an encouraging, lightweight guide throughout the hostels. Because YHA’s core demographic includes families and school groups, the mascot brings a sense of playfulness to a dry topic. To ensure the campaign was genuinely accessible and inclusive – especially for international travellers or guests where English is a second language – I paired the messaging with simple, intuitive illustrations that demonstrate the actions instantly without relying purely on text.

And then what?

I designed a multi-layered, in-situ communications system to meet guests exactly where their habits happen: Reception Digital Screens primed visitors the moment they checked in, setting expectations and prompting them to look out for the 'Think Green' markers. Hostel Posters were placed in high-traffic communal areas to dig deeper into the wider environmental impact of collective action. Point-of-Action Signage displayed exactly where the energy decisions are made, next to light switches, kitchen appliances, and bathroom taps.