Derbyshire is a large county with a diverse spread of population and geography. Much of this is covered by the Derbyshire Community Foundation Trust, whose staff can struggle to reach a medical library in the course of their work, given commuting time.
Collaborating to solve this problem, the three library services across the different trusts in the county have joined together to create the
I have regularly used the library at DHCFT since beginning my MSc and have in many respects become a regular fixture. Marie Hickman, the knowledge manager, approached me about developing the logo for the new DLINKS project, which I gladly agreed to do, calling in the help of Guy Evans another creative based in Derby.
Guy and I initially met with the three head librarians for a brainstorming session. It quickly became clear that there were a number of concepts that required inclusion:
- The three organisations working together collectively
- The geographical basis across Derbyshire
- The representation of knowledge and learning
- An abstract image that would be distinct from the branding of each individual Foundation Trust
After some sketching, the idea of a Venn diagram type logo was settled upon and we suggested the colour scheme from the Derbyshire flag of bright gold, blue and, green, reminiscent of the landscapes of the county.
Guy and I developed a number of different design iterations, working remotely given the widespread of the stakeholders. A final brand was agreed, together with the placement of the project name.
The logo design concept was taken forward into all design for the print and digital presence for the project. The website for DLINKs, including the logo, can be viewed here www.dchslibrary.co.uk.
