Imperial

The Creative I.

Imperial College London stands among the world’s elite universities, consistently ranking in the global top 10. A powerhouse of science, engineering and medicine, it drives innovation through £1.1 billion in research income and partnerships with 500+ global companies.

Home to 14 Nobel laureates and 20,000 students from 130 countries, Imperial combines academic excellence with industry impact. Based in South Kensington, this research-intensive institution has been transforming lives through groundbreaking discoveries since 1907, from penicillin to quantum computing.

The inspiration

Following the strategic positioning and core identity creation by Pentagram London, we were appointed to realise a comprehensive brand architecture and sub branding exercise involving over 20 departments across three faculties. We took inspiration from the diverse range of subjects and disciplines – spanning Engineering, Medicine and Natural Sciences.

The idea

We designed and crafted a range of ‘Creative Is’ to portray individual subjects – from Infectious Disease to Civil & Environmental Engineering to Life Sciences. Each ‘Creative I’ becomes a unique motif exclusive to the respective faculties and departments, however, as a collection, they remain a coherent and instantly recognisable identifier of Imperial. This idea becomes an infinitely flexible identity system, allowing for new Creative Is to be added in future.

Each of the Imperial Creative Is are translated into an all-over pattern – ideal for backgrounds, image framing, merchandise and motion assets.

Working with The Click was a fantastic experience. They expertly navigated a complex, multi-stakeholder project with professionalism and flexibility, delivering consistency across multiple assets while letting each department's personality shine through. For the first time, our faculties and departments have come together under a unifying system—and now we get to see it come alive across the university.

Abby Bolt, Head of Brand, Communications Division, Imperial College London