Caparo Innovation Centre

The award winning Caparo Innovation Centre (CIC) is a collaboration between Caparo plc and the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton, which provides new product development services to businesses and independent inventors. To mark the launch of this initiative, Caparo wanted to create a brand that would embody their passion and commitment to product innovation, while conveying their strength of industrial heritage and combined expertise. Through our research it became evident that establishing a cohesive visual relationship between the two institutions, by utilising colours characteristic of their respective brands, was also an essential design criteria.

Inspired by the affiliations between science and engineering, I began experimenting with rudimentary letterforms, combining elements to develop shapes reminiscent of mathematical or chemical symbols. The evolution of this approach was the creation of an identity representative of the interconnection between the founding bodies, the physical links being forged between both industry and inventor, and the flow of ideas and creativity at the heart of the CIC’s ideology.

As part of the project I developed a logo system within the brand standards guide, ensuring it could be translated seamlessly across all forms of digital and printed communications. This included the design of stationery, ancillary office supplies, supporting digital asset management and help guides for prospective inventors and businesses.