Information Commissioner’s Office

We worked on this project as part of an integrated team of agencies, which were put together and managed by Squad

Background

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) enforces and oversees the Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act. By 2010 their remit and structure had evolved meaning a new identity was needed to reflect the new organisation.

The ICO produce numerous publications, often on complex subjects, which all need to look and feel consistent. Previously imagery had been used to create interest and coherence, but this hid any sense of who and what the ICO are.

 

The Guide to Data Protection

 

Revised logo

Corporate identity guidelines

We devised an identity that made the subject matter – the information being communicated – the branding device. This avoided cluttering the communication with additional branding devices and allowed the content to come to the fore.

We created a complete toolkit for how to design and layout information, covering fonts, colours, imagery and more. Whatever topic the ICO were talking about it would always be able to have a unique and consistent style.

The new identity allowed the subject matter to take centre stage, meaning that in every piece of communication we were able to draw attention to the central message. By always highlighting the relevance to the ICO’s mission statement of ‘upholding information rights’ we helped build a consistent image of who and what the ICO are.

An identity without barriers

Perhaps surprisingly, we selected typefaces from humble system fonts. But by selecting Georgia and Verdana system fonts, we have universally accessible typefaces, creating a consistency that is essential to the strength of the ICO brand. So no matter whether the design consultancy or an ICO staff member create a piece of work, it has the same universal look.

Colours were carefully selected in the same inclusive fashion so they display little difference when created in Pantone, CMYK or RGB – this means that whether printed in spot colours, full colour process, digital, or online, the ICO looks consistent and professional.

We assisted the ICO in rolling out the new identity across publications, web, signage and numerous other media. The simplicity and ease of use of the identity has enabled the ICO’s staff to use it themselves. With the help of a manual and graphics library they have produced all manner of internal documents and posters in the new style. This means even internally produced documents have a consistent look and feel, but more importantly their people are truly engaging in their mission and values.