Story

Visualising connectivity to create the design system for Knowledge Exchange

Yellow and turquoise circles overlapping surrounding the text 'Knowledge Exchange'

Written byBrand and Creative, UAL
Published date 20 August 2024

Knowledge Exchange (KE) is how our organisation works with external partners to create positive change in our society, economy and environment. It links our students, graduates and academics with businesses, local communities, policymakers, charities and other universities to collaborate and generate impact through creativity and innovation.

The brief

Our challenge was to create a strong and flexible visual language that positions Knowledge Exchange as a professional connection between University of the Arts London (UAL) and existing or potential partners across UK and Europe. This look and feel aimed to engage a variety of audiences, from students and local communities to external partners.

Knowledge Exchange poster | Design direction: Brand and Creative, UAL
Knowledge Exchange poster | Design direction: Brand and Creative, UAL
Knowledge Exchange poster | Design direction: Brand and Creative, UAL
Knowledge Exchange poster | Design direction: Brand and Creative, UAL
Knowledge Exchange poster | Design direction: Brand and Creative, UAL

We worked with the Creative team to develop a design system for KE at UAL – the process for this was really clear and well-structured, and helped to draw out exactly what we needed from the brief – providing the right level of constructive challenge and creative inspiration.

— Alisdair Aldous, Director of Strategy and Knowledge Exchange

The design process

We started by diving into the Knowledge Exchange universe through research. We met with key stakeholders involved in KE activities and ran workshops to fully understand the context. We found connectivity was at the core of what they do and took this as main inspiration for developing the brand system.

Building this Design System was a collaborative process including multiple workshop and feedback sessions with the Knowledge Exchange team and practitioners.

The Design System uses nodes and branches as main graphic elements, symbolising connectivity, network and extensive reach. Black and white are primary colours from our brand system, we introduced bright yellow and aqua as secondary colours for a distinctive look and feel. Playful for students, staff or local communities by bringing in the bright colours. Serious for external partners by dialling down the palette to black and white. The colour palette selected for this system is key, as it allows the system to engage our different audiences through the different applications.

Recent applications

Knowledge Staff awards 2022 booklet| Design direction: Brand and Creative, UAL
Knowledge Exchange Instagram story designs | Design direction: Brand and Creative, UAL
Knowledge Exchange PowerPoint slides design | Design direction: Brand and Creative, UAL
Knowledge Exchange landing page banner | Design direction: Brand and Creative, UAL
Knowledge Exchange staff awards events programme 2022 | Design direction: Brand and Creative, UAL
Knowledge Exchange staff awards 2023 at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL | Photograph: Animesh Garg
Knowledge Exchange staff awards 2023 at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL | Photograph: Animesh Garg
Knowledge Exchange staff awards 2023 at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL | Photograph: Animesh Garg

The final output was delivered right on schedule and has helped to give KE a really distinctive visual identity, whilst staying within the UAL brand. The team also helped us to then apply this system to create internal communication assets around the KE Strategy, and this helped us to find much more accessible written and visual language to communicate our ideas.

— Alisdair Aldous, Director of Strategy and Knowledge Exchange

Meet the design team

The Creative team is made up of UAL alumni, recent graduates and current students. We are one half of the Brand and Creative and sit within the Communications and Brand department based at High Holborn. We also work with designers through Arts Temps, our university recruitment agency and jobs board, giving UAL students and alumni the opportunity to work within our team on temporary contracts.

Stephanie Feather she/her/hers
Creative direction
Design Lead, Brand and Creative
2008 BA Graphic Design, Central Saint Martins, UAL

Daniela Di Martino she/her/hers
Project Creative Lead and Co-concept development
Senior Designer, Brand and Creative
2021 MA Graphic Branding and Identity, London College of Communication , UAL

Lily Forbes she/her/hers
Campaign artworker
Graphic Designer, Brand and Creative
2020 BA Graphic Design Communication, Chelsea College of Arts, UAL

Lila Meyer she/her/hers
Campaign artworker
Graphic Designer (Arts Temps), Brand and Creative
2022 MA Graphic Communication Design, Central Saint Martins, UAL

Balkaar Singh he/him/his
Concept design
Junior Graphic Designer (Arts Temps), Brand and Creative
2021 BA Graphic Design Communication, Chelsea College of Arts , UAL