StudioDBD designs a new digital platform and identity for Trafford

StudioDBD was commissioned by Trafford Council to create an identity for the borough that could support a website where both residents and visitors could discover information on Trafford’s wide range of cultural, creative and sporting events.

“The challenge was to create a brand that could represent this diversity while remaining simple, flexible and easy for the council team to use day-to-day,” says StudioDBD’s founder, Dave Sedgwick. “It needed to feel welcoming and accessible, while also capturing the energy and creativity of the events it promotes.”

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In March, Sedgwick spoke to Creative Review about the importance of involving the local community in place-making projects, and he adopted this approach again here. “Early in the process, we ran a community engagement workshop in Trafford, inviting members of the public to share what Trafford means to them,” he explains.

“Over the course of a single morning, we spoke with more than 100 people. These conversations became a defining part of the project, helping shape everything from the tone of voice and photography style through to the visual language and overall feel of the identity.”

There was a real opportunity to challenge perceptions of what a council-led project could look like by creating an identity that felt contemporary and distinctive

At the heart of StudioDBD’s identity is a symbol inspired by the distinctive lightning bolt from Trafford’s coat of arms. Originally symbolising Trafford’s industrial heritage and engineering legacy, the lightning bolt has been reinterpreted as a contemporary symbol of creativity, culture and shared experiences.

“The mark itself is built from three simple elements, each rooted in the insights gathered during the community workshops,” continues Sedgwick. “A house reflects one of the strongest messages to emerge from those conversations: that Trafford feels like home. A guidepost represents the platform as a destination for discovering what’s on across the borough, while a square references Trafford’s geography, symbolising the ambition to connect all four corners of Trafford through a single cultural platform.

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“Together, these elements create a distinctive identity rooted in both place and purpose. The wider identity system builds on this thinking through graphic elements that suggest movement, direction and discovery. Designed to point beyond the edges of layouts, they create a sense of momentum while reinforcing the idea of reaching every part of Trafford.”

The identity provides Trafford Council with a practical and flexible system that can be used across digital platforms, but also campaigns, printed communications and environmental applications. Its simplicity also makes it easily recognisable.

“It was important that the identity felt ambitious,” says Sedgwick. “Trafford is home to an incredibly rich creative and cultural community, so we wanted to create something that could confidently stand alongside city brands such as Manchester and London. There was a real opportunity to challenge perceptions of what a council-led project could look like by creating an identity that felt contemporary, distinctive and genuinely engaging.”