Douglas College: a post secondary college reinvents to become the school of opportunity & empowerment.

Douglas College required new positioning and the creative development of an entirely new brand platform. In-depth surveys and analysis yielded new criteria for what the brand would stand for and what the visual identity would signal: applied knowledge, community, and the feeling of belonging, engagement, and connection.

Douglas is a student-centred institution – ‘discovering who I am and where I am going.’ A figure emerges when the ‘A’ is introduced to the graphic.

‘Do what you love – be good at it.’ New students apply their goals and dreams to a giant three-dimensional ‘DO’.

Acknowledgements: Douglas College Marketing and Communications, Tana Frie, Monir Shahir, Pink Buffalo Films

Solution
  • Brand Guidelines
  • Campaign Platform
  • Environmental and Signage
  • Graphic Systems
  • Visual Identity
Synopsis

Wanting to reinvent and reap the rewards of new brand identity, Douglas College contacted Dennis Boyle for the creative development of a new logomark and brand platform. Carefully looking at Douglas’s current state, the landscape of post-secondary education, and collaborating with Douglass College, an interesting path began to emerge.

The mark needed to suggest applied knowledge, community, and the feeling of belonging. It was additionally submitted the new mark would also attempt to represent and speak directly to the student; that in some way, the student would not only embrace the new logo, but be proud of it. The project resulted in a compelling expression that uniquely represents the student and positions the college. Helping people to discover what they love to do – Douglas College is the postsecondary institution for advancement, opportunity and empowerment. 

International Association of Business Communications (IABC): Dennis Boyle was requested by the IABC to present and participate in professional panel and discussion on re-brands, featuring Douglas College — 2015.

Chois Publishing Inc. from Shanghai, China and NYC requested to publish the Douglas College logomark and brand identity. The work is featured in Volume 27 of Gallery – The World’s Best Graphics. – 2014.

University & College Designers Association – UCDA
North American Award of Excellence – Douglas College Campaign — 2012

University & College Designers Association – UCDA
North American Award of Excellence – Douglas College
Video / Logomark Introduction — 2012

Testimonial

Dennis was instrumental in creating a visual identity that has become a compelling part of the Douglas brand. Unlike some other designers I’ve worked with, Dennis does not try to impose trendy design themes or easy solutions in his approach. Rather, he uses an iterative process, pulling ideas and themes organically from the brand research and working with his clients to understand the core brand DNA so that it can be expressed visually. His approach resulted in a design narrative that is totally unique to Douglas and far more sustainable for us in the long term. I will work with him again.

Dave Robert Taylor, Director of Marketing and Communications
Douglas College