Hobbins Sides with Artsworld

A TV channel dedicated to the arts is coming to a screen near you, though only if you are in the lucky minority with a set-top-box sitting happily on your television.

Artsworld launches on Sky Digital on 2 December as a subscription channel, with programming which claims to cover a complete range of arts subjects, from opera and theatre to architecture, design and literature.

London design consultancy Hobbins Sides has created the on-screen and off-screen identity for the channel, with a brief to make it as durable and adaptable as possible.

‘Given the nature of the channel, the identity needed to be contemporary and sit comfortably in the arts world, which has a traditional feel,’ explains creative director Andrew Sides. ‘There is a perception that the high arts have a particular look – and we wanted to avoid that. It is tricky to come up with a visual representation of The Arts without being clichéd and hackneyed,’ he adds.

The identity that has been chosen represents ‘human creativity, the common link that brings the arts together,’ according to Sides. On-screen, the identity’s focus is a series of ‘dynamic and energetic’ coloured lines, while off-screen the ‘Artsworld’ logotype (top right) becomes the focal point, with lines under the text bringing an artistic emphasis to the identity. This will be applied across all promotional literature, stationery and eventually a website.

Hobbins Sides won an unpaid creative pitch against an unknown number of rivals to secure the channel project, which will be broadcast seven days a week during peak evening hours.

Client: Artsworld

Design: Hobbins Sides

Designers – Andrew Sides, creative director;

Sylvie Minois, project designer