Switchboard
Branding
Since 1974, Switchboard has been providing support and information to the LGBTQIA+ community across the UK – as well as those who are questioning, their friends, families and allies. But their brand was not serving their ambition to reach everyone who needs support.
The new brand was based around the idea 'creating space for every conversation', positioning Switchboard as a welcoming space for anyone in the extended LGBTQIA+ community to talk about whatever is on their mind.
Design exploration began by visiting Switchboard’s archive hosted at the Bishopsgate Institute. This rich history of 50 years' worth of materials provided essential inspiration for us to build from. Pin badges, and the sense of pride from wearing them, were a key part of Switchboard's story. Among them, one badge in particular inspired the central motif of the new design system – the speech marks. The unique style and connection to the story about conversations presented a perfect opportunity.
The logo itself takes its form from this bit of history, with bespoke lettering housed in the space between the two marks. The speech marks then become a key part of the brand’s graphic language – a dynamic canvas for different moods and different messages. They shift and morph to create endless types of space for every type of issue.
Among the different identities that Switchboard has had over the years, pink was always present. It was important to keep this as a central colour to continue to build on this historic association. But to reflect the diversity of the changing community, a dynamic colour pairing system was developed, inspired by the rainbow flag. This allows flexibility within the design system. It can be soft and sensitive, as well as bright, proud and illuminating.
There were also so many sketches, cartoons and styles of illustration across the years that captured the community’s personality. So an open-ended illustration style was developed to allow the brand to continue to be a space for community expression. Steered by a few simple principles to keep it consistent, Switchboard is now sourcing illustrations from the community itself to build a library of brand assets.
With Nice and Serious