For over 40 years, D&AD has nurtured and rewarded the creative excellence produced by British designers and art directors. But the industry has grown and evolved. D&AD knew it wasn’t just reflecting design and art direction in Britain. The organisation, after all, is recognised internationally in all sectors of creativity. D&AD acknowledged the need wanted to stand for more than just excellence, investing all their proceeds back into education and increasing their links and association with enterprise.

And with this, Rose was assigned to rebuild a visual statement on D&AD being The Global Symbol of Creativity. Rose were therefore asked to take ‘a fresh look’ at how the existing D&AD identity elements could be used and ‘applied consistently to all corporate materials’.

“This is the final stage of a process that began almost three years ago,’ said D&AD Chief Executive Michael Hockney. TAXI Design Network speaks to Michael Hockney, Chief Executive of D&AD, and the designers responsible for the new design behind D&AD's re-branding, Garry Blackburn and Simon Elliot, from Rose Design, to understand their perspective on D&AD's first rebrand in nearly half a century…



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Interview with Michael Hockney

TAXI >> Why did D&AD appoint Rose to be in charge of D&AD's re-branding? Michael Hockney >> Rose were highly recommended to D&AD by members of our Executive Committee, which is made up by 16 elected D&AD Members and 2 appointed members from the world of education and business. Rose were described as a group of young designers who simply get things right in an intelligent, strategic, detailed and beautifully crafted way. TAXI >> How do you think have the new perspective, direction and change of the re-branding changed the way the creative industry is looking at D&AD? Michael Hockney >> We have had very positive feedback about the rebrand from everyone. I think that creative practitioners will now find that D&AD has a streamlined look that simply and effectively communicates the breadth of our work. It was an important development for the charity, given the increasing number of

international participants in everything from the D&AD Global Awards to our student and professional development programmes.


TAXI >>What is the objective of the D&AD Re-branding you would like to achieve through this re-branding after a successful brand establishment after 44 years?

Michael Hockney >> The new identity pulls D&AD’s many facets together and gives us the right look to communicate with all of the creative disciplines we uniquely represent. D&AD has been going through a period of considerable growth over the last three years. It began with a simple name change three years ago, from ‘British Design & Art Direction’ to ‘D&AD’ and the rebrand is the significant and critical next step.



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Interview with Garry Blackburn

TAXI >> As a designer, what do you like most about the new brand of D&AD? Garry Blackburn >> To have your work recognised by D&AD either as a student or professionally has always been a honour. If you won an award, you knew your work was recognised as being some of the best in Britain that year. But now, with the organisation being global, it will make the challenge for excellence greater and the accoldades even more significant. TAXI >> How do you think have brand identities of corporate firms/organisations transformed themselves dynamically for the past 4 decades? Garry Blackburn >> Forty years ago, brand identity was a relatively new concept. It was used like a flag, to gain recognition and companies dressed everything in exactly the same way. Since then competition between companies and

organisations has increased. Commercialism has got more powerful and the need to be different has got more important, as audiences have become more visually aware and sophisticated. Brand identity has evolved by gaining personality and has become more sensitive. Monolithic applications have become a thing of the past. Brand identities still have to be consistent, but with inherent flexibility, which demands a greater creative challenge.


TAXI >> What is your personal objective towards D&AD Re-branding?

Garry Blackburn >> To help D&AD gain global brand recognition to help them become the international authority on creativity.



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Interview with Simon Elliott

TAXI >> You are a frequent Jury Member for awards bodies including the 96 European Design Awards in Basel, Switzerland and the 02, 04, 06 D&AD Awards. When is good design a Good Design, in your opinion? Simon Elliott >> Good design is solving the clients problem in a memorable way. A great idea, beautifully executed. It’s when you can look at a piece of work and say ‘I wish I’d done that’. TAXI >> What is your personal objective towards D&AD Re-branding? Simon Elliott >> To provide D&AD with an identity that allows them to express who they are and what they do consistently, but without hindering creativity. TAXI >> How long did the entire re-branding of D&AD took and what was the most difficult part of the re-development?

Simon Elliott >> The process took about a year from the initial briefing - via several stages of presentations - prior to sign off by D&AD's executive committee of leading industry figures.

The most difficult part of the project was achieving the right balance of old and new. Evolving an identity cherished by the creative industry is a sensitive task. The Fletcher Forbes Gill logo is famous. It's been on every annual, item of print and pencil for more than forty years. We felt that changing or removing the renowned logo would have been unnecessary – change for the sake of change. What was more important was to restore the elements of the identity that had been weakened in recent years, and provide them with a strong idea that built upon the existing logo.





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