Listening first

Before we started designing, we listened.

Around 900 people took part in the engagement process, giving us a rich picture of how the University is experienced by its students, staff, prospective students and wider community.

900
people engaged

50+
hours of discussion

769
survey responses

Working groups
 across the University

2
Critical Friend Groups

2
Prospective Student Groups

The engagement gave us a clear set of principles to work with.

A visual identity rooted in place

Working from the strategy and engagement already developed with the University, our challenge was to turn those ideas into a visual identity that felt unmistakably Huddersfield – confident, human and flexible enough to work across the whole University.

One University colleague gave us a challenge that really stuck:

“Be as striking and bold as the architecture on campus – those decision choices were bold and brave – let’s make sure the brand is as well.”

The University already has a strong visual character in its buildings and surroundings. We wanted the brand to live up to that, without becoming overly designed or complicated.

Confidence through simplicity

At the heart of the identity is a simple, contemporary motif.

It reinterprets the authority of a traditional shield in a cleaner, more forward-looking form. At its centre, the negative space creates a subtle H while echoing the canal running through campus – a quiet reference to place and connection.

The three surrounding forms of the motif represent staff, students and the University’s commitment to sustainability – the people and values at its heart. Their organic qualities also allow other interpretations, from leaves and trees to more abstract natural forms.

The simplicity of the motif is deliberate. It gives the University a confident foundation, while allowing it to work as a logo or as a graphic element in its own right.

Shapes of Place

One of the biggest challenges was creating a brand that could work across the whole University. We knew the graphic language would do much of that heavy lifting.

So we created Shapes of Place – a visual language drawn from Huddersfield itself. The canal, distinctive campus architecture, layered and stepped campus, Yorkshire landscape, heritage buildings and modernist forms all became sources for the system.

Huddersfield has a particularly distinctive visual character – the way the campus rises and falls, the canal running through its centre, the mix of old and new architecture, and the surrounding green landscape. These became a rich source of inspiration without needing to be represented literally.

The shapes can be quiet and restrained or bold and expressive, depending on the story being told. They can frame photography, create compositions or become patterns and textures.

The result is a flexible system that allows different parts of the University to express themselves while remaining recognisably part of the same institution.

Colour

The colour palette takes its cues from the same sense of place. The blues and greens of the campus, Yorkshire sandstone and the heather of the surrounding moors all informed the palette.

Blue and white remain the foundation, retaining the recognition and equity of the existing brand. The original blue has been evolved into a warmer, richer shade, while supporting colours bring additional energy and flexibility.

Clear, accessible and considered

GT Standard was chosen for its simple, geometric character, echoing the wider graphic language. Its distinctive letterforms also support legibility and accessibility.

Accessibility has been a consideration throughout the identity, not an afterthought. From typography and colour contrast to layouts and the brand guidelines themselves, we’ve designed the system and its outputs to be as clear, legible and usable as possible.