Birmingham City Council – Brand refresh identity
Brief: In June 2025, we began exploring opportunities to refresh the council’s brand identity. The existing brand was already well established and recognisable, so the challenge was not to reinvent it, but to consider how it could be modernised and adapted for the future while retaining its equity and familiarity.
One area of exploration was the council’s chevron device. I investigated whether it could be softened through rounded forms and evolved into a more contemporary visual asset while maintaining its recognisable character.
My creative approach centred on the idea that the council is caring, community-focused, and that residents are at the heart of everything it does. This led to a broader exploration of the city’s people, trades, architecture, cultures, and communities. As a vibrant multicultural city, its diversity creates a rich tapestry of colours, textures, patterns, and experiences. I explored how these elements could be translated into a modern visual language that reflects both the city’s heritage and its ongoing development.
The work was guided by the proposition: Pride. Progress. Belonging.
These themes informed the concepts I developed as part of the wider design team, helping to shape a brand identity that celebrates the city’s character, reflects its ambition, and strengthens the connection between the council and its residents.
The following concepts represent my contribution to the project and the evolution of the refreshed brand identity.
Idea 1: a: Keeping the original Chevron and using it big and bold in layouts and backgrounds.
Adding cultural patterns, architecture of our city.
Idea 1: b: Keeping the original Chevron and developing an inclusive visual identity of strands coming together of patterns, textures, cultures, architecture and bold bright colour with happy images of staff and residents coming together as one.
Idea 2: A more stylised heart for development: All strands wraping around the central image of culture, colours, patterns, architecture, industry and photos of people/residents and staff looking happy and engaged – making a difference to the community and the city.
Logos followed by examples of covers and visual identity. Using bold patterns and colour from all communities. Bringing people together.
Submitted presentation
Idea 2: The Heart – You are at the heart of everything we do –
The heart is a holder for bright colours and patterns representing the city. Here we have the Selfridges circles in bright colours and a diamond representing the
jewellery quarter.
Logo ideas, followed by adaptions of the heart with cover ideas for the visual identity.
Research
Looking at cultural patterns, our architecture, our industry our people.
