Logo and identity system

The project involved producing a logo and identity system (IS) for The Northern Way (commissioned from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister). A communication strategy was the key element to informing the public. Pinkney organised large events, exhibitions, a website and extranet, brochures, annual reports, newsletters, promotional material and a style guide. The Northern Way identity had to unify the North of England’s three Regional Development Agencies under one title to help bridge the spending gap between the North and South of England. The project was particularly sensitive around the access of information for those with disabilities or who didn’t speak English as a first language. Pinkney has specialised in the development of corporate IS implementation programmes for unique organisations posing unique problems. These often require consultation processes to engage the public in policy and decision making. The North East Assembly Corporate Regional Spatial Strategy 2005, required; naming, a logo, corporate IS and strategies to deal with the communication of core messages to the public. The work involved a three month public consultation exercise to ensure they were sufficiently engaged in the process, Pinkney therefore produced a website with public forums – ‘viewshapingthenortheast’. Pinkney’s design challenge in this work is to create systems which communicate across different audiences yet appeal to those still to be reached, whilst complying with usability and DDA regulations or those who don’t speak English as a first language. Additionally his work has informed Northumbria’s work with the Design Council and ONE NorthEast Dott07 project and the Northumbria/Design Council co-sponsored PhD stduy by Tom