When introducing a name change from ‘Southbank TAFE’ and undertaking a major campus renewal as part of a Public-Private Partnership, Southbank Institute of Technology commissioned Lloyd Grey Design to develop the repositioning and rebranding component of its renewal process. The Institute had become a state-of-the-art training facility with leading-edge technology and wanted to reshape public and industry perceptions by reflecting this brand strength in its image and communications. The rebranding process captured the essence of the repositioning with the new brandmark, visual style and tagline ‘education for aspiring minds’. Representing a bridge between technical and university education, the multiple pathways theme was a resounding success with students and faculty alike. Extensive research confirmed it resonated equally effectively with the international and multicultural community.

The new brand was implemented across a wide range of information and marketing collateral, including the Southbank Institute of Technology’s website and new campus signage.The project was supported by the development of a comprehensive identity style guide and new photographic library, ensuring consistent ongoing brand management by theInstitute’s marketing department. The Southbank Institute of Technology now has an image that positions it as a premium education provider, encourages internal pride and dramatically enhances external perceptions.

Design Strategy & Summary
I joined the Southbank Marketing team 3 months to go live. During this time my role was to project manage the roll-out of the new branding across all departments. My first task was to visit each department and assess the number of documents that were currently in the process of completion. As the branding was being applied there were isolated cases where we needed to rethink our strategy. I acted as liaison between the marketing department, individual faculties and Lloyd Grey Design. Workshops were organised where both students and Staff members were involved in confirming how each piece of communication would be used and if necessary changes were made to the design and layout of the document in line with the new branding guidelines. I also advocated the use of high fidelity prototypes for a number of forms that were designed. We were able to improve these forms by observing how students and other relevant clients interacted with them.

With our go-live looming close, I was able to move a number of projects that had stalled by getting the appropriate stakeholders involved in the design process and keeping the communication chanels open with the internal marketing department. During my time on this project, I was able to facilitate the completion of 340 pieces of collateral that had previously stalled. I also reinterperted and redesigned a number of documents based on the branding guidelines that were supplied by Lloyd Grey Design. I was involved in copywriting, TV commercials and signage design.