University of Limerick - Red Dog - Design Consultants Dublin

Discipline

Sector

A university with designs on the future.

Opened in 1972, University of Limerick is an independent third-level institution with 15,000 students that has repeatedly been ranked in the world's Top 100 young universities.

The world, and Ireland especially, had moved on a whole lot since 1989. Even so, that was the last time the university’s brand had been refreshed. So Red Dog was given the opportunity to bring it right up to date, and beyond, developing a brand proposition and visual identity that would future-proof the university and connect with its many audiences in a compelling way.

The Approach

In our research phase of the brand positioning process, we spoke to students, alumni, members of faculty, management and industry partners who collectively identified University of Limerick as an educational institution that not only thinks but does differently, to shape and create a better world. Our approach would be to evolve the existing identity to reflect a bold, dynamic, future-facing university.

The Execution

The principal elements in the coat of arms of the previous logo were retained, but re-rendered in a simpler, more contemporary way. Striking a balance between heritage and modernity, innovation and the natural world, the introduction of water speaks to the university's beautiful setting and its fluid approach to education. The inclusion of the iconic flags that grace the entrance to the campus signal intent to challenge the future.

The visual language toolkit we developed is derived from the shapes and forms found in the architecture of the university, while the organic patterns are inspired by the physical landscape around it.