HelloU Director Helen Gill Featured in Business Intelligence

Aug 20

3 min read

HelloU Creative Founder and Creative Director Helen Gill has been featured in the July/August 2026 edition of Business Intelligence magazine, sharing the story behind the Hull-based creative business and her passion for bringing creativity, storytelling and emerging technology together.

The Member Spotlight explores Helen’s career, what makes HelloU Creative different, and her ambitions for the next stage of the business.

From graphic design in Hull to creative technology

Helen’s creative journey began in Hull more than 20 years ago, when her first job was as a graphic design apprentice at a local design agency. Early projects included working on the Hull City programme and tourism guides promoting the region.

Since then, Helen’s career has spanned creative, technical, regulated and commercial industries. A former CIM Chartered Marketer, she brings that breadth of experience to HelloU Creative, combining strategic and commercial thinking with hands-on creative expertise.

Helen founded HelloU Creative over four years ago with a desire to help organisations communicate differently.

Today, HelloU Creative works with businesses, charities, educators and communities to engage, inspire and connect through creativity and emerging technologies.

Turning communications into experiences

At the heart of HelloU Creative is a simple idea: communications can be more than something people see or read — they can become something people experience.

Helen creates immersive, story-led experiences that blend physical and digital worlds using technologies such as augmented reality (AR) trails, AI interactive avatars, NFC activations and 3D prototyping.

An AR experience can bring a location, heritage story or campaign to life. An AI interactive avatar can create a new way for audiences to explore information and engage with a character. NFC can connect physical objects and spaces with digital experiences, while 3D prototyping can transform an idea into something tangible.

But technology is never used simply for the sake of it.

For Helen, human storytelling remains at the heart of every experience.

It’s about finding the right creative approach for the audience, the message and the purpose — and then exploring how technology can make that connection more engaging, memorable and meaningful.

Creativity, ambition and collaboration

Being featured in Business Intelligence also gave Helen an opportunity to reflect on what she enjoys about building a creative business in Hull and East Yorkshire.

“The creativity, ambition, and willingness to collaborate. There’s a real drive to support one another, embrace new ideas, and create positive change.”

As HelloU Creative enters its next stage of growth, Helen is looking forward to building new relationships through Chamber membership, learning from other businesses and exploring opportunities for collaboration across the region and beyond.

She also hopes to encourage greater recognition of the value of combining creativity and storytelling with creative technology — helping organisations turn their brands, messages and ideas into experiences that stand out and connect with audiences in new and exciting ways.

Curiosity, creativity and new ideas

One of the lighter questions in the Business Intelligence interview asked Helen what she never goes to work without.

Her answer neatly captures the thinking behind HelloU Creative:

“Curiosity, creativity, and new ideas.”

From beginning her career as a graphic design apprentice in Hull to now exploring the possibilities of AR, AI, NFC and 3D technologies, curiosity has remained an important part of Helen’s creative journey.

HelloU Creative would like to thank Business Intelligence and Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce for featuring Helen and giving her the opportunity to share more about the business and its ambitions.