Birmingham Design Festival
Brand Identity |

An identity for a new design festival, making its mark on the city of a thousand trades. The inaugural Birmingham Design Festival – a celebration of the local, national and international design industry – began in 2018 and required a brand identity that can flex to yearly themes whilst harnessing the cities rich history of craft and industrial heritage.

Photography: Jack Spicer Adams | Thom Bartley | Tom Bird
Designed in collaboration with: Two of Us | Luke Tonge

The wordmark references the old factory and warehouse signage still visible on many of Birmingham’s institutions of craft and manufacturing, whilst the monogram combines a B, D and F into the shape of an anchor – a nod to Birmingham’s own Assay Office mark.

The visual identity harnesses a graphic lexicon intrinsically linked to design and craft in the region, particularly in the jewellery and metal work industries which Birmingham is synonymous with – a system of graphic hallmark shapes re-appropriated for a contemporary forward-looking festival.

The application was vast, from pin badges to stage dressing. The simple system of graphic shapes, or ‘carriers’ provided a flexible but instantly recognisable identity.

A key part of the festival was collaboration, the identity was created working closely with fellow design studio Two of Us and Luke Tonge. There was also collaborations with speakers Jim Sutherland, Anthony Burrill and Aaron Draplin alongside some of Birmingham’s creative stalwarts including Provide and even creating our own pale ale with local brewers Birmingham Brewing Company.

Aside from the branding, we are on the organising committee responsible for all aspects of organising and running the festival alongside a small team of fellow Midlands based designers.