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Figurative, previously known as Arts & Culture Finance, is a newly independent organisation focusing on social impact investment within the arts and culture sector. Emerging from its incubation within Nesta, Figurative continues its impactful work by providing social investment to organisations making meaningful contributions to society, such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Future Yard in Birkenhead. Now with a broader remit, Figurative aims to support new initiatives that drive innovation within the sector. To mark this pivotal shift, Figurative sought a refreshed and vibrant brand identity that could appeal to both industry professionals in the arts, culture, and finance sectors as well as the wider public, establishing Figurative as a trusted, recognisable name in the field.
Figurative’s brief outlined a comprehensive rebrand to reflect its evolution as an independent entity and its commitment to social impact in the arts. This required developing a memorable and accessible brand identity that would stand out while clearly aligning with Figurative’s values and ambitions. At the core of this project was the need for a striking new logo, a detailed style guide, and other key visual elements to ensure consistency across all Figurative’s communications. In addition to the identity work, Figurative required a range of digital and print assets, including social media graphics, email and presentation templates, publication templates, and print materials, all aligned to the new brand’s visual standards.
A brand rollout strategy was essential for a smooth transition to the new identity, involving an updated presence across all existing Figurative platforms and materials. Finally, to showcase the brand’s new identity, Figurative required the design and development of a responsive and user-friendly website that would reflect its values and support ongoing engagement, with features such as forms, social media integration, and a blog for sharing editorial content.
Out of Place Studio delivered a cohesive and dynamic brand identity for Figurative through a detailed, collaborative process grounded in research and creativity. We started by conducting extensive research into Figurative’s organisational goals, target audiences, and long-term vision. This research stage involved in-depth engagement with stakeholders to clarify Figurative’s core values and strategic objectives, providing a strong foundation on which to shape the design direction.
Following this discovery phase, we created structured moodboards to explore Figurative’s visual preferences, giving the team a range of initial stylistic options to consider. These moodboards opened a visual dialogue that helped us align on the preferred aesthetic, colour schemes, and tone. Based on these early discussions, we developed several brand concepts, each reflecting a distinct facet of Figurative’s personality. After collaborative review sessions, the chosen concept moved forward to the next stage for further refinement.
Our refinement phase focused on optimising the selected concept for consistency and impact. We ensured that all brand elements worked harmoniously across different applications, conducting stress tests to confirm they would perform well both digitally and in print. With the brand identity finalised, we developed a structured rollout plan that supported Figurative’s transition to its new identity. This included the design and development of a responsive website on WordPress that integrated Figurative’s mission and services, providing a seamless user experience across devices.
In parallel, we delivered a full suite of assets in line with the new identity, including social media graphics, email templates, business cards, publication templates, and other print materials, each designed to ensure consistent and cohesive branding. The final outcome was a distinctive and impactful brand identity that reflects Figurative’s dedication to social impact investment, setting the organisation on a strong visual and strategic path as it embarks on this new chapter.
In need of some creative support? We’d love to know more about how we can help. We’ll happily offer a free consultation to discuss your project and demonstrate our approach.
Out of Place Studio
20 North Parade
Bradford
BD1 3HT
+44 73921 10861
info@outofplace.studio
