KiskiStudio’s identity for CCT is poised to move in perfect rhythm with the centre as it evolves

The Centre for Creative Technologies (CCT) at the University of Bristol is a meeting point of art and innovation. It bridges the gap between analogue and digital realms, serving as a hub for researchers, practitioners and industry professionals to spark, develop, and deliver groundbreaking projects that push the boundaries of creative technologies – from film and print to gaming and VR. Situated in Bristol – a UK city renowned for its creativity – the centre also collaborates with local creative industries, spanning animation, natural history filmmaking, live performance and games.

Collaborating with the team at the university, Bristol-based creative collective KiskiStudio crafted a brandmark and the accompanying identity that reflects the broad, multifaceted projects of CCT. Each letter of the brandmark, custom-designed to represent the centre’s core pillars of Digital, Analogue, and Data, serves as a visual metaphor for the interdisciplinary nature of the research hub.

Rather than adhering to a rigid design system, KiskiStudio developed a flexible framework that invites interpretation and expansion – aligning with the centre’s ambitions. “Unlike traditional identities, this one isn’t meant to be static or finalised,” Founder Max Wild notes. “We aimed to establish an identity framework that practitioners can build upon, fostering a brand that is both consistently original and easily recognisable.”

The supporting typography, featuring Martian Mono designed by Evil Martians’ Roman Shamin and TASA Orbiter Display by Local Remote, further reinforces the brand's versatility. The elegant sans serif, TASA Orbiter Display, is used for key information and messaging. Martian Mono, meanwhile, serves as “a mark of research, balancing a digital, coder-like feel with an analogue, functional quality.”

To emphasise that CCT is also a platform for showcasing work, KiskiStudio introduced a glass-like image treatment. This, according to Wild, allows the centre’s innovative work to take centre stage while adding “an element of intrigue and excitement” that doesn’t detract from CCT’s focus on research and development.

Rounding out the identity is a fluid colour palette that draws inspiration from the showcased work. This, Wild explains, much like the main brandmark, is designed as a spectrum. “The colours in all compositions are inspired by the showcased work, reinforcing the idea of the Centre for Creative Technologies as a blank canvas for researchers and practitioners to explore and experiment.”