Scope
• Branding
• Website Design
• Mapping
• Animations
Research
Connecting libraries from the past, present and future.
Drawing from a rich heritage of journeys, experiences and learning dating back to the 16th century, we shaped a visual identity and website that presented libraries as enduring spaces for social connection, knowledge sharing and sanctuary.
Connecting libraries from the past, present and future.
Drawing from a rich heritage of journeys, experiences and learning dating back to the 16th century, we shaped a visual identity and website that embodied libraries as enduring spaces for social connection, knowledge sharing and sanctuary.
Scope
• Branding • Animations
• Website Design • Mapping
The Global Library project navigates archival research with local, contemporary studies and best practice. A partnership project between researchers at the University of East Anglia and Norfolk Libraries, it aims to reconstruct the pioneering inter-library expeditions made by Anglo-Scots scholars, poets & merchants to libraries from Aleppo to Massachusetts between 1500-1700 as well as examining how the library continues today to be a place of sanctuary with refugee communities today.
The project needed a brand identity that spoke to their diverse target audiences, including academics & historians, librarians and students.
The team also required a website that could contextualise the unique experiences of these early pioneers, whilst serving as a manageable shared resource for refugee communities and practitioners in Norfolk and throughout the UK.
When Dr Louise Hull in the Centre for Implementation Science at King’s College London and the Health Promotion Research Group at the University of East Anglia created an Implementation Outcome Instrument Repository (IOR) free resource, they needed a website enabling users to navigate and understand the findings easily. An adaptable CMS was critical as the client would need to be able to upload new instruments, comparing these within the essential outcomes and other instruments on an ongoing basis. Alongside a knowledge sharing website, we also developed a distinctive visual identity for the project. Bespoke icons and a specialised symbol font encourage a better understanding of the IOR services, allowing practitioners to navigate through category areas with ease. IOR now has an identity that invites participation and exploration in healthcare services across the UK.
'Icon’s development of the Global Library website has allowed us to seamlessly connect the journeys of previous scholars with the learning communities we support today. It was a real pleasure to work with the team to develop an inclusive logo and visual identity that reflects the role of the library as a place of knowledge exchange and sanctuary.’
Dr John-Mark Philo
Project Research Manager, University of East Anglia
Approach:
Inspired by the concept of libraries as global spaces of knowledge and sanctuary, the new visual identity evokes elements of trust and calm with a heritage colour palette featuring earthy shades and deep purple hues building upon this sense of serenity.
A new logo mark establishes a rich and historical distinctiveness representing the core values of the Global Library. Starting with an open book, it clearly references the library’s role in housing research and sharing knowledge The accessible entrance suggests a sense of inclusivity, forging a communal space that all communities are welcome to enter.
A main design feature of the website was to showcase the inspirational journeys travelled by diplomats and explorers during the time period. Spanning the Ottoman Empire, America and large swathes of Europe and North Africa over 20 bespoke maps were researched and meticulously executed by our creative designers conveying the spirited ethos of exploration and adventure.
Animated timelines not only added to the chronology but allowed the client to share personal stories and insights through a consistent and timely reveal.
When Dr Louise Hull in the Centre for Implementation Science at King’s College London and the Health Promotion Research Group at the University of East Anglia created an Implementation Outcome Instrument Repository (IOR) free resource, they needed a website enabling users to navigate and understand the findings easily. An adaptable CMS was critical as the client would need to be able to upload new instruments, comparing these within the essential outcomes and other instruments on an ongoing basis. Alongside a knowledge sharing website, we also developed a distinctive visual identity for the project. Bespoke icons and a specialised symbol font encourage a better understanding of the IOR services, allowing practitioners to navigate through category areas with ease. IOR now has an identity that invites participation and exploration in healthcare services across the UK.
The site was also built to provide editable opportunities to grow the current creative and practical courses in Norwich libraries as well as sharing good practice principles, case studies and advice for practitioners, refugees and asylum seekers across the country.
“In the library, I never feel alone. Never. It is a completely different space – it exists outside of time.”
Anna, Ukrainian Psychologist now in Norfolk
When Dr Louise Hull in the Centre for Implementation Science at King’s College London and the Health Promotion Research Group at the University of East Anglia created an Implementation Outcome Instrument Repository (IOR) free resource, they needed a website enabling users to navigate and understand the findings easily. An adaptable CMS was critical as the client would need to be able to upload new instruments, comparing these within the essential outcomes and other instruments on an ongoing basis. Alongside a knowledge sharing website, we also developed a distinctive visual identity for the project. Bespoke icons and a specialised symbol font encourage a better understanding of the IOR services, allowing practitioners to navigate through category areas with ease. IOR now has an identity that invites participation and exploration in healthcare services across the UK.
“Icon’s vision and creative flair have helped make our undergraduate campaign a huge success; we have seen significant increases in prospectus distribution, up 30% on the previous year in some areas of the U.K. and a subsequent rise in open day bookings.”
Gemma Williamson,
Head of Marketing, Digital and Creative Services,
Swansea University