The Background

Comhairle na nÓg child and youth councils operate in each of the 31 Local Authority areas across Ireland. Funded and managed by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), the councils enable young people aged 12-17 to exercise their right in influencing decision-makers on the topics most important to them. When developing new policies, improving services, or making planning decisions that will impact young people in their communities, local and national agencies can consult with Comhairle na nÓg child and youth councils to get the opinions and inputs of those same young people. The purpose of Comhairle na nÓg is to provide a structure through which children and young people can have a voice in decision making and to ensure that due consideration is given to their views by decision makers. Our task was to reimagine the Comhairle na nÓg brand and visual identity to reflect the values and ideals of Comhairle na nÓg while developing a brand that appeals to and is representative of the perspectives of key stakeholder groups; young people and policy makers at local and national level.

The Idea

Made up of 31 different Comhairle, each with a voice as important as the next. This new brand identity celebrates individuality and locality, whilst also being truly united and supportive. The tone is confident and inclusive - creating the feeling of being part of something bigger.

The Execution

The logo uses a bold and youthful typeface with the tagline housed in a flag that signifies togetherness, representation and pride. The custom fada on the nÓg is inspired by the flag movement and the customised ‘g’ with the smiling descender represents inclusivity and voice. Focusing on the unique traits of each local comhairle across Ireland we created a suite of graphic tiles which take inspiration from their size, location, population or unique local landscapes (mountains, coast lines, rivers, hills). These graphic elements allow us to create different formations when stacked together and can be intentionally arranged at various scales to introduce visual diversity. The result is an abstract, flexible toolkit, which celebrates collaboration, diversity and togetherness. We get to see the full potential of this system in action across the various applications, specifically across digital. To allow members create their own communication pieces we chose an open source, accessible font and created a suite of editable templates. The youthful and energetic identity and eclectic visual language captures perfectly the essence, values and personality of Comhairle na nÓg.