Moving Brands works on UAL strategy

Central St Martins
View of Central St Martins’ new King’s Cross campus

Moving Brands is working on a strategic review of University of the Arts London, which will aim to define an identity for the institute.

The work will not initially result in a change to the current UAL visual identity, although both client and consultancy say they are ’open-minded’ about possible changes.

UAL was formed in 2004 as a conglomeration of Camberwell School of Arts, Central St Martins College of Art and Design, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London College of Communication and London College of Fashion. Wimbledon College of Art was brought in in 2006.

Sir John Tusa, chairman of UAL, says, ’We need to review our strategy as the component parts of UAL have never really been brought together. If UAL is to mean anything then we have to come up with a way of identifying what the university is.’

Tusa adds, ’The existing identity is rubbish as it was done by committee. I don’t think we can advance as we are and we want and need to change in an atmosphere which includes intense competition for students and for provision.’

Moving Brands was appointed to work on the project at the end of last month following an invited tender process that resulted in a shortlist of five consultancies.

Moving Brands had previously worked on the UAL website, which draws together sites from the component colleges, and has also worked on installations for the London College of Fashion. Moving Brands co-founders James Bull and Ben Wolstenholme are both graduates of Central St Martins.

The consultancy will now work on a 90-day project to review and define UAL’s strategy.

Bull says, ’Strategy projects are one of the main things we work on as a consultancy we have a number of solid processes we use to develop them. We carry out a lot of workshops and interviews and make the client part of the process. We make the process very open.’

Current UAL identity

  • The current University of the Arts London identity was created following a competition launched in autumn 2005 open to all UAL students
  • The winning team, Antoine Choussat and Zamir Antonio, then both third-year BA graphic design students at Central St Martins College of Art and Design, worked with Lloyd Northover to develop the identity
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