Hymn’s Shareman identity makes property technology feel human — The Brand Identity – Home of the Greatest in Graphic & Brand Design

Property technology tends to announce itself through a particular visual vocabulary. Cold grids, abstract building silhouettes, key icons, dashboard interfaces – shorthand that prioritises systems over the people who actually live within them. For eeproperty, a Swiss PropTech company building an ecosystem of connected services for residential buildings, this conventional approach posed a problem. Their platform automates everything from shared laundry room payments to EV charging to solar energy billing, but the people using these services range from tech-comfortable young tenants to elderly residents sharing a laundry room. The visual language of infrastructure wouldn’t serve them.

Lausanne and Zürich-based branding agency Hymn was brought in to develop Shareman, a brand within eeproperty’s broader ecosystem that would unite these diverse services under a single, human-centred identity. The challenge sat at an interesting intersection: create something technologically credible enough for building managers deploying the system, yet warm enough for the grandmother navigating a touchscreen in the basement.

The process began with what Founder Alexandre Henriques describes as a full brand DNA exercise. A dedicated task force including key stakeholders from eeproperty completed individual online questionnaires before coming together for collaborative workshops. These sessions moved through vision, mission, values and positioning, but the work that shaped the final identity happened when the team shifted focus to emotional territory. “By exploring how Shareman should feel, behave and appear, we naturally arrived at the idea of Shareman as a benevolent companion: a brand that is supportive, reassuring and close to its users, guiding them with empathy and trust throughout their journey,” Henriques explains.

That phrase – benevolent companion – became the conceptual anchor for everything that followed. The most visible expression arrives through a mascot character that Hymn developed to bridge the gap between digital services and human emotion. The figure uses simple shapes and soft expressions designed to read across ages and cultures, but the restraint in its execution matters as much as its friendliness. “We deliberately avoided exaggeration or cartoonish tropes,” notes Henriques. “Instead, Shareman’s character is calm, friendly and reassuring – more helper than hero.” The mascot guides users through the app, eases interactions and adds warmth to moments where technology typically feels impersonal. “It turns instructions into conversations and interfaces into encounters.”

The typographic foundation builds from Degular, a contemporary sans serif from OH no Type Company chosen for its open letterforms and readable warmth. “It feels modern and precise without being cold,” Henriques shares. The typeface performs consistently across digital interfaces, signage and printed materials – essential for a brand that lives everywhere from smartphone screens to basement laundry rooms.

Colour presented its own balancing act. Hymn built a palette around light, optimistic base tones paired with more saturated accents that signal action and functionality. Harsh contrasts disappeared from consideration early, as did the corporate blues that dominate PropTech branding. The resulting colours feel lived-in rather than clinical, reassuring rather than sterile. “This balance reflects Shareman’s role: grounded in technology but emotionally accessible,” Henriques explains. “The colours work equally well on screens, signage and illustration, ensuring consistency across touchpoints while maintaining a sense of warmth and clarity.”

The system needed to accommodate three distinct services – Shareman Wash for laundry rooms, Shareman Charge for EV stations, Shareman Shine for solar energy – while maintaining cohesion with both each other and the parent eeproperty brand. Hymn approached this through modularity. The core Shareman identity establishes consistent typography, structure and tone, creating the foundation of familiarity. Each satellite then develops its own subtle signature through colour accents, iconography and contextual illustrations. The services feel distinct and functional while belonging unmistakably to the same family, mirroring eeproperty’s ecosystem logic itself.

The conscious rejection of PropTech visual conventions runs through every decision. Abstract building silhouettes, key icons, technical dashboard aesthetics – Hymn set these aside in favour of human moments and everyday gestures. “The goal was not to look like real estate technology, but to feel like part of daily life,” Henriques reflects. “Shareman isn’t about infrastructure – it’s about experience.”

The response from eeproperty’s user base has validated the approach. Younger users have appreciated the intuitive interfaces and playful touches; while older residents have responded well to the clarity and calm tone. The consistency across generations suggests the team found the right register – simple without condescending, helpful without being flashy. “Most importantly, users don’t feel talked down to,” says Henriques. “Shareman feels helpful rather than instructional, friendly rather than flashy. That universality – being simple without being simplistic – is where the brand truly succeeds.”

Through workshops, illustration systems and careful typographic choices, Hymn has built something that operates at human scale within technological infrastructure. The mascot guides without lecturing. The colours signal without shouting. The sub-brands distinguish themselves without fragmenting. In an industry that often designs for buildings first and people second, Shareman reverses the priority – a benevolent companion that happens to automate your laundry payments.