Building a brand and sense of place at a high-profile, mixed-use development

Colchester Borough Council’s flagship Northern Gateway project required a visual identity to establish it as the premier mixed-use destination outside of London.

The on-going development features a sports park, commercial zones, business hubs, recreational areas, medical facilities, and new-build residential homes. It was crucial to give these distinct identities but ensure unity of style.

We created key personas to assess how and why different types of people would use and navigate the development. This insight allowed us to differentiate the areas but retain a clear brand hierarchy – and establish a user-centric wayfinding experience.

A new colour palette and differing illustration styles for each of the Northern Gateway’s varying areas created a sense of diversity and culture.

The result is an attention-grabbing brand specifically designed for people interacting with the destination either as office workers, residents, leisure users, or day visitors.