University of Leeds: William Bragg launch identity
Opening the doors to a landmark building
The challenge
The Sir William Henry Bragg Building is a £96m development and a landmark addition to the University of Leeds’ material science facilities. Named in honour of the University’s Nobel Prize winning physicist, the building opened in 2022 accompanied by a programme of academic and cultural events.
The programme’s purpose was to raise awareness of Bragg’s legacy and his direct association with Leeds, as well as promoting the University as a world-leading centre for material science. The University needed a name and identity, along with a suite of print and digital assets to promote the launch programme. We were tasked with creating the assets that would drive engagement and attract attendees to the planned event series.
Our approach
At the start of the project, we were tasked with generating a programme name to represent the campaign across the series of events leading up to the opening – including Leeds’ Light Night, a scientific symposium, and the launch of a children's book about Bragg’s work. Our view was that the name should not be simply a 'label', but more, an overall theme or concept for the programme. 'Inspired by Bragg' was the result of this exploration, completed in collaboration with the key University stakeholders.
Seeking our own inspiration for the creation of the visual identity for the programme, we delved into Bragg’s work. We developed a holding device derived from the patterns revealed by Bragg’s work in X-ray spectrography. This became part of a cohesive identity scheme capable of accommodating the scientific and cultural aspects of the programme. With a series of outputs to consider, featuring a variety of information and imagery, the design style allows a high degree of flexibility, ensuring the programme will be distinctive, yet remain recognisably part of the University of Leeds.
Results
“The delivery has strongly supported the programme of academic and cultural events culminating in the launch of the building, promoting positive engagement and bringing in attendees. In addition, the campaign has helped confirm the value of the project for those who’ve already invested in the Bragg building, and it promises to support the building as a centre of excellence and key asset for the University into the future."
— David Pickering, Communications and Engagement Manager, University of Leeds
“It’s been an enjoyable and genuinely collaborative experience working with the team. To say they’re ‘a safe pair of hands’ would be to understate their contribution – they proved themselves to be strong strategic thinkers, highly creative and able to deliver at pace!”
