Revolutionising UK construction
Our Discovery phase started with facilitated workshops. These events provided a deep dive into the new offering. They also allowed everyone to explore and agree on how to express the relationship between the new brand and its Willmott Dixon parent. The outcome was the platform should have its own name and visual identity, but it would be endorsed as ‘A Willmott Dixon Company’.
We embarked on two strategic work streams concurrently. The first was to build a robust brand platform, ensuring we built consensus around three elements: the brand’s core tenets, the profiles of target audiences, and the content of critical messaging. The second workstream focused on developing a new name.
The ideal name would eloquently express the central idea of the new platform – that of coming together. It would describe the place where cutting edge technology is fused with decades of experience, where contemporary materials are coupled with trusted supply chain partners, and where technique is combined with talent to create something ground-breaking.
The successful concept drew its inspiration from particle accelerators – those fantastic devices that smash protons together at the speed of light to create new types of matter. And so “Collida” burst brightly into life.
The circular nature of particle accelerators, optical lenses, Venn diagrams, and the dynamic energy of a coiled spring all informed the design of the logo and broader visual identity.
These ideas come to life in the logo’s symbol and as a large-scale supergraphic device used to overlay imagery and backgrounds. The radiused curves of the symbol are also reflected in the wordmark, creating a cohesive and unique whole.
The Bliss typeface – and colour palettes that combine warm yellow or orange hues with a monochrome spectrum of greys – subtly express Collida’s shared DNA with Willmott Dixon.
Once approved, Liven Creative codified the various elements of the visual identity into a set of guidelines and supplied a comprehensive suite of digital assets. The client then had everything necessary to manage the design and development of new brand applications in the future.
Liven were also tasked with completing initial activation projects across a range of launch collateral, including stationery, a PowerPoint deck, social media headers and templates for print. Our activation remit also included a new website. Phase 1 of development focused on delivering an easily navigable site that encouraged visitors to discover more. Phase 2 will add increased content and functionality.
Kind words
Tim Carey, Chief Product Director, Collida