The University of Sydney is the first and oldest university in Australia. It was the first to accept women (almost ten years before Oxford or Cambridge), and the first to welcome people of multiple ethnicities and religions. It is built on a heritage of progressive attitudes. Over time, perceptions of the University had become stuck in the past and it was widely regarded as staid and elitist. In a competitive and homogenised market, it was losing ground to more distinctly branded competitors. Maud needed to establish a brand befitting of the University’s forward–thinking nature and pioneering work.
Inside its walls the University is teeming with life: leading international minds collaborate to tackle the world’s most urgent issues in world-class research facilities, while students challenge assumptions and become catalysts for change. It is an engine room of the long-term sustainable advancement of society, challenging the status quo and leading the way in critical thinking.
Our brand solution was to bring the inside out. We exposed the ground-breaking work and attitudes within the University’s walls to form a brand created by them. A flexible design system consisting of two key elements responds to this dynamic hub of innovation.
Process driven design uses process marks and type to reflect the University’s dedication to the process of discovery and critical thinking. Reminiscent of textbooks and other hard-working collateral, process inspired design embodies the notion that education and research is a perpetual commitment to the big questions that stand before us.
Language driven design creates a personality to frame the work being generated within the University’s walls. Provocative statements communicate the University’s ideas and values and create dialogue, cementing the University’s position as a platform for public engagement and debate. The statements, executed in a family of expressive typefaces, build the confident point of view necessary for the University’s leadership position.
Imagery plays an important role in how the University is perceived. To set it apart from the staged and corporate approach of similar institutions, we built a contemporary image library that captures the campus and its people in a natural, engaged way. Abstract imagery is used for discipline-specific communication.