Our work in Education
Marketing to UCD's International Students
14 January 2010
We have created a suite of five interchangeable display stands for UCD's International Office, to be used at student recruitment events worldwide. Strong graphics and clear text establish an approachable, vibrant look and ensure that each banner works both on its own as well as when used in the complete set of five.
We used key images and graphics to help communicate the university's messages of environment, location, student opportunities for development and UCD’s international links. These banners are easy to understand and they position UCD as Ireland’s international university. Our design builds on the successful branding we have created for UCD and still gives the International Office its own individual style, appropriate for its particular audience.
We also designed and produced an integrated suite of cost-effective, user-friendly fact-sheet document templates. Constructed in Microsoft Word, these fact-sheets give the UCD International Office the flexible tools they need to customise and adapt a comprehensive library of promotional material.
Labels: Brand Communications | UCD | Education
2010 UCD Prospectus: back to black
29 September 2009
This year's edition of the UCD Prospectus builds on the striking design aesthetic from the previous editions yet features a number of substantial content changes which the overall design and layout needed to reflect.
One of the major improvements to the content was the introduction of comprehensive visual models of the different subject areas. These diagrams illustrate to students how their courses are structured and visualise their pathways throughout their degrees as well as potential graduate study and career opportunities. It was crucial that all of this information be presented in the clearest possible format and lead students easily through the opportunities available to them.
Another aspect of this year's redesign was to accommodate an expanded list of fourteen subject areas. This made the contents page into a particularly interesting design challenge. Our redesign accommodated more content than last year's prospectus while reducing the total page count by 44 pages.
UCD also asked us to rethink their exhibition stands for the Higher Options third-level recruitment fair at the RDS. The core design challenge was to reflect the expanded subject groupings without losing any of the stand's impact. The stands were accompanied by a number of illuminated light-box tables which featured the same typographic design treatment.
Labels: Brand Communications | UCD | Education
The real deal
01 September 2009
Following a five-way tender, BFK were chosen to design this year's NUI Galway undergraduate prospectus. With the environment for third level institutions becoming more competitive than ever, the university prospectus is a key influencer of choice and an information point for prospective undergraduate students. With this in mind, we chose to focus on communicating the high standard of teaching and education as well as the ‘learning by doing' experience of being a student at NUI Galway.
Our design concept focuses on ‘Real Learning’ and the unique university experience at NUI Galway. The combination of sans-serif and serif typefaces gives the prospectus a distinctive look and feel which serves to differentiate NUI Galway from their competitors. Relevant intriguing and inspirational words appear between ‘Real’ and ‘Learning’ which provide the recipient with a snapshot of the NUI Galway university experience: ‘Real Discovery’, ‘Real Challenge’ and so on.
This design concept provides a platform from which we are building an overall recruitment campaign which includes exhibition stands, press adverts, posters and additional literature.
Labels: Brand Communications | NUI Galway | Education
Real Learning at NUI Galway
05 June 2009
We have created a new brand identity for NUI Galway. Following a series of workshops with a wide variety of stake-holders in early 2009, a set of core brand values were identified that accurately reflect the University's current achievements and future ambitions. These formed the basis for reviewing, reviving and revitalising the visual expression of the University's brand.
A revised brand mark is the centre piece of the new identity system. It includes the new rationalised University name in both English and Irish, reflecting the University's commitment to the Irish language and the relevant legislation. The brand mark incorporates an updated symbol of the University's distinctive clock tower. This shaply-defined graphic rendering expresses a more business-like and efficient positioning for the University.
While the University retains its full legal name, the rationalised form 'NUI Galway' has been agreed as the preferred version for general usage. It clarifies the University's brand name nationally and internationally and reduces confusion with the other universities within the National University of Ireland.
We have defined a complete brand identity system introducing a shared corporate typeface, a suite of colour palettes, and a standardised layout grid for printed literature. The brand identity system accommodates the relationship between all of the various individual colleges and research centres operating within the University.
The University has been awarded the title of Sunday Times University Of The Year for 2009. This updated brand identity confidently represents the reality of today's NUI Galway.
UPDATE 04 December 2009: NUI Galway has been named the Overall Winner in the Marketing Institute of Ireland West Region's Annual Awards. 'Significant measurable successes as a result of the University's outstanding marketing activity saw NUI Galway show a substantial increase of 13.1% in CAO first preference applications - a growth of more than double that of the university sector and the highest year-on-year increase of all the universities.'
Labels: Brand Identity | NUI Galway | Education
BFK designers contribute to NCAD Business Studies
15 January 2009
Three of our Senior Designers contributed to a presentation programme with the National College of Art and Design at the end of 2008 to share our expertise with third-level students. Our designers are highly experienced in corporate identity, brand identity and brand communications design. They presented a variety of case studies to the third-year NCAD students in the Design Business Studies programme.
In November, Marie gave an in-depth presentation on our brand development work in evolving the Aerlingus.com and Smyths brand identities, covering the brand evaluation process and the design stages from concept to delivery. In December Evelyn presented our work in developing the Docklands Urban Beach brand identity, communications and campaign. At the beginning of January 2009 Patricia gave a presentation on a broad range of graphic design projects: our Raisin Eddie packaging for Shamrock Foods, our Grand Canal Square hoarding design and our We Are Here 3.0 campaign for Docklands.
Derek McGarry, Deputy Head of the NCAD Design Faculty, said “BFK’s designers made a powerful contribution to our Business Studies programme this year with their presentations. Their case studies of commercial projects provide a practical dimension that can complement our student’s academic experience”.
Labels: | Education
