Storybuilding for Holland & Barratt

Creative Moment chats to Chris Newell, co-founder and creative director, Syn, about an ambitious revamp for Holland & Barrett.

Following the launch of the first-ever H&B Experience Store in Cardiff, agency Syn discusses the challenges and creative direction of the 3,710 sq. ft. flagship store.

Syn transformed the in-store journey with a "feeling-first" creative approach, where tactile materials, soft curves, and human-centric messaging invite deeper engagement. Signature features include the Wow Wall, the Mission Island discovery space, and an elevated brand voice that makes expert wellness support more accessible.

Tom Hall (TH): How long have you worked with H&B and how did you get involved in this project?

Chris Newell (CN): We’ve worked with H&B since July 2024. Initially, we were briefed to design a ‘Wow Wall’, but quickly realised we weren’t just designing a wall, we were designing a feeling. A moment. An emotional trigger that would make someone stop, step inside, and feel looked after.

TH: What was the inspiration behind the aesthetic?

CN: The aesthetic is warm, tactile and emotionally engaging. We wanted the space to provide a haven of calm and comfort on the high street. Our initial thinking was to epitomise wellbeing as a visual concept and communicate that feeling. This was inspired by physical textures and soft, undulating shapes to communicate the feeling of comfort and welcome. 

We created a ‘feeling-first’ approach by blending storytelling, materiality, form and language. Script typography, soft-touch materials, ambient lighting and a more human tone of voice all work together to create something that looks good, sounds good, but more importantly, feels good.

More specifically, with the entrance ‘Wow Wall’, we began to look at the different types of wellness that Holland & Barrett cater to. We created different shapes that each represent an ‘element of human wellbeing’. 

Customers walk through the door with a different lifestyle and a different mission, our soft, comfortable and tactile shapes and textures, and the many combinations show how H&B can tailor a solution to different needs.

Moving into store, the ceiling takes inspiration from nature, with flowing wooden forms, soft radius corners, and warm gradients of light that draw you deeper into the space, leading customers calmly to key touch points. Inviting them to interact with qualified H&B wellness teams who are at the heart of the customer experience.

TH: Was research conducted to hone the look and feel?

CN: We spent some time researching how different environments can affect mood. A lot of the current literature and scientific studies spoke mostly to the soothing effects of nature, which we used to guide our design process. 

We also discovered that creating texture, such as the ceiling within the wellness studio, can be soothing to the human brain, giving the mind enough to muse over and concentrate on, without overstimulating or prompting too much thought—important when relaxing for sessions such as yoga.

This project followed Syn’s usual way of working, starting with strategy, creative territories and concept boards as the first stage. Then into sketch to capture and translate the ideas into concept design and execution, followed by space planning, 3D design and visualisation, which truly gets down to every sensory detail and customer journey touch point. This collaborative process was super important for us. We wanted to approach the design in a loose and conceptual way first to capture the emotive feeling. It allowed us to seamlessly collaborate with our client partners before moving onto a more literal visualisation in a 3D render, which captured the nuance of materials working together.

We leaned heavily on 3D visualisation when choosing detailed elements such as the ceiling and flooring textures. We also visited several different stores to explore how contrasts in surface tones compare in terms of customer experience. We worked closely with the lighting company to design feature lighting throughout the store and in the wellness studio, using 3D visuals to discover how the lighting could look before installation.

The materials, lighting and signage played a key part in helping to define and connect each space seamlessly. We carried out spatial planning for each touch point to ensure a clear and informed experience as customers explore and navigate through the store.

Research and testing didn’t stop there. Moving into production and prototyping, we ‘concepted’ and tested various materials with the raft of production partners involved in making this, particularly when it came to the cushions on the ‘wow wall’ and ‘mission island’ that sit centrally in the store. The material needed to be durable and easy to clean. However, we didn’t want that to come as a sacrifice to the tactile warm feeling we wanted to convey, so lots of material sourcing and testing were required.

TH: What has the reaction been like?

CN: The impact of the Cardiff Experience Store will be measured in the coming months, but it is hoped that it will shift customer perception, whilst fueling brand engagement with a new wave of customers, signaling the start of a whole new era.

The initial reaction has been really positive. Right from installation, people were gravitating towards the ‘wow wall’ as a meeting place, photo moment or even just a place to sit and relax.

This store is about disrupting the brand’s image and how it is perceived, proving that wellness retail can feel radically different. It’s about touch, tactility, and connection. It’s emotional architecture. I hope that’s what people are getting when they enter the store.

TH: What’s Syn’s approach to creativity?

CN: Holland & Barrett chose Syn to be the disrupter, to come with the ‘punk’ ideas – a challenge we revelled in and one that suited us. We look for inspiration everywhere and always approach our creative process with an open mind. When we get asked to do something wild and eye-catching – love it or hate it, it’s going to create a reaction mindset – we are all in! For this project, thinking outside the box was not a difficult task for our creative team and it was enjoyable to take the reins off, with a brief so bold and open. But importantly, we then went on to weave meaning and nuance into our disruptive concepts, making them make sense for the brand and honouring the authentic mission of Holland & Barrett, as well as their many years of heritage and trust.

TH: The new H&B experience store forms part of £70 million investment into transforming stores. The brand is clearly dedicated to bricks and mortar retail. What would you say to someone that says the high street is on its way out?

CN: There is no denying the numbers when it comes to online shopping and how customers are changing their habits. However, the high street has been a pillar of society for many years, and even with the shift, we believe bricks and mortar still have an important part to play in creating a brand narrative and voice.

There is something so innately human about physically travelling to a space, being able to chat to a friendly, informative face you can trust, and allowing a brand to show you who they are with an experience that appeals to the senses, not just through the phone or computer screen. This itself helps with wellness.

Bricks and mortar may become more about providing an experience or connecting customers, and creating a community. However, it is still important to give the customer a choice and convenience in how they purchase and make the most from stores which have been a pillar of the high street for most, if not all, of our lives.