Bank of England's Innovative Visual Identity

Designers Matteo Ruisi and Peter McCabe Reimagine Bank's Image

The inspiration behind the redesign stemmed from the Bank's desire to communicate more effectively with a broader audience. The challenge was to balance technical outputs with general communications, ensuring that the visuals consistently reflected the Bank's vision. The solution was a visual identity more aligned with the Bank's values, purpose, and mission.

The unique properties of this design lie in its adherence to four key principles: accessibility, relevance, structure, and distinctiveness. The new logo features a dyslexia-friendly type, and the Britannia seal has been redesigned to be more welcoming and inclusive. The color palette is inspired by the Bank's notes, and the photography mirrors the design of these notes. Charts and diagrams were created in collaboration with a wider staff, and accessibility charities were consulted at various stages of the design process.

The design was realized using Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Frontify.com, HTML, and CSS. The new visual identity system was designed in collaboration with Bank of England staff, enhancing the effectiveness of the design outputs. The logo, colors, and typography were designed to be relevant, distinctive, and accessible, especially for color-blind individuals and those with dyslexia.

An online brand portal was created for staff and designers to use, and a one-size-fits-all template for charts was designed, given the Bank's production of thousands of charts each year. A new CSS was introduced to further enhance accessibility. The project started in 2020 during the pandemic and was completed entirely remotely, facilitating interaction with all relevant teams. The new design was published on March 3, 2022.

The design's biggest challenge was finding a balance between accessible content, very technical and sensitive information, staff-led outputs, chart design, and engaging general communications. The project was managed entirely in-house, allowing for the involvement of a wider staff in delicate aspects of the design process. This approach simplified and optimized the design process, resulting in an identity that is accessible, relevant, structured, and distinctive.