Regular Practice express the lighthearted side of language learning in their identity for Howie

Learning a new language is a skill many of us are eager to try, yet quick to procrastinate; often bringing about feelings of guilt, frustration or even embarrassment! Taking the all-too-human awkward moments we all experience and flipping them on their head, Howie strives to make language learning “something fun, something casual, and something stress-free.” 

With the goal to look, feel and operate differently than your typical language learning brand, Howie reached out to London-based studio Regular Practice to craft a fitting identity. As their Director Tom Finn summarises, “we’re ultimately building for the learner who has tried existing resources, but hasn’t yet found what works for them.” Rather than pursue the gamified or animated visual direction associated with many language learning brands, he highlights that the team were careful to create something that would evoke curiosity. “Something fun, intriguing, beautifully designed,” whilst feeling a fit with everyday life. “We wanted to move away from the notion that language learning needed to look and feel like a software brand and instead create a brand that feels like people’s reality,” Howie’s Founder Josie Jones tells us, “one people could relate to, so they’d have a greater sense of connection to both Howie and the language they are trying to learn.”

At the heart of the identity is the modified leading typeface, Maax Display Ultra, an ultrabold display sans serif that triumphs alongside an inviting colour palette and a complementary set of illustrations from Martyna Wieliczko. Rather than looking to a specific language or culture for inspiration, the charming icons are based on the experiences and emotions of learning. Finn describes these as “the type of feelings one would feel going through all the emotions and stages of learning a language,” which in turn allowed the team to explore a vast range of emotions. “Of course, there are frustrations and uncertainties that go hand and hand with learning a language,” he continues, “but we opted to communicate that sentiment through our tone of voice rather than through visual representation.”

When combined with this crafted copy, provided by Harry Bennett, the branding communicates a playful yet considered language, educational and lighthearted. This sense of ease was something Howie felt was lacking in the existing market. “The tone of many existing tools is all about reaching fluency, and reaching fluency as quickly as possible,” Finn explains. “You often see ‘fluent in three months,’ the reality is that reaching fluency is a barrier to learning a language in and of itself.” With the language learning process often romanticised and individualised, there’s no need to strive for ‘perfection’ alone. “Howie is meant to bring learners together regardless of the language they’re trying to learn. To create a community around language learning as a whole,” Finn concludes. “A shared experience.”

Regular Practice

Howie