Neville Brody and Research Studios have collaborated closely with the BBC to redesign their online Global Visual Language (GVL) and take the organisation and its users into a more compelling digital space. At the heart of the project was the joint desire to bring joined-up cross platform concepts and experiences to users of bbc.co.uk and bbc.com now and into the future.

Having been appointed after winning a competitive pitch in August 2009 by Head of User Experience and Design, Brownyn Van Der Mere, Research Studios worked closely with project lead Ben Gammon and teams gathered from across the BBC. Neville and the team have collaborated in a spectrum of design, interaction and strategic challenges. From working together on the strategy and philosophy of the project to the nuts and bolts of a GVL (typography, colour palette, iconography etc). Further work was contributed to look at interaction and developing compelling experiences within the new GVL. During the project Research Studios also worked with internal teams on News and Sport, Homepage, Search and Search Products, Embedded Media Player (EMP) Global Navigation and Mobile. The studio are currently in the process of consolidating all the work into a styleguide that can then be used across the organisation.

Neville Brody, creative director of Research Studios, comments;

“We are very proud to have helped create the new Global Visual Language for the BBC. This is probably the best job in the world! To have been so intrinsically involved in changing and growing the design and philosophy of the BBC’s digital offering has been amazing. To be asked to do this is a huge honour. The BBC is seen globally as a trusted source of information, and as a beacon of engineering and story-telling excellence.

Over the last few months we have worked a huge amount of hours together and produced hundreds of in-depth explorations in order to arrive at what appears to be the simplest of solutions. Together with the BBC we have, to-date, established the central philosophy and core building blocks or DNA, and, we hope, to continue to work closely with the organisation in depth across differing and different BBC sites in order to expand the language and establish its scalability.”

The new GVL will not be an overnight rollout, but will begin to appear across core properties within bbc.co.uk over the next few months. The resources involved are massive and managing the process along with daily demands of the organisation are a challenging one but, Research Studios are confident that having worked in such a collaborative and inclusive way with internal teams, the BBC will be able to adopt, embrace and take forward the new GVL as it develops internally.

Much more on this story will be added over the coming weeks so check back here for the latest.
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Global and local navigation

Grid structure

Selected fonts

Baseline grid

News page template

Drawers device and typographic styling

Colour wheel

Gradient usage guidelines

Neutral wheel

Colour usage guidelines

Embedded Media Player

Embedded Media Player

Carousels

Dynamic content module and text links

Typography over images

Iconography

BBC development work in progress

The NB Urban Impressions Collection, 6 unique patterns, are inspired by the urban environment and experiences of the individual within it. LG took the patterns and using their own internal CMF (Colour, Materials and Finishing) have applied them to a high-end range of Whisen floor standing air conditioning units that previewed to the market in Seoul last month. The collection will be applied to household goods (washing machines and fridges) later in the year.

In celebration of the new range Brody will give two lectures in Seoul later this year, one to industry and one to students supported by LG Electronics – dates to be confirmed on this blog.

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Research Studios paid a visit to ISPO to see our friends at Bonfire Snowboarding. ISPO, held in Munich, is the world largest winter sports expo, Bonfire were they to show off their latest range of snowboarding apparel and boots, we were there to see our hard work in action. Research Studios has been Bonfire’s design consultants for the past five years, creating things such as their branding, advertising, fabric and embroidery designs and POP. This year we ventured into boot design, which was a first for us, while at the show we were lucky enough to see the first prototype, unfortunately we have to keep the design under wraps, but as soon as it is released we to post some pictures.

View the Bonfire season 09/10 work >
View the Bonfire season 08/09 work >
View the Bonfire season 07/08 work >
View the Bonfire season 06/07 work >
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The prototype of the Research Studios designed Bonfire Snowboarding boot, watch this space to see the final design!

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Research Studios has created a new logo for 1 Goal, an international campaign to get people to sign up and by doing so bring international pressure and global support to educate 75 million children in the developing world. 1 Goal and it’s activities will centre around this years world cup in South Africa (the first time the competition has been held in Africa).

The studio was inspired by Queen Rania of Jordan and the 1 Goal partners in its epic task to get millions of signatures to lobby the UN and national governments and have all signed up.
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You can find our more about 1 Goal and sign up here

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Illustrator Harry Malt has just completed a collaboration with the studio to brighten up the hallway in the London office. Following on from a project between Harry and Research Studios for the 2009 Le Book show in London he worked closely with Neville and the team to illustrate some our most iconic projects, creative process and way of thinking onto our magnolia walls. Harry came armed with a box of black posco pens and spent two days in the hallway to complete the project in his own unique style which now acts as a warm welcome to our friends and clients.

Take a look at Harry’s website and check out his blog

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The brief this year was to experiment with pattern and type to create an artwork for the 12 months of the year and involved Neville Brody alongside designers from our London, Paris, Barcelona and Berlin studios. The calendar carries forward our passion for type and experimentation with it into 2010.

We will post the full calendar shortly here but if you want to get your hands on one we have 20 calendars to give away. Please send you name, full postal address and contact telephone number in an email entitled ‘PICK ME’ to calendar2010@researchstudios.com by 6pm (GMT) 20th January 2010. 20 names will be drawn at random and calendars sent out in as priority mail*.

*Studio administrator’s decision is final.
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March

August

November

December

Research Studios has worked with Bonfire Snowboarding since 2005 on a range of projects from Branding to designing fabric patterns. Having designed their overarching logo and visual language in the first year, each year we develop this to give them a fresh look whilst retaining the solid foundations we originally created. Together we have established a brand language that is pioneering for Bonfire as it sits outside the typical style for the snowboarding sector. Research Studios consults with the business on all aspects of their collateral including apparel labeling, hang tags, sales graphics and website to ensure they are on brand.

We collaborate with Bonfire to create each seasons ad campaign: after agreeing the concept together, a member of the Bonfire team shoots the photography and Research Studios creates the final adverts, 2008/09 versions below.

We also work with Bonfire’s apparel designer to create custom patterns for the fabrics, and ‘Bonfire’ embroideries which are featured on garments.

View the Bonfire season 08/09 work >
View the Bonfire season 07/08 work >
View the Bonfire season 06/07 work >
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Bonfire Branding

Bonfire Advertising

Fabric Pattern Design

Embroideries

Research Studios has begun rolling out the new look material for the D&AD student awards. The infographic theme has been applied to both print and digital materials as the call for entries to both tutors and students builds over the next couple of months. As promised in an earlier post on this blog we wanted to share it with you.

Core to the campaign are the postcard call for entries and a new approach to engaging both tutors and students with a striking double-sided poster “calling tutors with extra oomph” for the academic audience and “wanted students with excess talent” developed on the client side.

Research Studios will be working with the team as the campaign develops and on the materials for both closing entries and the awards night collateral. More to follow on this blog at a later date.

Tutor poster

Tutor poster detail

Tutor poster detail

Tutor poster detail

Student poster

Student poster detail

Student poster detail

Student poster detail

Vetena, drawn by James Le Beau Morley, comes from his personal interest in super-heavy typefaces such as Amplitude Ultra, Futura Extra Bold, Gill Sans Ultra Bold and Sahara Bodoni. Like these fonts, Vetena has a big personality and presence. Vetenas main feature is the varying line thicknesses which gives the font a charismatic quality.

Vetena is available exclusively from Hype for Type

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Type specimen sheet

Typography example