How Design Haven came to be

Some years ago, we re-branded ourselves as DESIGN HAVEN from our original moniker, HAVEN CONSULTANCY. In our initial days of picking out a nomenclature for our Architecture firm, we went with 'haven' to mean not only a home, but 'shelter' in general.

(Origin of haven: before 1050; Middle English; Old English hæfen; cognate with Dutch haven, German Hafen, Old Norse hǫfn; akin to Old English hæf, Old Norse haf sea; source: Dictionary.com)

We had clarified with the tagline, Architecture + Interior Design; but the tagline did not always get the same reach as the name, and so we got calls from folks soliciting HR consultants, both people who wanted jobs and those with jobs who wanted people. Worse somehow were a few who thought we were a charitable organisation (who provided shelter?). With the niggling sense of  shame of being for-profit, I had to regretfully explain, we were charitable, yes,  but not in any organised sense, no.

And so was born Design Haven, DESIGN being the word that had been missing from day one placed in front for emphasis, with 'haven' following it, to state in no uncertain terms that the organisation was but a haven / hub / shelter for Design, and not for the homeless, unfortunately. Our formerly rigid tepee was replaced with one that tilted playfully; design sported a red bindi for all the right reasons, and I must admit that the sequence of the words (DesignHaven or HavenDesign?) was largely determined by the 'n' of design terminating with a vertical line in parellel to the vertical start of the 'h' of haven. HavenDesign did not cut quite a seamless picture as did DesignHaven. A clear case of where typographical design made the decision, not us.