Naming, Rebrand & Website – Leeds Arts Union

  • Kaitlyn Badger

Leeds Arts Union Naming, Rebrand & Web Design As Leeds College of Art shifted to a University, it's Students' Union needed to shift as well. The problem: The Union was regarded as, not cool. We wanted to shift the identity to represent the students identities as cool, rule-breaking, creatives. One way we tackled the problem was in the naming. Instead of naming it the obvious choice - Leeds Arts University Union, we changed the name to Leeds Arts Union. By placing the word 'Art' directly next to 'Union', the name reflects the unique nature of the Union being for a specialist arts community. It helps to empower the creative students to see themselves not just as students, but creative practitioners. The logo needed to be clean, a blank slate really. The logo needed to be simple enough that it could go on posters and flyers that are illustrated and designed by a new batch of students each year. It needs to be flexible and succinct. The Union changes yearly, with the election of new student officers, the simple logo is a constant in a creative, ever-changing, community.

To match, the website which was built on Wix followed suit.  As each new year changes, the faces of the Union change, which are now front and center on the homepage.  The people make the Union, and that's reflected here.

The website, is also a resource heavvy hub for all of the Union's activities. From downloading advice to learning about representation, it's content heavy.  With easy to use navigation, it features simple black and white palette, with lots of photographs, icons and buttons. It was created to suit the flexibility needs of the self-reliant and ever changing Union.