Design Challenge and Design Ideas

For five years running, we’ve partnered with the National College of Art & Design (NCAD) to bring their annual graduate showcase to life. Our role has been consistent yet evolving since 2019 when we first coined the name NCAD Works. Our deliverables stretch across various domains, including establishing the brand identity, creating a navigational system for the event, managing the promotional strategy, and developing a dedicated website for the showcase. This multi-faceted approach ensures a unified and impactful presence for each year’s exhibition.

How the brief was fulfilled

For NCAD Works 2023, we built upon NCAD’s signature Spenser typeface and a refined colour palette consisting of black, white, grey, and a select accent colour. The visual language also incorporates straightforward geometric shapes that mirror the four academic pillars of NCAD. While these shapes may appear two-dimensional at first, they transition into dynamic 3D elements in motion settings, enhancing the depth of the overall design. By unifying these various components, we’ve created a cohesive identity that encapsulates NCAD’s longstanding commitment to creativity and innovation.

In addition to the foundational visual elements, the scope of our work extended to various key deliverables to fully realise the NCAD Works 2023 identity. Among these were a dynamic signage system to guide and inform on campus, a dedicated website serving as a student portal for uploading work, and an event guide. This comprehensive approach ensures that the brand identity is consistently applied across all touchpoints. Additionally, we developed a range of digital assets optimised for screens and social media platforms, all in alignment with NCAD’s ethos and objectives. This multi-faceted approach facilitates a seamless and integrated experience for students, faculty, and visitors alike.

Our work for NCAD Works 2023 not only reflects the brand’s core identity but also prioritises sustainability and inclusivity. Recognising the environmental footprint of print, we focused exclusively on digital outputs and signage made from sustainable materials. Each piece was hand-finished to minimise waste and will serve as the campus signage for the upcoming academic year, ensuring a lasting impact and minimal resource usage.

Importantly, we also adopted a Universal Design Approach to ensure the brand identity is accessible to a diverse range of users. The dynamic signage system, student portal, and digital assets are designed to be easily accessed, understood, and used, aligning with the Universal Design principles. This ensures that our design caters to the varied needs, abilities, and characteristics of all users, contributing to a seamless and integrated brand experience for everyone in the NCAD community.