Privacy

This explains what Helmet Designer (helmetdesigner.com) keeps about you, why, who else handles it and how to get it deleted. You can design helmets without an account: until you save or share, your design stays in your own browser and is never sent to us.

Who is responsible

MakeHelm Ltd (company number 17433308, registered office 66 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NA) is the controller of the personal data described here. Questions about privacy, or any of the requests below: hello@helmetdesigner.com.

What we keep

• Your account: your email address and a hashed version of your password (we never store or see the password itself), plus when the account was created and, if you ask for one, a password-reset token.
• Your designs: everything in a design you save — its name, the helmet shell, colours, paint, shapes, text and any logo images you upload (uploaded images are shrunk in your browser and stored inside the design in our database) — and a preview picture of the finished helmet.
• Shared designs: whether sharing is on. A shared design and its preview picture can be seen by anyone who has its link.
• Pro purchases: that you bought Pro, when, and Stripe's reference numbers for your customer record, the checkout and the payment. Card details go straight to Stripe; we never see or store them.
• Usage measurement: how the site is used (see Measurement below).
• Server logs: our hosting keeps standard request logs (IP address, browser, the page asked for, time) for security and fixing faults. They're rotated and deleted after a short period.
• Emails you send us: kept as long as needed to help you.

Measurement

• Always (no cookies): we count page views and actions in the editor (for example "added a pattern" or "exported a picture") on our own servers, with no third-party analytics. Your IP address is shortened before it's stored, and visits are grouped by an anonymous code worked out from the shortened address and your browser type; that code changes every day, so it can't follow you from one day to the next. Nothing is stored on your device for this. We record kinds and counts, never the content of your designs. Known bots and data-centre traffic aren't counted.
• Only if you accept analytics cookies: a random visitor id is stored in a cookie so we can see how people come back and move from trying the editor to saving and sharing. If you then sign up, your earlier visits with that id are linked to your account. Change your mind any time on the Cookies page.
• When you're signed in, actions are recorded against your account so we can understand how the product is used and support you.

Why we're allowed to (lawful bases)

• Contract: your account, your designs, share links and Pro, because you asked us to provide them.
• Legitimate interests: server logs and security, cookieless measurement with shortened IPs, and understanding how signed-in members use the product, so we can keep the service running, safe and improving. You can object by emailing us.
• Consent: the analytics cookie, only if you accept it. You can withdraw at any time.
• Legal obligation: keeping sales records for tax and accounting.

Who else handles it

We don't sell your data or show ads. We only use the services needed to run Helmet Designer:

• Hosting and database: a DigitalOcean server in London, UK.
• Payments: Stripe, which takes the payment for Pro on its own checkout page and sends your receipt, under Stripe's privacy policy.
• Email: our email delivery provider, which sends account emails such as password resets.

Your data is stored in the UK. Stripe, DigitalOcean and our email provider may process data in other countries, including the United States. Where they do, the transfer is protected by the UK–US data bridge where the company is certified under it, or otherwise by the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum in their data processing terms.

How long we keep it

• Your account and saved designs: until you delete them or your account.
• Designs you haven't saved to an account: only in your browser, until you clear them.
• Measurement records: up to 13 months, then deleted. When you delete your account, any measurement linked to it is unlinked so it's anonymous.
• Sales records: six years after the sale, for tax and accounting, even if you delete your account.
• Server logs: a short period (typically a few weeks).

Your rights

Under UK data protection law (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018) you can ask us for a copy of the personal data we hold about you, ask us to correct it, delete it or restrict how we use it, object to us using it on the basis of legitimate interests, and ask for a copy of what you gave us in a portable form. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

• Delete everything yourself: your account page has a "Delete account" button. It deletes your account and every design straight away.
• Anything else: email hello@helmetdesigner.com. We'll reply within one month.
• If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk, 0303 123 1113). We'd appreciate the chance to put it right first.

Children

Helmet Designer isn't directed at children under 13 and we don't knowingly collect their data; if you think a child under 13 has created an account, email us and we'll delete it. If you're under 18 you need a parent or guardian's permission to buy Pro.

Changes

If we change this policy in a way that matters, we'll update the date above and, if you have an account, tell you by email before the change applies.