Departures brands National Assembly for Wales

Cardiff-based design group Departures is creating brand guidelines for the National Assembly for Wales.

The National Assembly appointed Departures at the end of last year, following a competitive creative tender.

It has briefed the group to refine its logo and redesign its suite of external marketing materials and stationery.

‘Instead of being very closed off, we are trying to present the assembly as more public-facing and approachable, thereby engaging people in the democratic process,’ says Departures creative director Aled Phillips.

The assembly is responsible for holding the Welsh government to account.

The consultancy has come up with a new colour palette for the assembly, composed of ‘dark, muted colours’ including greys, greens and blues, which are intended to recall the Welsh landscape. A secondary palette of brighter accent colours is supposed to reflect the spirit of the Welsh people.

‘We are looking at the vast array of materials the assembly was producing and trying to streamline it and give it more of a publicly focused, engaging, branded feel,’ says Phillips.

Departures’ first piece of work – a visitors’ guide to the Senedd building, the home of the National Assembly – was rolled out a week ago. The brochure bears the new ‘evolved’ logo. The dragon icon remains unchanged, but the words ‘National Assembly of Wales’ now appear in a bespoke sans-serif typeface.

Departures is still working on the brand guidelines, and is also creating a poster that will tell members of the public how to contact the assembly.

The group is also putting together a hardback book about the history and workings of the assembly, with the help of photographer Marcus Ginns.

While the book will have an electronic version, the consultancy remains uncertain about whether it will make it to publication due to budgetary and sustainability considerations, says Phillips. The website will also be modified to take account of the new brand guidelines.

The assembly was unavailable to comment as DW went to press.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES BRIEF

• Refining the visual identity
• Designing a visitors’ guide to the Senedd building
• Revamping stationery and external communications materials
• Designing a poster showing how to contact the assembly
• Creating a book about the history of the assembly