Creating new identities
Last updated:
28 August 2025
Given the scale of UAL and the many audiences we communicate with, it’s important for us to present our brand clearly. Creating new identities requires a strategic approach.
Application for new or existing identities
For most established or new identities within our wider brand portfolio, it is best to use the core University brand or a College sub-brand. Our brand is familiar to our wide audience base, so an association with UAL or one of our Colleges can benefit from the strength of our reputation. Though, there are occasions where new or existing projects or programmes may want to create separate identities for their work, for either external or internal audiences.
It’s important to consider how a new identity would benefit your project or programme. Whether they're new or already established, new identities can create confusion amongst audiences and lose the association with UAL or our Colleges.
Once this has been considered, if you think you'd like to apply for a new identity or change an identity:
- Read these full guidelines to understand the different elements of an identity to inform your application. Contact us at brand@arts.ac.uk with any questions.
- Complete our Identity application request form — we will get back to you with some initial thoughts within 5 working days.
Trade mark registration
If an application for a new identity is approved, in some specific cases you will need to work with our Legal Services team to register a new trade mark. If this is the case, you will have to:
- cover all costs involved in the registration, including those of maintenance, assertion and defence of the marks
- actively, publicly use the mark to be able to keep the registration.
Identity elements
Proposition statement
When thinking about your identity, start by writing a proposition statement. This is a short, clear statement containing the main reason why a customer or audience should buy a product or use a service.
- Without the clarity of the proposition, it’s difficult to choose a suitable name for your identity.
- A proposition statement helps to set out what you’re planning to achieve and helps develop messaging to support your initiative.
- The audience proposition is critical for the naming process as the tone and sentiment of the proposition should drive the type of name you develop.
Example: UAL Showcase
UAL Showcase reflects the world as seen by the creators and innovators of tomorrow; it's diverse and full of new perspectives. An always-on global platform, it presents the latest work in art, communication, design, fashion, media, performance and creative computing from University of the Arts London, second in the world for Art and Design.
For employers, it offers an exceptional directory of new creativity, the fresh ideas we need to address the challenges of today. For our students, it represents the end of one journey and the start of another as they share their work with the world and prepare to help shape the creative industries.
Name
As UAL continues to grow, there are more opportunities to launch new initiatives which require a new name. However, it is important to consider whether a new name will help or confuse our audiences.
Beyond just communicating what we do, names allow us to show who we are and the purpose behind our organisation as a wider brand. It's important that any names we choose present our brand correctly. When choosing a name:- Be descriptive — At UAL, we name descriptively. This means that any new name should clearly and directly describe or define the project or programme. This also helps with accessibility and search engine optimisation.
- Avoid stopgaps — Don't use temporary names internally. Once they start being used internally, they often start being used for external audiences, which can lead to confusion.
- Don't duplicate — Any new names should be discussed with us before launch so we can avoid any duplication. This can lead to confusion and even infringe upon our registered trade marks.
Logo
- In most cases, use one of our approved logos to create branded materials, following our logo guidelines.
- Never make your own logos or use our logo system without speaking to us. Creating custom or modified logos can cause confusion, dilute UAL’s brand and even mean you are infringing upon our registered trade marks.
Example: Parent and Carers network Welcome back booklet
Wordmark
- A wordmark is a logo that consists of a name of a project or programme stylised in our primary typeface, Helvetica Neue.
- Wordmarks should always support one of our existing logos to show the association with UAL or one of our Colleges.
- This is particularly helpful with a new identity, as external audiences will already be familiar with our existing logos.
Example: UAL Insights
Style guides
In some instances, where a tailored approach to identity is needed for distinction for specific audiences in marketing and communications activity, it’s best to create a style guide, rather than a new identity.
Style guides can be commissioned to show how our existing identity (core or sub-brand) can be used in a distinct way for a specific project or programme.
Each style guide is specific to the needs of the project or programme. Depending on these needs, they can include but are not limited to a tailored approach to using our colour palette or typography or unique graphic elements.
This is then applied to communications and marketing content.
Example: Knowledge Exchange
