Because design and technology matter - Raising the bar

Published 14th October 2022

New Brand Launched Today - Because Design and Innovation Matter!

So why have we done it now?

Design and Technology is the future. The Design and Technology Association exists to enable teaching excellence in design and technology and to put D&T back on the educational agenda. To achieve this, we must influence a broad group of stakeholders, many at the forefront of design in this country and beyond.

How we went about it - an intense and rigorous process

We understood that if we wanted to realise our goal to drive transformational innovation for the subject, we had first to demonstrate this with our brand. Membership was growing and had reached over 32,000 members, but we suspected that the energy and confidence we wanted to demonstrate were not apparent in our current branding, which had not changed in over 16 years. To explore this, we embarked on a discovery exercise involving a range of over 100 members and engaged industry partners through round table discussions and surveys. This confirmed that we needed to clarify what our brand personified and revise the visual and verbal identity.

Changing the name of the Association and the use of the ampersand was considered and always causes much debate with varying points of view, but ultimately a decision was made that the current name has more advantages than disadvantages and, therefore, should be kept.

We then conducted a rigorous pitch process to find a suitable design agency. Through this process, we found Spy Studio, who demonstrated impressive case studies, an understanding of the educational sector, a full understanding of the brief and the requirement to provide value for money. We felt we had found a trusted partner.

As a team, we developed a brand platform centred around the belief that 'design and innovation matter'.

A creative workshop helped develop a shared understanding of visual approaches that would achieve the project goals. The design needed to be modern, progressive, professional, playful, fun, and visually eye-catching. It needed to be both simple and smart.

An iterative design process resulted in a clear winning route, and the new visual and verbal identity were shared widely within the association and with our stakeholders; from this, a decision was made to proceed.

One element of the design is the unique ampersand that has been carefully crafted to include an arrow representing continual growth, future innovation, and positivity. The arrow symbol is used across the brand design.

The brand design is being launched today. It has received excellent feedback, and we are confident it will make the right first impression for the Association with potential partners, members and young people considering Design & Technology as a subject and career. Through this brand identity, we are demonstrating our belief that design and innovation matter!