Case Study: Wakefield Civic Society
Case Studies — 3 July 2020
Captivated by both the history and development of our wonderful city, we didn’t need to think twice when we were offered the chance to work with Wakefield Civic Society on a new brand identity.
Spearheaded by the passionate Kevin Trickett MBE, the Society not only aims to preserve and celebrate built heritage, but campaigns for new developments to be of the highest possible standard. There’s also a full programme of events throughout the year including talks, excursions, guided walks and social events.
Having signed up to become corporate members, we soon got to work on the new branding as President Kevin Trickett explains —
“When Rhubarb Design House approached us, they said they wanted to work with us and, being based in Wakefield themselves, they wanted to do something which would be of mutual benefit – anything which helps to promote the city to good advantage reflects well on the wider community, including, of course, the business community. James and Alex had been impressed by the work that the Society was doing and wanted to offer their support. We agreed a deal where they would become corporate members of the Society in return for the work they would undertake on the new brand. This means that we are building what we see as a long-term relationship with the company”.
We’d been thinking about updating our brand for some time, but it was difficult to know where to start without professional help. We’ve worked hard to establish our existing brand over the last 20 years, but it was time for a refresh. The new logo came at just the right time for us as we were about to launch a new website, so we combined the launch with the adoption of the new brand”.
With a geographical area focused on the city and surrounding villages, we were excited by the challenge of encapsulating the spirit of the society in a new logo. Whilst the previous logo had sentimental meaning (being based on one of the Society’s first ever restoration projects from the 1960s), it wasn’t obviously recognisable and didn’t fully reflect the work of the Society as a whole.
“Our new logo really captures what the Society is all about – architecture, design, the built environment – and, in so doing, reflects both the history and modernity of the city of Wakefield”.
“It was good to work with James and Alex. They were enthusiastic about the work of the Society and excited about the opportunity to work with us. They listened to our requirements and produced something which worked really well, responding quickly to our questions on matters of detail. We are very pleased with the result”.
“We have had a good deal of positive feedback on the new brand. Members of the Society have emailed us to say how much they like the brand and even members of the general public have commented favourably on the new logo via our social media accounts”.
The new logo aims to display the varied role that the society plays in the city. The shield hints at tradition, whereas the contemporary illustration style is clean and ensures the logo stands out, especially in digital formats. We are absolutely thrilled with the outcome and hope that the new branding gains more exposure for the society and ultimately helps them attract new members.