Organisation

Institut français
des Pays-Bas
Maison Descartes

Year

2011-2016

Deliverables
  • Visual identity & graphic design
  • Branding cultural program
  • Branding courses program
  • Signage

A new identity to align with global branding

French Institutes are based in different cities throughout the world to promote the French language and culture. In 2011, a new global brand was created for all French Institutes. The aim was to harmonise the identities of the institutes to communicate as one global organisation and to avoid any disparate visual designs. A style guide was delivered with a bright blue colour as the main “Institut français” hallmark; it had then to be locally implemented. The French Institute in Amsterdam had a sharp red colour in its identity.
The first step was to redesign the cultural three-monthly and bilingual program. The brief was to create a more dynamic A5 program by giving more space to images, create a set of icons to label each category, give enough space for 2 languages.
Then the transition was made by implementing a new signage and new communication materials for events and services.

Colours

Typography

DIN

Design elements

A new French courses program

After putting the cultural program in place, the French courses program didn’t look in line with the new identity. The clients intention was to create a simplified program, with less lines and tables, and more graphical elements, making it more dynamic.
The result: based on the cultural program design I proposed for the new courses program a playful and colourful layout, maximising graphic design elements such as speech bubbles, arrows and stickers. My idea was to use the class-notebook codes.
A mid-season leaflet was also created.