Swedish Polar Research Secretariat

Visual identity for a government authority

Client

Swedish Polar Research Secretariat

Agency

Bror Rudi Creative

Role

Art direction, design, illustration

Workgroup

Kalle Bohr, Project Manager
Lisa Lindgren, Creative Director
Jonas Fläckerud, Production Manager

Tewonder, web agency

description

The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat is in charge of coordinating all of Sweden's Polar research. They organize yearly expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, and administer several research facilities, including Abisko Scientific Research Station in the far north of Sweden.

After winning the procurement process and landing the assigment to completely overhaul the visual identity and material of the SPRS, we dove headfirst into the exciting world of global polar research. Our research resulted in a communication platform, which we could use as a base for our graphic work. As with many identities, our first step was to design the logotype. After exploring many potential symbols, we settled on a stylized representation of the Aurora - an atmospheric phenomenon significant for the polar area - flaring in blue over an icy landscape. Above this, we added a yellow bar, which acts as a recurring element throughout the identity. The symbol's coloration is distinctly swedish and stands out in comparison with competing international institutions. The logotype was intentionally kept strict, timeless and minimalistic in accordance with the subject matter, but adapts well to different applications and conditions - it's used on everything from the website to shipping containers in Antarctica!

Using the logotype as a starting point, we continued building the visual identity, translating our groundwork into stationery, printed matter, a website (in cooperation with Tewonder), templates, clothing, stickers, umbrellas, roll-ups, and other units.