Accelerating Defence Start-Ups & Scale-Ups Through Powerful Brand Design & Websites

// ENHANCE

// EXPAND

// AMPLIFY

DESIGN

TO WIN

// MISSION STATEMENT:

To accelerate defence and dual-use innovators from early traction to global scale through focused brand, digital, and communications design.

> SEE OUR CASE STUDIES

Some of Those We’ve Accelerated :

Our Insights:
Future Frontiers_
From Theory to Theatre:
From Theory to Theatre:

For decades, directed energy weapons existed largely in theory and fiction, their promise confined to research papers and concept studies. Today, lasers and high-power microwaves are moving into operational service across the UK, the US, and allied forces, reshaping air defence, counter-drone strategies, and the economics of modern warfare.

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The Saturation Trap:
The Saturation Trap:

You do not need to destroy an air defence system to defeat it. You only need to exhaust it. Swarming drones turn cheap, disposable machines into a strategic weapon, exposing a cost and complexity gap that legacy defences were never designed to survive.

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Mesh over Metal
Mesh over Metal

For over a century, military communications were built around a simple logic: radios connect people. Orders flowed down hierarchical chains, reports flowed back up, and information moved along predefined paths. This model shaped the way forces organised themselves on the battlefield.

But now, that paradigm is now under sustained pressure.

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The Suwałki Problem
The Suwałki Problem

The Suwałki Gap, a slim stretch of land along the Polish–Lithuanian border, may be just 65 to 100 kilometres wide, but its strategic importance for NATO is immense. How quickly and efficiently forces can move through it could make the difference between deterrence and disaster.

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The Smart Battlespace
The Smart Battlespace

Cities have always been the most demanding battlespace. Dense, crowded, and constantly shifting, urban terrain compresses time, space, and decision-making in ways few environments can. Yet the tools used to understand it have barely evolved beyond maps, imagery, and reports. A new, largely unseen layer is now taking shape, that merges digital intelligence with the physical city itself: Augmented reality (AR).

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Cognitive Warfare
Cognitive Warfare

In the twenty-first century, conflict has expanded far beyond guns, borders, and physical terrain. Strategic competition increasingly targets how people think, decide, and assign trust. This shift has given rise to what military planners and scholars describe as cognitive warfare, a form of contest that operates not on the battlefield, but within the human mind.

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From Kinetic Threats to Biological Risk
From Kinetic Threats to Biological Risk

For decades, Western defence strategy has been shaped by kinetic threats, conventional military power, territorial defence, and deterrence based on visible force. While these capabilities are still essential, they are no longer sufficient on their own. Biological risk is emerging as a strategic defence issue that challenges the assumptions underpinning traditional military postures.

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The Sensor Race
The Sensor Race

As low-cost drones proliferate, the decisive advantage is shifting away from interceptors and jammers, and upstream towards detection, classification and attribution. Passive RF, acoustic and optical sensing are becoming foundational, not supplementary.

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The Undersea Front
The Undersea Front

Most of the world’s internet traffic runs under the sea. Submarine fibre-optic cables carry the vast majority of international data, connecting markets, banks, cloud platforms and military networks. Recent incidents in Northern Europe made this glaring strategic weakness painfully.

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The Second Brain
The Second Brain

Artificial intelligence is increasingly discussed as a transformative force in modern warfare, but much of that discussion risks overstating certainty.

In this article, we explore how AI might support soldier decision-making, where its strengths and limits lie, and why the human role remains central even as machines become more capable.

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Designing the Threshold
Designing the Threshold

Force is often treated as a binary choice, restraint or destruction. In reality, most decisions are made in the space between. As escalation risks rise, the ability to shape outcomes without crossing irreversible thresholds is becoming a strategic advantage. This piece explores how non-lethal capabilities are evolving into systems that expand decision space and redefine how force is applied under pressure.

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How We Accelerate Your Brand:

  • We design high-integrity brand systems for ambitious organisations operating in complex and critical environments.

    Whether you're launching a new aerospace venture, restructuring a defence contractor’s visual identity, or branding a multi-role maritime platform, we deliver clarity, cohesion and strategic edge.

    Every element, from logotype and symbol to typography, colour, and deployment, is built to perform across real-world conditions, regulatory contexts, and stakeholder touchpoints.

    Find out more

  • We design high-performance, accessible websites for complex sectors like defence and aerospace, where clarity, speed, and trust are critical.

    Whether it's a frontline procurement platform or an internal ops portal, we ensure the digital front-end works under pressure.

    Find out more

  • We support marketing teams with design-led assets that clarify value, sharpen positioning and cut through complex, crowded markets.

    From campaign materials and landing pages to content frameworks and motion, every output is built to perform consistently, scale efficiently and reinforce trust at every touchpoint.

    Find out more

  • We create content that informs, engages, and builds trust, turning complex ideas into clear, actionable narratives.

    Our process ensures every piece resonates with its audience, performs across channels, and aligns with your strategic objectives.

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  • We design how organisations speak, shaping clear, credible narratives that hold up under scrutiny and complexity.

    From brand messaging systems and pitch decks to reports, investor and stakeholder communications, every output is built for consistency, confidence and trust across high-stakes environments.

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  • We shape end-to-end digital experiences around real user needs and real-world constraints, reducing friction and enabling confident, intuitive interaction.

    From service design and journey mapping to UX and UI for websites, platforms and apps, every touchpoint is tested, accessible and built to perform quietly and reliably in the real world.

    Find out more

  • We offer hands-on training and strategic consulting for defence and critical sectors adopting human-centred design and accessibility.

    From UX workshops to interface audits, we help teams embed smarter, safer design practices into mission-critical workflows.

    Find out more

//  We’re driven by building start-ups and scale-ups into

STRONG DEFENCE BRANDS

>  see our design services

We position defence companies

for global visibility_

What Our Clients Say About Us

  • Jez Holmes Raven Innovation Hiatus.Design project testimonial

    ★★★★★

    Hiatus did a fabulous job of designing and building a new website for my company.

    Their advice was spot on throughout and they couldn't do enough to help.

    Highly recommended.

    ~ Jez Holmes OBE, Former Senior RAF Officer and Managing Director, Raven Innovation Ltd

  • David St John-Clair CEO Aardvark group

    ★★★★★

    We loved working with Hiatus on our merchandise design; they took all of our requests and added their own creative flair to produce a result that we were overjoyed with.

    We look forward to working with Hiatus again.

    ~ David St John-Clair, CEO, Aardvark Group

  • Harry Amos Kestrel Global Hiatus.Design web development and logo redesign project testimonial

    ★★★★★

    Hiatus were brilliant to work with and produced a fantastic product for us.

    Tailored, creative, and a great working relationship.

    ~ Harry A H Amos, Former Army Officer and Managing Director, Kestrel Global Ltd

  • Terry Farthing, Managing Director, London Jet Charter and Esoterrec Hiatus.Design project testimonial

    ★★★★★

    It’s rare that you come across a design company that understands the brief and is on the same wavelength.

    I cannot speak highly enough of Hiatus, I have been very impressed with all they have done for us and recommend them with confidence.

    ~ Terry Farthing, Former Royal Marines Commando and Managing Director, London Jet Charter and Esoterrec

  • Duncan Godfrey Frontier Risks Hiatus.Design

    ★★★★★

    I can’t recommend Hiatus highly enough.

    They worked closely with us to rebrand a specific part of our business.

    They completely understood the brief and brought our ideas to life in a creative way that highlighted exactly what we at Frontier are all about.

    ~ Duncan Godfrey SIRM FRGS, Former Royal Marines Commando and Director, Frontier Risks Ltd

  • Simon Hewitt CEO The Veteran Building Company

    ★★★★★

    We used Hiatus for a full start up branding exercise a few years ago when setting up a professional construction services business in Wales.

    The logo and brand design took a lot of effort and design, with good comms and ideas throughout from both sides pulling in heritage and past ideas that enabled us to build the brand as it was then.

    ~ Simon Hewitt, Former Army SNCO and Founder & CEO, The Veteran Building Company

  • ★★★★★

    We recently collaborated with Hiatus to design a new logo that highlights our Commando and Royal Marine heritage at Belleisle Tailoring.

    They skilfully incorporated elements that truly represent our proud history. The entire process was seamless – their service was both quick and efficient.

    We are very impressed with the professional work delivered by Hiatus.

    Highly recommended!

    ~ Troy Thorpe, Former Royal Marines Commando and Founder and Director of Belleisle Tailoring

  • Lynn Coleman co-founder of DAL productions ltd Hiatus.Design project testimonial

    ★★★★★

    Innovative and charitable approach to our logo design which was high quality, effective and speedily done.

    ~ Lynn Coleman, co-founder of DAL Productions Ltd

  • ★★★★★

    Engaged in the project and went above and beyond to meet our needs. Highly recommended.

    ~ “J” [ sensitive project ]

  • Hugh Keir H-Hour podcast host Forces Barbarians Hiatus.Design project testimonial

    ★★★★★

    Chris at Hiatus has done several commissions for my organisation now and they have hit the mark every time.

    ~ Hugh Keir, Former Parachute Regiment Sniper and Founder of H-Hour podcast and Forces Barbarians Rugby Club

  • ★★★★★

    Hiatus added a poppy to our logo for Remembrance. Working with them was easy.

    Their service was quick and efficient and we were very happy with the results.

    Thanks Hiatus!

    ~ Sam Marshall, Monkey Mountaineering

  • ★★★★★

    Chris did a bang up job creating a logo for us and went the extra mile, producing additional files and instructing the team on the the correct usage.

    ~ Maurico Gris, Founder of Thread Media

  • Commodore Stuart Wright Chief Executive Officer White Ensign Association Hiatus.Design testimonial project

    I was really impressed by the crisp, clean and professional design of our event brochure. Just what we were after.

    Well done and many thanks to Chris and the team.

    ~ Commodore Stuart Wright, Chief Executive Officer, White Ensign Association

  • Jonathan Askew Trustee and founder of The Art of War Foundation Hiatus.Design project testimonial

    ★★★★★

    We approached Chris to digitise and developing a logo design which had been drawn out on paper.

    Not only did he do an outstanding job with converting the style and details, but also went above and beyond in the development and our requests.

    Outstanding logo out come and a fantastic bloke to work with.

    ~ Jonathan Askew, Trustee & Founder of The Art of War Foundation

  • Andy Sloan Scotty's Little Soldiers charity Hiatus.Design testmonial

    ★★★★★

    You will not regret time speaking to Chris. He will lift your eyes to the horizon. Get involved.

    ~ Andy Sloan, Head of Fundraising at ‘Scotty’s Little Soldiers’ charity