Mr. Upside x Oranjestad Physiotherapy
In April 2021, Julie Zonneveld, Team Lead of the Visual Communications Team at TU Delft, asked me, as a Senior Freelance Designer, if I would be interested in temporarily replacing a TU Delft Designer during her maternity leave. One of the tasks: design a corporate identity for the 180th Anniversary Lustrum of the TU Delft.
Client
Services delivered
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity Design
UX/UI Design
Art Direction
Communications Consultancy
Project Management
Quick links
TU Delft, the Netherlands
Top education and research are at the heart of the oldest and largest technical university in the Netherlands. The eight faculties offer sixteen bachelor's and more than 30 master's programs. The more than 25,000 students and 6,000 employees share a fascination with science, design and engineering. With a common mission: impact for a better society.
Visual Communications Team
The Visual Communications Team, formed in April 2021, is responsible for a broad spectrum of printed and online communications of TU Delft. The target group consists only of internal clients; employees of faculties and supported services.
The team provides strategic advice on communication and design in general, to specific advice on visual concepts and implementation of UX/UI Design, Graphic Design and Brand Identity Design. In fact, the team is an internal communications agency. The six permanent staff members are supported by a smaller, changing team of Student Assistants.
Need
The need of the TU Delft Visual Communications Team was twofold. On the one hand, there was a need for daily design work that the colleague would not be able to pick up during her maternity leave.
180th anniversary with an energy transition theme
On the other hand, TU Delft would celebrate its 180th anniversary, starting January 14, 2022. To mark the occasion, TU Delft would spend 180 days reflecting on its active role in the global energy transition.
This ‘energy transition’ theme fits very well with the leading university. After all, TU Delft is constantly doing research, seeking collaborations, developing new initiatives, setting up labs and continuously training engineers for a sustainable world.
All this to accelerate the energy transition.
The theme should be recognizable in a visual way in all kinds of communications, events and initiatives.
An energising visual identity
My role, as a Freelance Brand Identity Designer, included the graphic design of the event corporate identity for the anniversary. I did this in close cooperation with the Visual Communications Team.
Within the visual identity of the TU Delft
An important condition for the graphic design of the Brand Identity was that the corporate identity of the 180-year Lustrum should fit within the corporate identity of TU Delft.
TU Delft continuously strives to strengthen its own brand. And has therefore established rules and guidelines to prevent a proliferation of logos and visual identities. This is a challenge. Because the eight faculties are effectively eight large companies under one TU Delft brand umbrella. The communities of students under each faculty are very entrepreneurial. So an important role for the Visual Communications team is to properly guard the overarching TU Delft brand.
No new extra logos
Specifically, this means that no new logos may be developed within the TU Delft corporate identity. To further guard the brand style, the choice was made to adopt the typography and colors of the TU Delft house style.
By designing a unique image, a so-called "visual device," and using that image consistently in all visual communication, a distinct visual identity was still created within the rules.
More Brand Identity Design projects
NWO Synergy 2021 event – Design main illustration and Event Identity Design
NWO Synergy in 2021 was different from other years. Synergy is an annual event of the Dutch Research Council (NWO). In 2021, due to the COVID19 pandemic, it was held completely online…
Westerpop Delft Free Music Festival - 25th anniversary Event Identity Design
Westerpop is a free music festival in Delft, the Netherlands, every two years. In 2009 it celebrated its 20th anniversary as a festival. Mr. Upside was asked to provide the brand identity design and…
Groen van Prinstererschool 90th Anniversary Year Event Identity Design
In the 2021-2022 school year, the school celebrated its 90th anniversary. In February 2022, Mr. Upside was asked to provide the logo and visual communication for the 90th anniversary...
