A solution for Edinburgh College of Art’s lack of visual identity: ECA should be built around its students.

Research revealed that ECA has a long-standing spirit of misbehaviour. A rational, grid-based logo etablishes rules that the images resist, misbehaving within the layout.


SCOPE Identity system
Brand design
Custom tool

BRIEF Edinburgh College of Art has no visual identity, despite being one of the oldest and most influential art colleges in the UK.  Establish a solution that feels progressive while maintaining both ECA and the University of Edinburgh’s brand values.

WORK Interviews with students and staff revealed a consensus that ECA’s identity should be built around its students. Research also established a disconnect betwen the University of Edinburgh’s values of authenticity and their use of corporate, staged photography
This presented an opportunity for ECA to distinguish itself through genuine student imagery, showing prospective students what life at the college is actually like while reinforcing the idea that ECA is defined by its community.

A pool of photographs was sourced from archives, alumni, and current students, providing a snapshot of almost a century of the college. Research into both the imagery and the college's history revealed a spirit of misbehaviour, which informed the identity system. A rational, grid-based logo etablishes rules that the images resist, misbehaving within the layout. Playful sound design reinforces the sense that the images have a mind of their own.

The identity can be adapted across all schools within ECA, with each department using its own archive of imagery within a colour-coded framework.
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