Natural cure for City Lit branding

London adult learning college City Lit is relaunching its branding this month, designed by London design consultancy Natural Associates.

The consultancy was appointed to review the branding last Christmas following a credentials presentation, ahead of a wider communications rethink, which encompasses posters and print literature, as well as on-line media.

Natural managing director Nick Boyce explains, ‘City Lit came to us for a new identity, which was about repurposing the brand and rolling it out across its collateral. It felt slightly hidden, so we have been trying to increase awareness of the brand within the proximity of its Covent Garden home.’

The challenge, says Boyce, was to simplify the college’s messaging to reach prospective students quickly. Rather than being vocational, the courses tend to be about augmenting people’s personal interest, he explains.

‘Because City Lit runs more than 3000 courses, one of the big issues to consider was communicating the choice. The sheer volume of information contained in the prospectus and the website had to be communicated in a vibrant and interesting way,’ he explains. ‘A palette of bright colours supported by a bold, single word graphic [is used] to endorse key messages.’

Natural will next look at wayfinding and environmental branding when it relocates next year.