Corporate identity - Total Identity by Total Gramma

TOTAL IDENTITY

Amsterdam 2003

ÂŠ 2003 BIS Publishers & Total Identity, Amsterdam ISBN 90-6369-020-7 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owners.

Foreword They & We What is identity? Genes + upbringing + culture + spirit of the times…plus chance. People have an identity. The simplest and most complete form of this is the thumbprint. Do organisations have a thumb that you can print? The purpose of assigning an identity, a soul, is actually to tell a story. Just as every person has a story of their own, so too do organisations (as well as individuals, institutions, political parties and entire countries). Your story is made up of your history, your origin and the sum total of your adventures, successes and failures. A beautiful, wrinkled story. And even more beautiful when it is genuine. People who are genuine – who don’t tell fibs, who are not embarrassed, who stand for something – are the ones you can start to love. And love means loyalty, friendship, wanting more. When you’ve got such an identity you don’t need to be afraid. In order to profess identity you first of all have to listen. What is the essence? Partly it involves making something more beautiful. But then you still have to know your limits. Marketing tricks are permitted as long as the consumer doesn’t see through them. Unfortunately, the consumer is becoming smarter. The only thing he still goes for is stratification. A brand is nothing if it has no roots leading to a form of faith. You can’t buy fidelity and trust, you have to earn them. This is what selling identity is all about. It would seem that those who are looking to communicate their identity have understood this sooner than the professionals who are hired to give form to something that is intangible. This probably came from the arrogance that a lot of advertising agencies assumed in recent decades. An arrogance that got in the way of adapting in time. Besides creative designers, there was a growing need for different sorts of approaches. What was being looked for was for the sum of marketing, economics, philosophy, sociology and poetry. Just as major companies included historians and

marketing people in their boards of directors (Unilever), communication agencies also had to start looking for a different sort of people. Usually this failed, which meant that the ‘profession’ continued to be behind the times. Slowly but surely, the whole trade made itself somewhat ridiculous, but hardly noticed it. Until the economy started to decline. Until ‘necessary’ cutbacks meant that you really had to think twice before you spent your Euros on communications. Clients now want advisors with long-term vision, who know how to create scenarios, are able to chart society and analyse its real concerns and expectations. Creative thinkers with a wide horizon, who don’t immediately reach for the nearest means. Who can bridge the gap between the client and the strategic thinkers and executors? An office with a total approach based on a highly diverse background. The book lying before you is a calling card from a group of people who have resolved to do something: win respect, if necessary by taking risks. Total Identity is clearly dissatisfied with mediocrity. It dares to stick out its neck, and even to brusquely push matters through in order eventually to be understood. Innovating also means making mistakes. For this, one needs courage and self-confidence. The future lies with the combination of people who possess these talents. If it’s identity we’re talking about… Mark Blaisse foodforthoughts

pagina

Deel

Hoofdstuk XXXXXXXXXXXX

12 16 22 27 32 38 42 46

Introduction I Essays – Thinking About Identity Identity and Reputation; Individuality and Autonomy From Brand Proposition to Involvement and Dialogue In the Beginning Was the Word… Strategy Unravelled Form Fabricates Function Realisation and Management of Symbolism Identity of Space Corporate Communications Management

54 64 68 72 78 82 88 92 98 102 104 112 116 122 128 130 136 140 144 148 158 164 168 172 176 178 182

II Cases – Expressions of Identity Royal Van Zanten Leadership Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2 in 1 Province of Noord-Brabant Plurality KLM CARGO Focus KLM Passage Looking Ahead Municipality of Utrecht Opinion Bouwfonds Evolution SchutGrosheide Guts Ministry of Defence Change Greenhouse Market Gardening Perspective Koninklijke BAM Groep Growth Kerkinactie Connection AMEV Self-Assured IN Central Stichting Toezicht Effectenverkeer Dynamics Municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg Pairing Up Thalys Experience Icare Statement TBI Building Westland/Utrecht Hypotheekbank N.V. Self-Aware Municipality of Zwolle Dialogue ROC Us Belastingdienst Inspiration Total Identity No-Nonsense Sanquin Trust De Boer Customised Concern voor Werk Together

188 190 192 196 204 206 212

III Media – Bearers of Identity Correspondence Forms Magazines and Dialogue Annual Reports Corporate Brochures Internet Sites Design Management Tool

220 222 224 226 228 230

IV Trademark – Building Blocks of Identity Nomen Est Omen Form Distinguishing Colours The Importance of the Letter The Heraldic Basis Catalyst of Identity

236

Colophon

pagina

Contents

A book about creating corporate identity is a challenging undertaking in itself. Not least because there are many disciplines that can claim ownership, from consultancy firms to advertising agencies and design offices. And rightly so. For there are so many facets clinging to corporate identity that its full extent can only be approached in a multidisciplinary way. After all, the social functioning of an organisation creates a living reality for its environment. A policy on identity enables the meaning of an organisation to be formulated and fleshed out. Just like a person, an organisation thus develops a recognisable character with a consciousness of its own – conscious of itself and of its own role and place. This enables organisations to look at themselves, to make judgements about themselves and to achieve a well-founded presence as the basis for continuity. Ideally, identity (desired image) and reputation (perceived image) display a maximum overlap. In reality, we see a continual and complex dynamic that has to be adequately managed in all its aspects. Hence the title: Total Identity. We would like to share with others the knowledge and experience that we have built up in relation to organisations and their identity over the last forty years. An intensive professional exchange of insights and ideas benefits professional development. We cannot deny our origins, and that is easy to see in this book. Total Design, the company from which we emerged, can look back upon a rich history in the field of design, the visual component of identity. That this has always included a thorough interest in everything that has to do with identity is not surprising in view of our historical preoccupation with the functionality of design. The task of design is to communicate. Over the course of the years

This book is divided into four inter-connected parts. The first part, Essays – Thinking About Identity, consists of a number of personally coloured discussions about aspects of identity. Some have a rather polemic tone, others are more reflective. In any case they give a good indication of how our ideas translate into practice. In part Two, Cases – Expressions of Identity, the reader will find a large number of practical cases. They are not cases in the sense of mini-lessons taking you through every analysis and decision in detail, but mainly show what identity can be in practice. Part Three, Media – Bearers of Identity, looks at the development a number of specialised means and tools with which organisations express their identity. The context in which that happens is continually changing and that of course has an influence on the dynamic of identity. Part Four, Trademark – Building Blocks of Identity, deals with the shortest visual summary of identity, the trademark, and the elements it is made from: names, forms, colours and letters. It is the most traditional chapter. A book about identity is a challenging undertaking. It can never be complete, which is something that this book also shows. Nevertheless, it will undoubtedly offer inspiration on scores of points. And that is precisely the purpose. Hans P Brandt Amsterdam, 2003

Corporate identity has grown in recent years into a strategic management issue. Authenticity, character, cohesion, social role and responsibility are the terms whose translation has to be found in identity. And that’s what this book is about.

our thinking about these other sides of identity have developed strongly. So strongly even that we have made it clearly visible in our name: Total Identity.

page

Introduction

This section contains essays about identity. These are personally coloured observations from people with practical experience, rather than academic dissertations. They have been written from different points of view. Some provoke discussion, others are more a description of the current state of a particular aspect of the profession. They are random indications, thoughts that constantly complement and renew themselves. The choice of themes clearly indicates what subjects are being discussed within the profession. The essays can easily be read separately, although a thread is very much present. Not a very thick one, but one that the interested reader will certainly discover.

ESSAYS Thinking About Identity

IDENTITY AND REPUTATION; INDIVIDUALITY AND AUTONOMY

Part

Chapter Identity and Reputation; Individuality and Autonomy

Jan Steinhauser

The reputation, the image that the public has of an organisation, is attracting increasing attention. That reputation is the result of all the intended and unintended impressions that the organisation generates: from the website to the management’s share option agreement. If we are considering intended impressions, then reputation is the result of the way in which the organisation’s identity is presented to the outside world. How does it react to issues in the market and in society? And how does the organisation learn from feedback from its surroundings? To conduct reputation management successfully it is important to trust to the ‘personality’ of the organisation. After all, that personality determines how the organisation behaves, what it says and which symbols it uses to express itself. Organisations with an outstanding reputation almost always have an awareness of themselves and of the correspondence between the aggregate elements of identity. Compare it with what is true of people. Their concern is also identity and personality, combined with a well-developed sense of the relationship between ‘identity’ and what is denoted in psychology as ‘the self’, the core of personality.

Page

In its social functioning, the organisation becomes a living reality to its environment. The organisation formulates and specifies its raison d’être through an identity policy. Just as with the individual, the organisation thereby develops a recognisable personality and consciousness. That

consciousness enables the organisation to view itself, form a judgement about itself and on the basis thereof, project a well-founded image. Grip on Identity Identity problems are focused upon the question of in how far identity (desired image) deviates from reputation (perceived image). Ideally, these two correspond as closely as possible, but that erroneously implies that a state of equilibrium is static. In reality, one can speak of a continuous dynamic that demands adequate management of this area of discrepancy. In order to make a start with this, it is necessary to get a grip upon the actual identity. In daily practice, we come up against latent and structural identity problems within this context. Unconsciously able There are organisations that have a very clear and convincing identity at their basis. Clients know what they can expect; they are very satisfied. Personality and behaviour support one another and everyone knows without fail what the company intends and what it stands for. Sticking points arise chiefly in new business and labour market communication. This extremely simplified example tells us that the problem very probably lies with the company’s reputation beyond the primary target groups. The organisation clearly does not succeed in becoming a living reality via the available channels and means of communication. Consciously unable Here most of the difficulty is concerned with the

Autonomy as Condition Just as with people, organisations are able to differentiate between what is essential and particular to the organisation and what is subsidiary. The subsidiary comprises characteristics that the organisation does actually possess, but because they are not unique and are also characteristic of other organisations, are seen as irrelevant. The capacity for differentiation is too negligible for its own position to be delineated.

The requisite autonomy of an organisation is detrimentally affected because essential elements of identity are swept aside as inessential. Or because the essential elements of identity are supplemented and substituted by inessential elements. In short, the organisation has to deal with alien characteristics. One often encounters this problem in the first phase of communication problems; something is not right in the relationship between identity and reputation. With identity management, things can go wrong if a mistaken selection takes place between the essential and other characteristics of an organisation. Narcissistic Identification One can speak of an exceptional identity problem if alien characteristics are ‘borrowed’. Organisations see other organisations operating around them that manage much better in terms of publicity and reputation. They are more often in the news, represent a success story at that moment, are the market leader, celebrate successes and win prizes. Such examples can become an ideal image, which one wishes to emulate with all one’s might. The result is that everything that does not conform to this ideal image is sidelined as unimportant and inessential. Psychology denotes this among people as ‘narcissistic identification’: a veneration of some other person who commands authority. This identification leads to an organisation becoming alienated from the very thing that has been created as being meaningful. One mistak13

Unconsciously unable This category of problems is somewhat more difficult because it is harder to diagnose. We encounter many identity disorders here that remain hidden to superficial inspection. For example, after numerous discussions still no unambiguous image of identity has emerged. Every truth appears and continues to be equally true. Unexpressed internal conflicts about such things as what course to take can be the cause of this. This schizophrenia can often appear following mergers: the new signs have been hung up and we will proceed to the order of the day. Another example. An organisation can have autistic traits. In its most innocent form, we encounter this in the conviction that good products sell themselves. In the most extreme form, the organisation has hardly any awareness of its environment, but is totally focused upon itself. Structural interventions are often undertaken in this kind of organisation to enhance market-orientation.

The choice between essential and ‘other’ characteristics is the result of a continual interaction with the environment. The quality of this identity process is determined by the degree of independence and autonomy with which the organisation directs and gives substance to its interaction with its environment. In the absence of autonomous and conscious decision-making about that relationship, the organisational equivalent of a neurotic person is created.

Page

formulation and establishment of identity. General notions of identity exist, but there is a lack of clarity and cohesion. It is peculiar that an investigation of image often reflects this internal quest flawlessly: the image appears diffuse. Usually, the process of arriving at focus and cohesion is concurrently a communications instrument: in its analysis and synthesis it makes a contribution to the support of the proposed means of solution. Identity programmes are therefore never standard devices, but interesting processes that lead to a lofty outcome, and thus, if well executed, are always successful in terms of effectiveness.

Chapter Identity and Reputation; Individuality and Autonomy

Part

enly goes in search of a higher justification for existence that is foreign to the organisation. This can lead to enormous risks of harm, because there is a question of a supposed rationality, a dominant logic, which has no foundation. An excessive selfinvolvement at organisations is characteristic of this sort of problem. This internally-directed attention affects the behaviour and the communication of the organisation. With disastrous results. The organisation continually cries how good and wonderful it is. And has to keep on doing so to believe it. But why should an organisation do that? If it is genuinely good, then it shouldn’t be engaged with the question of whether it really is good or with the continual confirmation that it is so. Realistic Identity Of course, things can be different. Even if an organisation has great ambitions, wants to surpass itself, whether inspired by others or not. There are organisations that do succeed in substantially maintaining their original character in the course of this endeavour. That which is specific to these organisations is well grounded, and personality is allowed sufficient autonomy. Just as with people, organisations are capable of ‘self-transcendence’, the opposite of self-involvement. The reason for this is that the organisation remains honestly involved in the relationship with its environment and is thus shielded from autism and navel-gazing. From the perspective of the autonomy of the organisation, meaningful relationships with the environment can easily be created.

Page

One might, for example, set the objective of becoming one of the largest telecommunications players in the world, as the capacities and historically developed characteristics are present in the organisation. If the company takes this path then it is essential that all of the decisions be taken on the basis of the autonomy of the organisation, on the essential characteristics, and from this point, with an open outlook towards real possibilities. This contrasts with what often occurs; the muchheard elucidation that accompanies momentous

decisions – take over, a stock market quotation – is often an unclear business. There is yet another means whereby the strong personality can avoid slipping into this narcissistic paradox. The organisation can seek the characteristics that it does not possess itself in other inspiring organisations. This entails there being a good understanding as to which characteristics an organisation does not possess, and which it shall have to make its own if it is to succeed in its ambitious mission and attain the ideal image. This often occurs at organisations which, following a long existence, are ready for reform and have the capacity to reform. The identity is re-focused because the organisation essentially broaches new paths with an adjusted mission, a newly adapted profile and an updated strategy. Usually these sorts of organisations have already undergone a very visible transformation. An elementary starting point for identity programmes is that they should be based upon a realistic business strategy and a realistic vision of the formulated identity. If this is not the case and one still engages in communication, led by one of the temptations mentioned, then failure of the communications policy cannot be averted. Identity is thus an aim that has to be continually managed in terms of effectiveness and its consistency with the development of the organisation and its environment. That process of reflection has to be consciously present in the strategy development of the organisation. The fact that companies are somewhat focused upon themselves is normal; without some degree of selfinvolvement an organisation becomes inhuman. But if this becomes excessive – which quite often occurs at companies with a dominant market position, or a not particularly challenging environment, as is the case with ministries – then there is a breeding ground for an identity crisis. A self-aware organisation potentially has every opportunity to build up a strong reputation. Self-

Page

awareness can only come from a relatively healthy autonomy combined with an open mind for the specific role in the societal environment. Those organisations that are continually able to learn in this interaction with their environment are best able to repeatedly rediscover themselves. This capacity for self-renewal is the basis of a good reputation, also in the long term.

FROM BRAND PROPOSITION TO INVOLVEMENT AND DIALOGUE

Part

Chapter From Brand Proposition to Involvement and Dialogue

Hans P Brandt | Jurjen Bügel

Year in year out, large and small organisations spend hundreds of millions of euros on communications: printed matter, visual material, logos and banners, printing styles and letter headings, campaigns and radio and television commercials. Organisations and the professionals they commission work on the basis of trusted conventions, reflexes and methodologies; there is a demand and what the professionals supply is nothing more than an answer to that demand. In other words: familiar products at familiar prices in accordance with a previously formulated result. Everyone is satisfied, or so it appears. But beneath the surface there is a growing uneasiness. The question of effectiveness is being increasingly posed. And this concerns the reputation and image formation of the organisation. For years, this theme in design has not been a particular subject of discussion, because what was created here in the Netherlands was per definition of an excellent standard and therefore effective.

Page

The Netherlands, an Interesting Breeding Ground Over the last three decades, the Netherlands has been an interesting breeding ground for the development of high quality design. The specific Dutch context possessed a number of characteristics that made this possible: – a relatively weak national identity based on strong individual consciousness; – a heterogeneous society aiming for consensus between extremely divergent social and religious fields of influence; – a liberal market flanked by a strong welfare state;

– a non-critical and generally ideologically inspired view of public institutions and companies; – a complex interweaving of the national and the municipal, with the necessity for reconciling many small-scale economic and planning antitheses; – a pragmatic, extremely consensus-directed administrative culture, in which extremes are avoided and subtleties cherished; – an abstract and reasonably traditionally straightforward conception of aesthetics; – a high regard for traditional professionalism, with generally anti-authoritarian traits. With this sort of socio-cultural mix, the Netherlands was able to develop in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s into an ideal laboratory for designers, architects, fashion designers, graphic artists and advertising strategists. After a period of growth, this advance position nevertheless seemed to have been transformed into a mental arrears. The Brand as Product Instead of the individual artistic interpretation of the message that was propagated in the Netherlands, the idea of brand strategy was launched in Britain and America. The brand as hero. The brand as the binding force between the product and the consumer. The brand as product. And for a moment there was panic, certainly when design, brand expressions and mass communications, under the influence of the new brand thinking, had to become not only successful but equally attractive as well. And the communications

– – – –

Unmasking of the Corporate Brand Under the influence of the shifts mentioned above, scores of instruments that professional service providers in advertising, design and corporate communication use to support the positioning of companies have lost their former effectiveness. They seem to have become blunt and do not achieve the required effect. And even when they do have an impact, it is of short duration. The conventional methods and techniques – however perfect and refined their development in the various métiers may have been – no longer produce the desired result. The hero seems to be falling off the pedestal. The unmasking of the world of the brand? It would be wise to subject our approaches and work methods to critical analysis. Preferably before principals start asking themselves if they

Aside from the economic changes mentioned above, there are also cultural changes that are having far-reaching effects upon the manner in which information is received, appreciated and processed. Every consumer is his own king, taster, executioner and victim simultaneously. Objectivity as the yardstick for voracity has disappeared. Quality and reliability have been reduced to empty subjective assertions. These qualities can only be substantiated through the perception of individual observers. Where previously the transparency of the market was preached, the individual perception of customers and business contacts is now dominant. We denote the sum of their evaluations – in the absence of anything better – as corporate image. The pedestal has crumbled; the self-image is wobbling. Freely quoting Descartes, the contemporary maxim runs: I am perceived, therefore I am. But ‘am I’ when my expressions of communication are not registered, or are not sufficiently convincing? You’ve guessed it: this is the end of being. Diffuse images are created that instil doubt in the consumer’s mind. Emotion of the Recipient In this thesis, corporate identity’s centre of gravity shifts to the perception of the observer. It is not the brand, the design or the message that determines the effectiveness of the communication. It is the highly individual emotion of the recipient – customers and business contacts, one’s own personnel and investors – that determines the effectiveness of the message. Attitude, commitment and recognition are the new key concepts for the appreciation and acceptance of enterprises and public organisations. And for those who are not recognised: there is no existence. The identity scenario in this diagram makes this clear. 17

– –

Fundamental shifts in our culture, social economics and the patterns of communication associated with them have profoundly altered the conditions for corporate communications and design. We will restrict ourselves here to a few previously mentioned consequences of these shifts: the globalisation of markets; the dissolving of differences between branches and product characteristics; the synthesis of goods and services; the increasingly intermediary nature of distribution; the forming of communities; the increasing regionalisation of consumption patterns and outlooks.

are getting value for money. For there is reason enough for scepticism, especially concerning the manner whereby large brands are presented and maintained.

Page

branch threw itself into the new phenomenon wholesale. The crisis came about because this short-term thinking put pressure on consideration of the essentials, on the fundamental communications question. You could, after all, build up and load a brand. A brand created its own world. A brand was autonomous and had its own existence. But a ‘corporate brand’…? Definitely not!

– wants to be distinctive – wants to be present – via daring to sympathy – ideological programme – aims at appreciation

– wants to establish links – wants to be transparent – via attention to content to sympathy – assessable programme – aims at relevance

su bje cts

a tti

tud

out g ab n i r b p h a s e 1: are n c y transp knowledge ƒ

o sh th : i e2 w as ing h p on i sit po

|– positioning |– improvement |– position of the organisation in society

Page

pha soc se 3: o p i a ll y er rele v a t e in a ant m anner

e in flu e n c e

ogu

dial re

e sp

re la t c io n o in m sh cu m ip lt u u n i re c a t / o io n rig s in a lit y

relevance ƒ

of ling-in l i f : e se 3 ogramm pha ations pr ic mun m ency co consist n o n i t tio risa tho ica on u n a i mu sit ss m opo o tne c c pr in d cc su

|– strength of the brand |– innovation |– profiling

Identity Scenario

phase distinction ƒ 1: co of capa n city f struc t or d isti ion n c presenta tio tion n sym ph pat hy a of se 2 ac br : ce an pt an ce

ƒ ƒ ƒ

Chapter From Brand Proposition to Involvement and Dialogue

Part

Branding Scenario

appreciation ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ

So that we can understand the far-reaching implications of this paradigmatic shift, we must make a clear differentiation between methods and their effect, between the instruments used and their intended effect. With our professional knowledge and our perfected tools, we are generally powerfully focused on methods and techniques. Therein lies our power, and with them we measure the impact of our statements, campaigns and products. In other words: the device is correct and therefore the result must be as well.

the relationship between the supplier and the consumer, between the brand owner and the individual who experiences the brand. Every purchasing decision is the result of identification. Thus much more is necessary for real communication than a medium or a channel. Communication that takes root requires a relationship between the messenger and the receiver. A form of connection is necessary, and even a degree of identification. Whomever wishes to be seen has to be felt. Whomever wishes to be heard must first be able to convince. It seems a paradox: an important degree of trust is necessary before a start can even be made with the development of a relationship between the supplier and the consumer, between the transmitter and the observer. The messenger needs to have arrived even before he has departed, and his message has to have been understood before it has even been explained. This revaluation of professional axioms can only be understood when we achieve understanding of the important transformations in culture, economics and collective consciousness.

– – – –

Determining Shared Values It is not the transmitter that is central in this new approach, but the values that are shared with consumers and business relations. Examples of such values are: attention for the durability of products and processes; identification with the experience of consumers and their culture of values; respect for the singularity of individuals and minorities; awareness of the human measure in both process and distribution. In positioning that is thematic and focused on experience, not only do the emphases in communication shift, there is also a question of fundamentally different parameters. The translation of values can be represented by the following concepts: 19

Identity Scenario as Perspective Still, the moment is close at hand when enterprises are going to consider the return on their investment of millions more regularly and profoundly. And primarily the lasting effect of their expenditures on their corporate campaigns and brand expressions. It is inescapable that the focus of the leading principals will – in the progress of such a re-orientation – shift considerably. Two important trends are inevitable: traditional selfprofiling (the brand scenario) will give way to identification (the identity scenario) and dissemination of information will give way to a capacity for involvement. For a considerable period already, enterprises have stopped trying to differentiate themselves by providing information about the products and services they offer. After all, the transmission of expressions does not necessarily guarantee impressions in the receiver. Knowledge and information are commodities that are taken for granted. They add very little to the experience of

Page

It is through this limited approach that the confusion of ideas comes about. We confuse real presence with attention value, we register reach as impact, we speak of response when we mean unease and we talk of acceptance when there is an absence of resistance. And thus we fool ourselves. As a sector and a professional group we keep a decorum of corporate communications in existence, where in reality little more occurs than the charming configuration of a series of monologues.

– – – – –

Part

Page

Chapter From Brand Proposition to Involvement and Dialogue

– – – –

from information from images from attractive from impressing from impulse moments

to emotion; to experience; to affective; to identifying; to relationship development; from profiling to commitment; from a service orientated to an interactive relationship; from comprehensiveness to credibility; from the convincing to the transparent. This wholly different approach to the communication between companies and their customers and/or business relations has far-reaching consequences. It demands a different mental attitude from the transmitter, the organisation that wishes to communicate. Namely the capacity to listen on all levels, to see things from the point of view of business connections, to receive signals and translate them at any given moment into a newly-adapted position and product. It is an empathic attitude, and this is at odds with the paternalistic, pedantic pose that we are accustomed to from large organisations. The sort of interaction with consumers and stakeholders that is fitting for the present time entails more than merely adjusting the communications strategy; it also requires a completely different internal approach to people and processes. What we are talking about is a change of attitude, which will also have its effects in the area of human resources, approach to customers, product development and information management. The whole enterprise acquires new senses, as it were, and has to develop new reflexes. Without that cultural change, according to the identity scenario, marketing communications will be a cosmetic adjustment that will merely increase implausibility.

Brand Identity outside-in based on product image position in relative sense perception management marketing communications

Identity inside-out based on one’s own power position in absolute sense identity management organisational communications

Determining Respect and Identification The communication between transmitter and receiver becomes the essence, instead of merely an instrument. It becomes an essential condition of product innovation and the growth of the organisation. The market is no longer the outlet, the end of the pipeline, but a laboratory for new developments. The absolute concepts of and about the brand – such as familiarity, market penetration and consumer loyalty – become irrelevant. They give way to the identity scenario and such concepts as attention, relevance, appreciation and commitment. Only companies that are able to position themselves in the consciousness of customers will be able to carve out a durable position. This expresses itself in terms of respect and identification. Product recognition and profit margin follow almost as a matter of course. This deepened relationship between the transmitter and the receiver is characterised by equality and acceptance. There is a continuous dialogue, and the expressions stem authentically and recognisably from a shared pattern of values. It is clear that the introduction of new products and services into such a climate would be simpler than with the traditional approach, whereby the superiority of the product is ‘hammered into’ the consumer, so to speak, by means of massive campaigns and doctrinaire methods.

Example

Page

Parallel to Urban Development To clarify the far-reaching significance of this paradigmatic shift, we will make a comparison with contemporary urban development and architecture. Until recently, it was the town planners, project developers and house-building corporations who together decided what type of homes were suitable for occupation, and in what manner cities and neighbourhoods should be laid out. In many countries, certainly in the Netherlands, this monolithic approach to the market led to a discrepancy between consumer demand and the provision of new housing. Ghost cities were constructed where no one felt at home because the supply was unilatetally focused on those of middle income, average family size, average need of greenery and shopping facilities. The ideal type of home was imposed on the market, positioned from above â&#x20AC;&#x201C; marginally stylised within the legal framework that prescribes the minimum requirements regarding safety, incidence of light, and insulation. Fortunately, there are recent examples in areas of municipal development where it has been demonstrated that a very different approach is possible: a modular division of homes and neighbourhoods, a malleable mix of functions, plots for individual building designs (the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;free livingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the architect Weeber) and housing units for forms of cohabitation other than the exclusively modal family.

IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD…

Part

Chapter In the Beginning Was the Word…

Edsco de Heus

Stories are part of organisations, bringing them to life. There has recently been an enormous upsurge of interest in the corporate story. Advisors to organisations, human resource managers, communication advisors, management consultants, everyone is avidly throwing themselves into ‘the story of an organisation’. A fad that commerce is gratefully exploiting as a useful lever for new sources of money? Certainly not. The corporate story is essential for the development of an organisation’s identity. This would also explain the interest from all these different corners; every discipline involved in organisational development finds something usable in it. Basically what it comes down to is that stories are used in order to create a reality which the ‘listener’ can identify with. A connection is made with the narrative tradition in which we have all grown up. Ever since our early childhood, when myth and reality are still intertwined, stories help us to understand the world around us. It is a question of directly tangible reality and of standards and values. Good and bad. How do you get on with one another? And with animals? When are you a hero? What does it mean to be cowardly? Brochures, television programmes, theatre performances, anecdotes…they fill our world.

Page

In view of our affinity with stories it is logical that this is a technique that is often reverted to. At the same time this also seems to be the problem: everyone uses the corporate story as they see fit, with the result that there is actually a danger of

the story eroding into fashionable jargon. This is a pity, for the corporate story is a fantastic instrument for boosting and directing a process of identity. This only works, though, if you succeed in making the corporate story communicative, something that is unfortunately all too often forgotten; the party only begins when the story is constructed and brought to life. It is not a dead story – it is organic and it moves, inspiring the tellers of the stories as well as the listeners. The identificatory power is determined not only by the choice of motif and theme but also by the narrative technique. Stories as Bearers of Identity The corporate story is the story of an organisation, bringing together past, present and future. It connects vision and mission with concrete and tangible policies. It reveals how the organisation works on its ambitions and which markets and especially which corporate values are important to it. In the specialist literature, the definitions from which a story is constructed invariably contain the same elements, which could give rise to the suggestion that it is simply an exercise in filling in the blanks. This is exactly what it is not, for two reasons. First of all, the corporate story is about seduction and emotion and not about objective reality. It is not a journalistic product or report. It is a product of the imagination, where credibility is more important than truth, and an organisation recreates its own reality. Almost all organisation experts, it is true, mention the importance

Royal Van Zanten is perhaps less well known. It is the world’s leading supplier of vegetal base products for the horticultural industry: bulbs and cuttings. The company became big through autonomous growth and a number of takeovers. Global market leadership, however, did not result in mental market leadership – a position as trendsetter in the trade whereby the company would emanate a greater appeal. The occasion was not therefore a reorganisation, but rather a question of identity arising from the issue of branding and profile creation, which is a completely different dynamic.

– – – – – – –

These brief cases show in any case the functions that a corporate story can fulfil: giving meaning: the organisation has a useful (social) task; relevance: it is worth making a contribution to this task; logic: the organisation’s story makes sense; communication: you can only carry out the task with each other; congruence: everyone tells the same story; identification: you know where you belong; booster: the corporate story sets a process of identity in motion. Rationale of the Story Why is the corporate story of such importance for an organisation’s identity awareness? First of all, the current turbulence demands that organisations continually adapt; they find themselves in a permanent state of reorganisation. In these turbulent times the corporate story offers a compass to sail by. It is the organisation’s leitmotif and hence an important operational instrument. A second point has to do with moves to counter our disengagement. Society individualises, the government withdraws as an institution for generating standards and values, families are less nurturing and leave this more to the educational system, church and politics are no longer major powers, the great ideologies seem like fossils from days long past. People are looking for new values, new certainties, are searching once again for community spirit. Companies with an existent corporate story have a strong identity and thus offer a community that is real, lived through and thereby distinctive. 23

Story and Life Cycle The publishing house of Kluwer was being reorganised, partly because of the need for standardising the production process and because the core competence was being reoriented. In part, this was in response to new challenges facing publishers because of ICT. Everyone will understand that this necessitated a fairly expanded and finely balanced story, since the reorganisation could have considerable consequences for the personnel. For Kluwer, the accent therefore lay on the actions that were needed in order to remain successful in a fast-changing environment. The story was interwoven with the progress of the reorganisation. At the same time it was also the story of more than a hundred years of publishing success. The heroism that went with this had to be reanimated. New heroes had to be created, as well as compassion for the old heroes…because that’s what Kluwer was too.

The corporate story could thus be more about basic ideas, much more about the management’s wish to make the envisaged direction transparent so as to share that policy with as many people as possible. This story is more the story of the modest prince who, to everyone’s enjoyment, strives for the desirable hand of the princess. And…he gets her.

Page

of stories and tone of voice, the metaphors and visual vocabulary, but with this we move away from the field of rationality and enter the territory of the unconscious, looking for support from talents that are dependent on the muses. It is not for nothing that the ancient Greeks saw the creation of order and harmony as the task of art. Secondly, the reason for creating a corporate story often strongly determines the form and the story line. Two real-life cases, those of Kluwer and Royal Van Zanten, show clearly the extent to which different circumstances lead to different stories.

Part

Chapter In the Beginning Was the Wordâ&#x20AC;Ś

Conditions Despite its many forms and manifestations, a number of points determine the success of the corporate story. 1 The story is a story of the organisation At first sight a bromide perhaps, but there are quite a lot of stories that look like scientific reports. They are the result of an exercise in filling in the blanks. Without an audience there is no creative power. Without creative power no seduction is created, only a dry management report. Without value? No, it certainly does have value, but as an intermediate product, in order to check out with management on a rational level whether the correct building blocks in terms of content have been identified. Only then does the story arise. When organisation and story have found each other, then outsiders are permitted to hear it. Internal and external go hand in hand. Because the old adage â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;internal before externalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has also lost its value. Naturally you have to have things more or less in order before you can step outside in a convincing manner. Sharing the corporate story with clients at an early stage can have the pleasant effect that everyone starts running even harder to make that always somewhat too rosy image become reality. 2 Word and image go hand in hand The materialisation of perceptions and the creation of reality are complex processes whereby content and emotion influence us in a non-transparent game. The narrative form, the rhythm of words and sentences, the tone of words, choice of words and metaphors are literary techniques that touch the unconscious. Just like images, colours and forms. Herein lies the emotion of the story. And emotion is much stronger than reason, it touches our primitive drives.

Page

3 The story convinces and surprises Perhaps this is more a consequence of the expertise inherent in carrying out the first two steps and a general condition for successful communication. To convince is something different than to

ascertain on the basis of objective, historical arguments. In practice, there might well arise a bit of squabbling when connections are made between policies which in reality came about independently of one another. In fact, this is an uninteresting discussion. It is certainly not a question of arguing that what is wrong is right, but has much more to do with the major movement and making this acceptable. The logic behind certain policy decisions might well be inserted retroactively, but what is wrong with this? Surprise is not the same as sensationalism. A corporate story is not an artistic incident. The surprise should come precisely from recognition. Is it then a perpetuation of the status quo? Of course not. The story is also about vision and ambitions and in this sense much more about the desired identity. The story runs a little ahead of the music. This is how it should be, otherwise the story provides no direction. Boosting the Identity Process From the point of view of the one boosting the identity process, the story is an important aid in the process of change. To dwell on the trajectory of change is beyond the scope of this essay, but it is nevertheless interesting to pause for a moment at the possible role that the story plays in this. Internal communication is traditionally broken up into three types of information: information about policy, motivating information and information about the primary process. In practice these forms run through and across each other. Our view is that all communication about policy should always tell the corporate story or at least should have an explicit relation to the main lines. This conviction is based on experience and can also be supported theoretically. It is connected to what we call the concentric arrangement of the material. The first thing to be explained is what the gist of the content to be learned consists of, and only then to go into it in detail. But this only works if there is an analysis of which themes belong to the story.

An example as illustration. Kluwer’s vision concerning developments in their own publishing market as a result of ICT possibilities was an essential argument in favour of adapting the company and to take a sharp look at its own supplementary value. What is at issue here is the visionary element ‘information society’. If all sorts of information becomes available via the Internet, what is there left for a publisher to do? The strategic element connected with this therefore includes the question of additional value. That can be found in this operation in a project to make jurisprudence accessible on line for lawyers instead of in the familiar loose-leaf reference book. Among the subjects related to this are universities as centres of knowledge, Intranet companies as publishers, publishing on demand, etc. Stories around the themes can have various functions: they can serve as an example, provide nuances or even repudiate the theme in order to provoke discussion, for example. The palette of potential story types is fairly large. A clever,

considered mix of means and activities should guarantee that there is sufficient communicative impact. Values, Themes and Issues This fairly mechanistic way of linking subjects with each other and thinking up operational lines of approach is not enough for a communicatively convincing result. For this, a second exercise is necessary: the linking of the main themes with the organisation’s core values and the naming of issues. We learn about the core values through the shared principles of an organisation. They chiefly show what actions are taken with respect to the themes and are thus related mainly to the behavioural component. Themes are connected content-wise with issues, the subjects that for whatever reason are in the news.

themes

bearers

functions

visionary elements

information society technological developments role of a publisher the Kluwer brand etc.

booklets newsletter magazines discusssions of o progress meetings guest speakers intranet brochures etc.

repeaters echoers provers deniers parallels reinforcers etc.

strategic elements

adding value to data rationalisation innovative projects tilting toward the market portfolio analysis branding etc.

operational elements

the authors’ project medium-neutral information storage readership survey surve online support for lawyers etc. 25

story elements

Page

Here too a simple example can clarify a lot. It tells what should be conveyed in the way the sub-themes are dealt with.

corporate story becomes a steppingstone for communication, ensuring that the new identity penetrates to the depths of the organisation. It creates a soundly constructed house of motifs, themes, standards and values, resulting in the complete internalisation of the corporate story.

The tables are certainly not intended for compiling endless matrices. They should rather disseminate a way of thinking: thinking in terms of the corporate story. Corporate story research is a form of readership survey among various target groups, offering the possibility to ascertain which parts of the story are well anchored and which parts require necessary attention. In this way the

g nk

io n lis

na tio Ra

tt hi

tio n va no In

Values

Part

Chapter In the Beginning Was the Word…

The themes in the table are summed up in three categories: innovation, rationalisation and market thinking. In dealing with the corresponding subjects, you will always want to show which values are important for the organisation and why a particular standard of conduct is employed. In other words, a sort of implicit message, whereby no estrangement occurs and resistance to the changes can remain limited.

Example Always present innovative projects as team success, preferably also show projects that cross departments.

Example In redesigning projects always put the personnel component first.

Example Show that standardisations produce gains in market research and promotional activities.

Example In innovative projects show too what the connection is with the ‘ ‘old’ craft. Also show advantages.

Example In redesigning processes, show what the connection is to the old methods. Also show advantages.

Example Show how the new and the old can exist harmoniously beside each other other.

fo r

ss io

m m

ity

iri

Themes

Page

ss io

le d

Example In innovative projects always show from which high-quality expertise the project is built up.

Example In redesigning processes show which new possibilities are created in the field of publishing.

Example Show how more knowledge of the market can lead to better publishing products.

STRATEGY UNRAVELLED Martijn Kagenaar | Edsco de Heus

A product never appears out of the blue, but where does it actually come from? If we trace the role of maker and product through history, we see a dazzling dance: from inextricable solidarity to breathtaking solos. People once bought products from the people who made them: grain from the miller, cheese from the farmer and a door from the carpenter. Later, the grocer personally scooped products into bags. Through mass production and mass consumption the role of the maker has disappeared into the background and the product is no longer ‘made human’. Yet the connection with the maker continues to excite us. The why and wherefore of a product, the attitude and the craftsmanship with which it is made, are still important purchasing criteria. The problem has been solved. ‘The grocer’ is now depicted on the packaging, likewise the Droste nurse, the Douwe Egberts coffee server, the girl on the margarine label Zeeuws Meisje. The lack of personal attention, of a bond with the maker and the genesis of a product, are thus compensated for. The product has acquired ‘human’ characteristics, with the illusion of personality, translated into a brand. The ‘humanised’ product has thus gradually occupied the place of the maker. And it goes further. The humanised product evokes the world of the user. Take Nike and Michael Jordan. In this almost inextricable, but highly thought-out and constructed whirl of personalities, the maker is left out. Consumers ultimately buy not sport shoes but a mixture of mutually reinforcing lifestyles.

Nowadays the organisations behind the super brands are forced to be answerable to the consumer. Child labour, production facilities in Burma, oil pollution in Nigeria, Enron…these are no longer acceptable. Humbug and PR are put through the mill. In an overkill of one-dimensional, dominant images, people become tired of pretensions and blatant untruths. They see right through them. Maker and product, corporate identity and brand identity, are once more becoming closely interwoven. Their relationship is more exciting than ever. Authenticity, genuineness and a real relationship, that’s what it’s about. This is a social trend that we see all around us. There are plenty of issues that can be clearly or implicitly connected with one’s own themes: The call for clarity about, and compliance with, values and standards. Anti-globalism, anti-Europe. The exposure of top managers who put their hands in the till… The question is, how do you attain authenticity? How can you achieve a genuine relationship? The Nature/Nurture Principle Organisations have to creep out from behind their products and let themselves be seen. This means that they have to make their personality visible in their conduct, symbolism and communications. In order to construct a model of communication, whereby an organisation approaches the agility as well as the constancy of a personality, we will concentrate on the point where the personality meets the environment. The personality is formed by both the world in which the organisation exists and plays a role, as well as by

the organisation

corporate strategy

the environment

product strategy identity

positioning communications strategy

image design strategy

I 28

Page

Part

Chapter Strategy Unravelled

communications and design plan

its urges, its genes. In fact we are borrowing the factors of nature and nurture from psychology so as to unravel, formulate, create and make explicit the personality of organisations. The question as to which personality traits are lodged in our genes and which are added by the environment in which we find ourselves (nurture), has interested mankind since the time of Plato. So what it is that we want to create? Something that exists. Something that reacts, can conduct a dialogue, has a conscience, shows responsibility, is able to change, preferably formulates a common interest, is recognisable, looks like us or, in a certain way, precisely not.

research, based on an inquiry into how the story is read, furnishes valuable information.

For developing a lasting, workable corporate identity that integrates nature and nurture, a strategic frame of thought is an important means of ordering our thoughts and ideas and of making the correct strategic choices as the first step towards initiating the identity programme.

Connecting the values and themes with each other produces a communications matrix (see page 26). We can therefore regard the communications matrix as a summary of the story. Because of its limited scope, the communications matrix forces choices to be made and sets a process of consciousness-raising in motion. The organisation has to dig deeply before it will recognise itself in it. Such an exercise in thinking makes a differentiation that produces a completely individual characterisation. The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;mapâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the personality is often the result of nine fields: an extremely useful tool for both the process of identity development as well as for the strategic and tactical choices that have to ensue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; certainly if we then relate the matrix to investigation into the image and thus make the gap between reality and desirability visible.

The first step is therefore the reconstruction of the corporate story, the story of the organisation. What the organisation is aiming at and what it stands for is laid down in understandable language. The story makes it clear which values (corporate values) and themes are important for the organisation. Moreover, is there a possibility of making the identity thus established measurable? To what extent do its own people recognise themselves in the story? Which themes appeal and which do not? And what about external target groups? What do they make of the story? Simple

Identity in its Sphere of Influence The communications matrix has to be tested in its surroundings, which necessitates an analysis of the sphere of influence in which the organisation operates. Who are the most important competitors? Which channels do they employ? Which position are they claiming? What is their tone of voice? And which visual vocabulary is dominant? How can we position the organisations in respect of each other? What is their reputation? The answers to these questions contribute to the communicative strategic positioning.

Example The telecommunications market is currently going through an extremely hectic period of takeovers. It is interesting to look at how we feel about this. Why is it a pity that impassive world player T-mobile swallowed up our sympathetic Ben, and why does it feel strange that pioneering rebel Libertel was taken over by the leader Vodafone? And why do we have no problem with the excellent British Orange annexing the miserable Dutchtone, or nondescript Telfort being taken over by the promising O2 ? We simply feel something for Ben and for Orange. A bit less for O2 , but it’s still new and certainly has potential. And that something is a spark of recognition, of identification, resonance, sympathy. We know these companies from very different situations and moments, where they continue to manifest themselves, but in a fitting, new way. Ben can surprise you just as a person can. And this spark simply fails to jump over to monotonous, one-dimensional corporate brands like Telfort and Dutchtone – they have no identity, and so their disappearance through takeover causes us no ‘pain’ at all. You could measure the maturity of corporate identities according to their expressive possibilities and freedom of movement. Comparing unambiguousness with complexity provides us with an image of this line of business that reasonably matches our feelings. great/world

1 Image Research The aim of this type of research is to establish the organisation’s self-image and the image that external target groups have of it. In order to find out how big the gap is between identity and reputation. Various target groups are interrogated about established image factors. There are many versions of this sort of research and a lot of different techniques employed. Essentially, it is usually oriented towards perceptions of values and conduct that goes with this – the principles. 2 Communications Scan A scan provides immediate information about the quality of our communications policy. It shows the importance we attach to aspects of that policy (for example, the customers know our strategy) and to what extent the target groups also perceive that the organisation is succeeding in conveying that. The scan is more theme-dominated and tests the extent to which the corporate messages come across.

Orange

KPN Mobile T-Mobile

Dutchtone

Libertel Hi

Telfort

Ben

small/local 29

unambiguous/flat

Many examples of the different research methods can be found in the literature. Each has its pros and cons. The choice should in any case relate to the type of question, the urgency and the budget. Research can bring about focus, indicate direc-

Vodafone

complex/personal

3 Communications Audit This is an integral investigation into the communications function and is aimed at quickly bringing to light points to be improved. Audits generally examine all forms of corporate communications and how they cohere. Generally the accent lies more on communication within the organisation and its management, and thus on information requirements and the degree to which the communications infrastructure and communicative skills suffice in terms of needs and wants.

Page

There are numerous investigations at hand that can supply the additional information. Such investigations focus on and are aimed at themes that examine an organisation’s communicative capacities. Here are some examples:

Part

Chapter Strategy Unravelled

tions, but is certainly not the panacea for all ailments. It does, however, help to throw into relief the desired communicative positioning. What is important is that choices are based on identity and not purely on what seems desirable on the basis of research. Otherwise we run the risk of a narcissistic identity crisis: we borrow qualities of an ideal image that is too remote from us. Strategic Choices Putting together the matrix, and the choices of accents within this, on the basis of an analysis of the surrounding field of forces, together with additional research, is a movement of convergence. It is a search for the essence. This essence has to produce the primary appearance of the organisation: the identity structure, the naming and the trademark as basic symbolisms. In each of these problem areas lurk very basic strategic issues. Identity Structure Do we opt for a monolithic structure like Philips or are we as organisation hardly visible in our

monolithic

organisational focus

umbrella

carrier

branded

product focus

Page

various activities, like Unilever? All sorts of considerations play a role in deciding which structure to go for. The identity structure is often a reflection of an organisation chart. Divisions and departments are assigned an identity of their own. The important thing is to make a communicative choice. In other words, not to base the

arguments on the internal, administrative logic, but on the logic of the market and the environment. And certainly with an eye to the future. If, for example, a market-orientated diversification strategy is going to be pursued, then the identity should be able to help facilitate that. Naming The naming is also part of the primary appearance and is therefore also very essential. An associative name like that of O2 is in any case distinctive and easy to load, but that loading costs time and energy, and thus money. A more communicative name like T-mobile does not have that problem and tells exactly what the name stands for. And that is at the same time the problem: the possibilities to load the corporate brand are more limited. The name stands in the way of future activities in other fields, and – let’s be honest – is now already boring. Symbolism And finally we come to symbolism, the strategic design in which this essence has to be captured. Colour, form, trademark…they all contribute to the distinguishing capacity. It will also be clear that, given the palette of the communications matrix and the scope of the corporate story, there are quite a few lines of approach towards attaining that trademark. The chapter about colour clearly shows how difficult it is even to choose a distinguishing colour for building contractors in the Netherlands. Tactical Choices If we consider the secondary appearance of an organisation, it is precisely the divergent force that has to be set in motion, starting from the communications matrix. With which target groups do we want to conduct the dialogue, when, why and with which means? While the identity strategy is aimed at durability and the long-term, the communications strategy and the accompanying tactical design is much more oriented to shortterm cycles. After all, dialogue and interaction are more strongly dependent on the issues of the day.

How to appeal to target groups and claim their attention is also very much subject to change. And the cycle is becoming shorter and shorter: the average life span of a corporate brochure is hardly more than three years nowadays. Not only is it necessary to alter the contents, but the style of communication is often no longer suitable as a means of conveying the desired identity.

strategies of identity and communications. It means creatively translating the idea of the direction chosen. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why it always contains â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a bitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of strategy and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a bitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of tactics. In establishing an identity there are all sorts of strategic questions that determine the appearance of an organisation. All things considered, there is no recipe of steps and checklists that will lead to a guaranteed success. But it is certainly a good thing to be convinced of what the strategic questions are and how they are connected to each other. Solutions are almost always the result of a creative leap and hence difficult to plan. Sometimes the first thing is the spark of a concept, which is then developed further. Sometimes, too, the relative position in respect of competitors is the occasion for reviewing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own identity. It is a process that oscillates. Analysis and synthesis go hand in hand.

Learning Capacity An organisation has to develop a learning capacity on two fronts. First of all there is the necessity to monitor on a tactical level whether the style of communication displays any worn patches. Is the secondary palette of colours still up-to-date? And the style of photography, is that still right? Mind you, this is in no way a plea to simply follow where the wind blows, but it is a plea to properly monitor the surrounding sphere of influences and to have a nose for developments that seem to acquire a structural basis. Secondly, there has to be a learning capacity at the point where tactical and strategic levels intersect. After all, developments that acquire a structural character can exert an influence on an organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s identity. As fashionable phenomena they are no more than issues and trends. If a structural basis is created then this can lead to an adjustment of the formulated identity.

In this way a framework of communication is created that is just right for the organisation and within which it can freely move. The result is striking: the creation of a self-confident organisation with an eye and ear for its surroundings. From this position the organisation is able to reflect on its own role and status. This capacity enables the organisation to learn from itself and from its surroundings and hence to remain in balance.

The tactical exercise traditionally yields a communications plan that is then implemented. And that is a pity, since the communications concept should arise precisely at the intersection of

environmental elements

aggregate interchange of distinguishing and environmental elements

distinguishing elements

soul

Page

elements of identity

FORM FABRICATES FUNCTION

Part

Chapter Form Fabricates Function

Hans P Brandt | Jancees van Westering

Everyone practices design. People are constantly busy designing their surroundings and themselves. They arrange, apply hierarchies, accentuate and make connections. This is how recognisable styles are created. A stylistic choice is often carried through further. In clothing, in the choice of utensils; from wineglasses to the car. It becomes a way of life. This is why design is so important for us. Design has to do with fundamental human needs. Ordering, recognition, confidence, aesthetics, self-expression…it constantly keeps us busy. Design is a continuous process whereby one adapts, more or less consciously, the world we live in according to individual and collective needs, changing circumstances and the spirit of the times. It is the materialisation of ideas, emotions and meanings, giving rise to meaningful, recognisable connections. People give form to themselves, to relationships, to their surroundings, to what they want to say and mean. People are designers. Form introduces perspective. Design makes life more surveyable, more comprehensible, more workable, more liveable. More than that, form expresses human existence. No form, no existence. Form therefore is all about existence, about self-realisation.

Page

In this essay design is restricted to corporate design: the professional development of signs whose mutual cohesion forms the visual language of an organisation, growing into symbols which the organisation becomes known by. It

is therefore a question of the symbolism to be developed. If this is done well, a language very much its own is created. In this language the organisation lets itself be seen, manifests itself, thus giving rise to the potential for identification. And that is what corporate design is about: about existence, being there. Design Creates Symbolism Forms and colours work on our feeling, intervene in our existence and influence our behaviour. Whether it’s a matter of the design of a trademark, a letter heading, a brochure or a website – the design does something to us, exerts an influence, without us being terribly aware of it. Forms can harmonise with each other and harmonies can become a piece of music. In this sense design is composing with form. It is a profession with a working method completely its own. And… graphic design always has a clear purpose. Here the muse serves a communicative task. Creative spark and invention play a key role, of course. A solution inspires and convinces because of its eloquence, and for this creativity is needed. But design is never an artistic incident, a unique eruption of a creator. It is a wellconsidered visual statement. There is a clear reason why particular effects and decisions are made, since these are part of the design programme. What does corporate design do for an organisation? The initial aim of design is presentation, showing one’s face. Through developing a visual language

The third and most important aim of corporate design is to convey a totality of qualities that should match an organisation, thereby providing it with a visual identity. Authenticity is essential for the identification power of the design. Authenticity is much more important than the frenetic search for distinguishing capacities and the emphasising of differences. A self-aware organisation is always authentic and distinctive. If the language of forms has been well chosen, then the design is automatically distinctive and communicative, and able to express the identity of an organisation. Preferably with a view to the future. For do we not prefer to see ourselves portrayed the way we’d like to be? In that respect, design also offers a beckoning perspective. It is not only the reverberation of an organisation, but also a reverberation in terms of perspective. The designed perspective then in turn influences the organisation’s development and conduct, certainly when attention is explicitly paid to the desired change of direction and communicated within the organisation and its management. A form is always a sign and has a meaning, just like a word. A line with a cloud on top of it

Corporate Design has Communicative Power The professional contribution of the designer consists in designing visual elements that have these communicative strengths and possibilities. The profession is based on knowledge of, and a feeling for, the associative and culturally determined effect of forms and colours. Forms evoke associations and preserve memories. Some have a short-lived value. Will youngsters still know the guilder sign in ten years’ time? Other forms have developed the strength of a symbol with probably a longer life span – a broken heart, for example. Some forms acquire universal meaning since they exist in our genes and have become archetypal. A wall of piled up stones stands for safety. It reminds us of the protection that the wall offered against enemies and wild animals. Red is love, black is mourning – at any rate in our culture. Typically symbols are close to primeval forms and everyone has grown up with them. This entire world of symbols and forms is the field of activity of the designer. The knowledge of, and feeling for, this world enables the designer to make conscious, well-considered decisions on the basis of aims determined in advance. That is a process of thorough analysis 33

The second aim goes under the name of consistency in variation: an organisation is made systematically recognisable by means of its own signs, forms and colours. The purpose is to distinguish itself and to secure a place in people’s minds. The same little tune all the time quickly becomes tedious, while a recognisable variation stimulates the spectator, challenges him. And this variation is what makes design attractive, just as the variation of chords makes a piece of music lively. A coherence of signals thus has to be created, a coherent vocabulary: the design programme. Departures from this have to be extremely functional and yet ultimately remain a part of that language. In this way a dynamic language of forms is created that can move along with an organisation’s developing identity.

becomes a tree. A circle with lines around it is a sun. Sometimes the meaning is more difficult to establish and it is not so easy to say straightaway what a form means. The most you can then say is what a form does to us, what a sign evokes in us, what is suggested by the encounter and linking of forms. And how this specific form stands in relation to the whole; what the effect of a form does to the rest of the form, the unused space that thereby becomes functional again. It is a question of the power of expression, the rhetoric of form and colour. Design enters into a relationship with its surroundings, enters into a dialogue. For that reason, design cannot have its hands tied. An organisation develops, perceptions change. Design thus has to be able to move with it. Managing that process is an important task.

Page

and letting this be heard, an organisation can say that it exists as well as who it is.

and synthesis. The personality of an organisation has to be investigated and explained. Then comes the search for the essence, the scrapping and crossing through, and a communicative language of forms is developed.

Chapter Form Fabricates Function

power

Part

protection

carefree

Page

solidity

Every form or colour evokes associations: emotions and meanings that are determined by both collective and personal experiences. Existing objects can become signs, aspects of which a designer can use – to radiate power and national pride via the lion or to evoke a feeling of protection via an umbrella. But forms and colours in their most abstract application also have a character of their own. A round form is associated with femininity, green with the natural and a block with solidity. We identify with what we see because we position ourselves in a perspectival relation to our observations. Sitting on the sofa we can hardly keep our legs still during an exciting football match. If we stand next to a sturdy oak tree, we feel ourselves to be strong too. Or on the contrary very small. We empathise and sympathise. We are continually influenced by our visual impressions, often quite unconsciously. Who thinks, ‘and now I’ll be nice and peaceful’ when entering a green room? Design creates these moments of identification, attempting to strike the right chord. This is why it is necessary, as mentioned, to go in search of the essence, the archetype that surpasses ornamentation, incident and anecdote. A tree, then, that stands for all trees or a flower that stands for all flowers. Opting for simplicity, however, is not so straightforward: the task of design is to be noticed, to make something recognisable and memorable in a specific way. This can only happen if the noise of what is not strictly necessary is avoided and the essence is actually made visible and acquires the potential at other levels of design to enter into dialogue with the surroundings. The power of repetition is a condition for the effectiveness of corporate design. A single con-

frontation with a visual statement will generally do little for someone. Design has to be applied ‘totally’ and lastingly, as a programme. By this we do not mean in a ‘totalitarian’ way, but intrinsically and systematically, applicable therefore to all expressions with which an organisation makes itself known to the outside world, from signboard to annual report and from letterhead to flag. A system of signs that are organised and geared to one another in such a way that they convey the right message every time; in attractive variations and clearly constituting part of a coordinated whole. Variation and room for interpretation are essential for the effectiveness of design. Otherwise it’s a boring affair and what you could call ‘form autism’. In short, design means designing visual language. With its own vocabulary, its own grammar, morphology, phonology and rhythm. Form Follows Function? Form Fabricates Function! Design Crystallises Meaning Conscious choices in the area of design can only be made when it is clear in advance which qualities an organisation wants to be recognised by. That presupposes strategic insight into the question of what an organisation wants to be, what its target groups and markets are and especially what it can really fulfil, so that no gulf between desirability and reality is created. The meaning and emotions that design distils are not limited to the qualities that, through

the forms and colours employed, are ‘borrowed’ from the experiences of form to which they refer. Design develops its own dynamic at the same time. The signs that an organisation is recognisable by form a point of crystallisation of all the experiences of that organisation. The aura of signs thus continually changes with people’s experiences, both personal and ‘through hearsay’. The business-like blue of the tax department gives some of us palpitations when it arrives on the doormat. Somewhere else, the same blue can evoke the proud feeling that someone is working for a valued institution in our social order. The influence of design on creating an image is most effective when it congruously and consistently emanates the perceived behaviour of an organisation. An organisation ‘borrows’ meaning and emotion via images, but this is only part of the story. The story has to be continually substantiated, loaded with the behaviour that the organisation concretely displays from a strategic move to the behaviour of the receptionist. This mix of experiences is reflected in the design and is activated when the design is seen. To have a strong, unambiguous identity it is crucial that borrowed meaning and meaning created through its own conduct correspond. An oil company associating itself with the sun will have to prove that it has respect for nature and the environment. If not, the sun works as a boomerang. It will be seen as a betrayal of a claimed principle and a mockery of something we hold dear. Is there anything more dangerous? On the other hand, if the oil company does succeed in

‘beyond petroleum’

Page

British Petroleum

the past and the tradition of form, and is hence a striking signal (see diagram on page 37).

Nissan Primera: ‘shift expectations’

Part

Chapter Form Fabricates Function

this…what could be cleverer? Who is the first one to be ready for the age in which fossil fuels play a more and more limited role? Design Breathes the Spirit of the Times With their professional knowledge and feeling designers can determine how signs relate to the spirit of the times; to what degree they are worn out or are precisely ahead of the times. Design works in the long term and will therefore always want to rise above what is fashionable. But this does not mean that the chosen forms and colours will retain their effect forever. Even the most elementary signs are subject to obsolescence. It can happen that a sign ceases to represent what it is meant to represent, that the distinguishing capacity declines because it is copied by others or that a style simply becomes out of date. Look at the picture of a car on traffic signs. That sign hardly corresponds any longer with the forms of the ‘modern car’. The question is the degree to which such a sign still functions. Does it still refer sufficiently to the contemporary archetype so as to be easily understood? Probably just about. Yet its existence as a meaningful form is finite.

Page

A real paradigm shift can be seen in the design of the new Nissan Primera. Cars have been presented and designed from time immemorial on the basis of four sturdy wheels, the basis of almost all vehicles. With the Primera this has been abandoned and it becomes a sort of gliding, frictionless transport object; the archetype of the wheel has thus been broken with. A prelude to the wheelless age? Who knows? In any case, it is a clear break with

Design itself also changes under the influence of the spirit of the times. This does not mean that everything that one associates with ‘earlier’ is automatically rejected. It can be important for an organisation to emanate a sense of tradition and the atmosphere of old, trusted quality. On the other hand, a designer will not quickly opt for a trendy solution. A designer is more likely to permit what is ‘fashionable’ at another level of design, such as in photography or an additional palette of colours. If only to be able to appeal to specific target groups such as young people, for example. Corporate Design Elucidates and Motivates What is the social significance of design nowadays? In the first place, people in our western culture are being increasingly pressurised by an overdose of information. So the scarce attention of viewers, voters and customers is being fought for harder and harder. Design has not only the commercial but also the social task to create order in this (visual) chaos. And this has to be done in the context of a rich, reliable visual vocabulary that enables us to orient ourselves in an increasingly complex society. Organisations that offer this make themselves visible and recognisable, and thus distinguishable from their surroundings. In the second place, the current spirit of the times is characterised by masses of wellinformed consumers, people who are more and more inclined to judge organisations on the basis of their social conduct and who go for directness and authenticity. More than ever, design is faced with the challenge of getting to the essence of things. It forces organisations to operate in a socially responsible manner and to substantiate their claimed identity through concrete behaviour. In this sense, design certainly also makes a contribution to desired behaviour, as part of a more all-embracing identity programme. It

Conclusion

freezes the values and standards of an organisation in a form that everyone is confronted with time and time again.

Design is about existence, being there. Design develops signs for organisations in order to make their identity visible. It is a profession with a specific way of working and clear aims. In order to conquer a desired place in people’s minds, design has to be applied ‘totally’. It is not a matter of incidental statements, but of speaking a visual language with its own vocabulary and grammar, its own rhythms and sounds. Design, moreover, works ‘totally’: present everywhere and interacting with the conduct of an organisation. Seeing the signs by which an organisation is recognised activates the experiences that people have had with that organisation or gives an impression of the experiences they would want to have. For this a correspondence between the meaning borrowed via design and the meaning that an organisation creates through its own conduct is required. Corporate design is an essential part of an organisation’s identity and hence a strategic issue.

Design is fully a part of life. But above all we should not mystify it. Design is about the designer and his creative product, but especially about his skill at developing visual eloquence. And that is what makes design a strategic issue.

Life Cycle of Product Concepts

decentralisation phase

series

archetype

concept

professionalisation phase

saturation phase

styling

decentralisation phase

saturation phase

series

archetype

concept

pioneering phase professionalisation phase

styling

pioneering phase

professionalisation phase Page

pioneering phase

The saturated A new market concept demands changes diversification the paradigm

saturation phase

paradigmatic shift

decentralisation phase

The product The form is gains its reproducible definitive form

paradigmatic shift

A new product is conceived

REALISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SYMBOLISM

Part

Chapter Realisation and Management of Symbolism

Eli Vlessing | Jancees van Westering

Strategy: the company has to come across in a natural way. Design: we decide on green. Implementation: how do you colour a company green?

It is tempting to hang the notion of implementation on a strong story: how design decides on a green heart and sketches it digitally on the facade of the head office and then all the things that come up in order to actually get that green heart on top of the building, clearly recognisable and with the intended effect. So much has to be done: determining the size and the exact place, selecting the colour so that it conveys the correct green at a distance, the choice of material, the construction, the order to the supplier who manufactures the heart and delivers it at the right place and time. And on the day of implementation, the crane that hoists the heart to the predetermined place, the contractor who attaches the heart. The public watches behind barriers how the building is imbued with the sign of the green heart. An outstanding implementation: the concept becomes reality. Everything is foreseen, planned and organised right down to the smallest details, up to and including municipal approval for the installing of an illuminated sign.

Page

Implementation is more than an aggregate of hard practical thinking and acting. Implementation is also an exercise in systematics and consistency and the managing of this.

An exercise in systematics and consistency, that sounds all well and good, but with implementation as a starting point you are immediately faced with the following questions: What does the exercise consist of? How is it carried out? How do design and implementation work together on their shared responsibility for systematics and consistency? When does the implementation of design begin and when does it end? Where does it lead to concretely? And how can professional implementation contribute to the development of managerial practices on the part of the client? For, besides being an exercise in systematics and consistency, implementation is the transfer to the client. In short, implementation is the carrying out of a project and at the same time the establishing and anchoring of processes. The aim of the first is the realisation of a number of items; the aim of the second is to make the design concept manageable. Managing and Controlling To begin with the basis of implementation, naturally it is a question of the developed concept actually taking shape. At least as important is that the concept is applied in such a way that it achieves the maximum impact. The effect of the design also depends on the way in which the concept becomes reality. The recognisability and expressiveness of signs are at a maximum when they are applied systematically and consistently. The effect disintegrates as decisions already made are deviated from: the one green heart has a different form than the other, the colours differ or thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no longer any connecting line to be

Implementation is aimed at bringing the concept as close as possible to the user, which thus contributes to the above-mentioned anchoring of design in the organisation. Clear rules and instructions written on the basis of the user’s experience should make the administration and the extension of the house style a logical and natural process. There is more to it than that, of course. There must be a policy. There must be organisation. And knowledge and skills concerning design and design management need to be conveyed. Acting Proactively The implementation manager works on the basis of an approved concept. This does not alter the fact that research into the feasibility of this or that can already take place at an earlier stage, so as to

The manager generally begins with extensive field research. The various bearers of the design are charted on the spot, such as buildings, car fleet, printed matter, signposting, clothing and flag. Then the practical problems emerge, such as the contrast (and hence the legibility) of a dark blue trademark on a dark grey building, the position of a trademark on cars with sliding doors or the facilitating of an IT department of a bank that manages hundreds of internal forms (in the house style!). Deficiencies in the existing system of expressions may also be encountered. During an inventory of municipal buildings it turned out that nowhere was there any indication that the town hall was the town hall! In such a case the implementation manager proposes an improvement or an addition, such as a reduction in the number of forms or types of envelopes, or indicating that this is the town hall by means of clear lettering. At the same time he also looks into what a good solution is in terms of price. Each implementation task is also an exercise in efficiency, allowing appreciable savings to be made – by shrewd purchasing, by making handy use of IT and by increasing users’ convenience, thus saving an enormous amount of time. Letter and Spirit In order to be able to determine definitively how – in which formats, materials, editions and techniques – and where the design concept is applied, it sometimes needs to be established by experiment what the best solution is. The implementation manager does not trust the technical specifications of the original concept blindly. It can turn out that the chosen colour loses its effect in a particular context, or that the most efficient construction requires an adjustment in the design. Moreover, what the right position is for a text or sign can often only be judged on the spot. Final decisions on colour, size, positioning and 39

The implementation manager does his work primarily by taking charge of organising and supervising. Secondly, by creating the conditions under which an optimal application of the design concept is possible and the organisation can employ it itself. It is partly a matter of tools in which instructions are established for achieving a desired point. Previously this would often have been the house style manual. This is increasingly being replaced by electronic variants built with the aid of web technology and thus usable everywhere and at any moment via the Internet. The design systematics are represented down to the smallest detail, together with general rules, instructions and directly downloadable models. Such a database is nowadays more and more often a tool of communication. Because it also indicates the options for communicative means: the application of design for target groups, objectives and types of media, including the tone of voice to be adopted for written material.

prevent a concept being developed that later has to be thoroughly adapted for practical reasons.

Page

discovered in the way in which signs acquire their place. The implementation manager sees to it that the design concept is systematically and consistently applied. By means of all imaginable forms of expression: from a fleet of cars to a bag of sugar.

Part

Chapter Realisation and Management of Symbolism

sequence – these are decisions that are largely taken by the implementation manager. It is not the letter but the spirit that forms the basis of the design concept. Finally, the manager can also discover lacunae or contradictions in the concept itself. In that case the concept is refined or adjusted in joint consultation. Organising the Execution When the analysis of the practical problems has been rounded off and the right solutions have been found, the execution is organised negotiating with and selecting suppliers, issuing orders, instructing and supervising the execution and controlling the final result. In this phase the system and the chosen solutions are recorded in. The involvement ends with the delivery of the products, be it a pallet of annual reports or the making available of a database, for example, and the supervision of the organisation in learning to work with the tools. The customer is then in a position to independently apply the design concept further and in cases of doubt to consult the right contact person. With the aid of a database and supervision, the chance is thus minimalised that style and system become gradually watered-down, not by shouting ‘how it should be done’ from far away, but by effectively reducing the distance and enabling the client to master the administrative routines themselves.

Page

Collaboration with Design The implementation manager is responsible for the way that a design concept is actually brought to life. The quality of this is determined by technical insight, material knowledge and particularly by the ability to think practically, to organise and to apply systems. And certainly by collaborating with the designer as well. Between the design and the implementation lies an exciting intermediate area. Design anticipates implementation when the concept is further elaborated on the drawing board or the computer screen. Implementation enters the field of design when final decisions are made on positioning, size and use of colour.

In order to be able to arrive at qualitatively good decisions at the point where design intersects with implementation, it should be clear where the one begins and the other finishes. Practice, however, teaches that ‘cold connecting’ does not work. There is always an overlap: not a terrain on which a struggle for competence is fought out, but a shared place that offers space for an optimum rapport. With all of this it is crucial that there is direct, open and supple consultation when one person is confronted with a dilemma that partly lies on another’s terrain. Implementation, finally, would not be what it is without the tendency to specify rules for the desired way of working. In this connection, we see the following ideal picture promoted: the designer concentrates on creating a strong concept. Designers do not allow themselves to be restricted in advance by the assumed requirements of practice, but do bring in implementation in time in order to find out whether their creativity is feasible. The implementation manager concentrates on the realisation of the design concept and does not allow himself to be carried away in advance by assumed possibilities or impossibilities. He mobilises the designer in time so as to test the product and the production method against the spirit of the concept. Transfer: Design Management The transfer to the organisation is an equally important aspect. Rules are fine and paper is patient. But for achieving maximum effect it is also necessary to look carefully at how the design management is organised. Who is responsible for management? Where is this responsibility housed within the organisation? What rules and procedures have been agreed upon? Which suppliers are there and how should they be judged and selected? What measures have been taken for maintaining the tools? There are plenty of questions of an organisational nature that the implementation manager can help solve on the basis of experience of what works and what does not.

In addition, there is of course the transfer of knowledge and skills. It makes little sense to throw guidelines over the fence. The realisation the design, the logic of the application and the effect of the tools are things that should not be overlooked. That is a fundamentally different field of activity for implementation. The items arrive, but the organisation is certainly well able to fend for itself afterwards and to manage the corporate design itself. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how it should be: Corporate design ultimately belongs to the organisation, and to nobody else.

Examples No Idea â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How many forms are there? No idea, but I would estimate between 800 and 1,000.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; It appears that there are 964 in fact, all of them managed by the IT department and printed in-house. Implementation makes a thorough analysis. Result: 42 forms remain to be printed in-house, a large number are put as templates on the intranet and can be printed at will, and approximately one third are replaced by a digital version that emails the completed information to its destination. Moreover, the IT department has a software package that makes it very easy to put together new forms that fully conform to the house style. Side effect: three staff magazines are no longer produced externally but are printed in-house.

Test The trademark has to be placed on top of the eighty-metre-high brand new head office. The building is anthracite grey and the trademark dark blue. The client wonders whether the chosen colour is legible against this background and, on his own initiative, arranges a test. He orders a trial letter (2.5 metres high) to be cut from the chosen material (solid Perspex), with a frame welded behind it, and then to mount the whole construction at the specified spot with cranes. Costs of the operation: 10,000 euros. If the contrast is sufficient then that one letter can simply be used. The implementation manager hears about it and makes a counter proposal: why not have the letter made in triplex and paint it in the right colour? Triplex is much lighter than Perspex, so the window cleaning system can be used to mount the letter temporarily. Moreover, such a test can be carried out by the building management department itself. Costs: hardly more than 100 euros. The client can still cancel the order and goes for triplex. And as it turns out, the colour is too dark!

IDENTITY OF SPACE

Part

Chapter The Identity of Space

Peter Verburgt

Space begins very nearby, directly around us, with our bodies, our clothing. People determine their surroundings and often do that very intentionally. They wish to show something about themselves that way. How we show ourselves has an expressive function. Through their appearance, people make a statement about themselves. “I am trustworthy. You must take me seriously.” People can distinguish and position themselves by being busy with this conscious shaping of their own image. At the same time, this also has a relational function: it shows where we stand in life and what our relationship is to our fellows. When we want to express this in a clear manner that everyone can understand, we use symbols. Uniforms, laptops, cars, the newest satphones… The arsenal is countless, for the consumer goods with which people surround themselves have this symbolic and communicative function too.

Page

Further away from us, in a broader context, we are also concerned with space. Wherever we are. Whether sitting in a chair while reading right now or standing on a square somewhere, no matter, we are in a space. Often we have had a clear influence on that environment, having created it ourselves. This can be true, for instance, of our living room, the backyard or the workroom in which we are reading. People create environments on all levels: from the closed intimacy of our immediate surroundings to the organisation and design of rural and municipal areas.

Functions of Space The space that people create is the expression of their activities and intentions. Through space we can express who we are, what we mean and what we want. Space is an important means of communication by which people and organisations can make themselves explicit. Our first impression of a space is determinative and influences our perception. It opens and closes filters through which we judge everything that comes after that. Space also has another function, a more practical one: it facilitates us. We are able to carry out our activities more easily in ordered space that offers a workable structure. So in addition to a communicative aspect, space always has a functional aspect as well. It is important that the two be in balance. A tip of the scales to one side or the other is not desirable. People create space, have an influence on space, but space also has an influence on people. Space is capable of eliciting behaviour, and accordingly has a real influence on our lives. Observation teaches us what space can do to people. A closed space appeals to our sense of safety. The sound of a babbling brook can induce deep thoughts, in churches or museums we are inclined to lower our voices to an appropriate whisper. In their own way, these spaces impose silence upon us. A work environment in which all of the communicating doors are kept shut does not encourage team spirit. In a city district that scarcely tolerates social interaction, there will be little social control, so that vandalism and criminality can

arise…with all due consequences for the quality and reputation of the area. Space and Identity Corporations and organisations are also beginning to understand this more clearly. As a result, increased attention is being paid to identity: the essential characteristics of a corporation and the spatial expression of this. Corporations choose the office furnishings with which they wish to be associated. They design the buildings in which they are vested in a manner that expresses their intentions. Economic motives aside, organisations are usually very well aware of what the most appropriate location is for them. This conscious choosing and designing of space is often a decisive factor in an organisation’s success. Investing in the environment thus becomes investing in achievement, social interaction, recognisability…and on and on. Of course, practical arguments hold true also. Is the building easily accessible? What sort of parking facilities are there? ‘Beautiful but impractical’ makes an unfortunate combination and can lead to suspicions that the organisation is too concerned with outward show. Dynamics of Space High-quality space is space with which we can identify, with which we have an inspiring relationship. Space can bring out certain aspects of our personality and thus initiate and facilitate a desired behaviour. The creation of a successful space is a cyclical process. Functional demands change, ideas about form and colour change, techniques evolve, human needs and demands develop… If a space is to retain its value, there must be some sort of ongoing revitalisation of that space. Revitalisation presupposes an intensive dialogue between people and their environment in order for them to be able to continually infuse that environment with meaning and relevance. This cyclical process stretches out over a long span of time, keeps going on, is never ending.

Memory of Space The question is, how do you create a successful space? An eye for the totality is fundamental, a conditio sine qua non, but this also complicates things tremendously. How do you organise all the influences? How do you handle the communication/expression/functionality continuum? Space is a decor that exhibits very many influences. And space is indeed formed that way, out of different interests, approaches, from different eras. Look at city centres, for example, the result of a long history of influences… This makes the creation of these spaces extra complex. There is such a thing as the ‘memory of space’. Space always bears traces of the past that influence our perception and thus permanently influence what that space is telling us. We must respect these traces by tying in with them. Falsification of history is not often appreciated. Water is currently being reintroduced in many historical cities in the Netherlands. The filling in of canals and waterways has proven detrimental to the identity of those cities and that historical mistake, which arose from a desire for functionality, is now being corrected. So when space is further away from us and must be shaped by the community, an added problem seems to arise. Public space reflects the myriad influences and awarenesses of all the people who have been involved with it. People who have lived there, shaped it, who have worked there and still do. That means connecting up with a great diversity of interests and viewpoints, facts and emotions. At that point we are much less capable of ‘loading’ the space with identity. This requires collaboration and the harmonisation of various interests and…an approach that aims at making a connection between space and identity. Yet it is precisely the structuring of this communal space that is one of the greatest challenges of our times. For how do we create a public setting that inspires people, enables them to relate to one another and leads to the social dynamism we desire? And this public setting

Part

Chapter The Identity of Space

should also be the expression of a shared identity, far more than is now the case. That is why the structuring of our environment is a topic of public discussion. No matter whether the subject is of integration, mobility, nature and environment or crime, the theme of space plays a crucial role in that discussion. Dealing consciously with our collective environment has thus become an important strategic and political issue. It requires caution and a considered approach. We have some catching up to do, for examples of public space often still are cause for distress. Attempts at this are made, naturally, but thinking up and applying clever sales techniques or fashionable PR stories â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;after the factâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is certainly not satisfactory. Solving the image problem of an environment with the help of a hastily added brand identity suffers from opportunism. Oddly enough, this method is often employed. Creation of Successful Space The achievement of the right environmental identity should be based on an integral approach and supervision of the process that leads to the revitalised space. That means paying attention to the attendant aspects of identity. Differentiation and social-cultural diversity take the place of interchangeable, identity-less and therefore hardly attractive uniform spaces whose lifecycles often prove very short. This is true for offices, houses and districts. The creation of a space is in essence the creation of new identity and we give shape to ambitions and intentions in this manner. Argumentation based on situation and incident thus makes way for well-founded positioning and a durable scenario, simply because the new identity is connected with collective values and needs that relate to the space in question.

Page

What sort of space is involved? What is the underlying idea and why? What characteristics must the revitalised space comply with? What is the story of this space? How do we animate this environment and plan for a new, successful

identity? These questions must be answered before the bricks are piled and the first concrete is poured. The strength of the concept and developmental process that underpins the revitalisation of the space will have an influence on the tempo of decision making, the attractiveness of market propositions and the financing possibilities of the project. It just so happens that the planning and organising of meaning and a new identity is a more appealing and promising activity for stakeholders and others involved than erecting a quantity of functional square meters. Creating a valuable location (literally as well as figuratively) and producing a visionary space that is socially relevant puts other, higher, demands on the developmental process. We particularly see this with the revitalisation of city centres and old pre-war districts. The successful development of space is based on social coherence, communication and the relations that we as people want have with each other as regards the space that is to be revitalised. This insight is now perceptibly being embraced left and right by administrators and developers of space. The limited availability of space in the Netherlands, combined with the prevailing financial and social demands which are placed upon the structure and development of space, also make it necessary to deal with space very consciously and with that, adequately. Identity Scenario for Space All involved parties should participate in the process of achieving a successful space. Builders, developers, architects, administrators and, in particular, the future users who will take possession of the revitalised space. How do we approach this? And, considering the historically laden relationship between stakeholders, is it possible? Achieving meaning and identity presupposes optimal, well-founded and viable channels of communication between all parties involved.

Amongst others, the experience recently gained from the Utrecht station area shows that an identity scenario can work excellently. The starting point was the desired identity of the station area in relation to the character of the city of Utrecht. The identity scenario led to a convincing breakthrough. Now, after 15 years of complications and impossibilities, the desperately needed revitalisation of the station area can finally be implemented. The following six phases are distinguished in the scenario:

6 Making the Space Dynamic Monitoring programme, which provides continual updating. Goal: To continue organising and developing the relevancy and identity of the new, revitalised space.

1 Identifying the Space Spatial story. The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;basic storyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that serves as directive starting point for the revitalisation process. Goal: To reach an agreement between involved parties on the intrinsic starting points of revitalisation. 2 Reformulating the Space Communications matrix that pinpoints values and themes related to the space. Goal: To collectively establish the desired identity of the new space. 3 Conceptualising the Space Interactive function and style tool based on the established identity of the space. Goal: To collectively formulate and ascertain further aspects of the new space in order to determine revitalisation concepts. 4 Socialisation of the Space Interactive decision-making tool with which an integral revitalisation concept can be established. Goal: To win social and political support for the plan.

Page

5 Transforming the Space Spatial communication programme with which the new space enters into a dialogue with its environment during the originating process. Goal: To present, substantiate and explicate the new space.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Part

Chapter Corporate Communications Management

Edsco de Heus

In today’s world the corporate communications manager faces a challenging complexity of communications problems. Communications has completely outgrown the ‘nice to have as an extra’ stage. For quite some time now, corporate communications has been such an essential tool of management that it has been inconceivable to do without it, and in the coming years it will continue to develop and penetrate deeper into the head, heart and circulatory system of the corporation, to the point where communications will have become an integral component of all forms of management. This complicates the situation, however, and compels a reconsideration of the classic paradigm of corporate communications. At present, that chiefly involves supervising the totality of the separate communications disciplines, with all of the disadvantages this entails. Discussions on a new way of regarding the profession can add to its development. But in order to begin such a discussion it is first necessary to take a look at what it is that impels change.

Page

Fragmentation of the field of communications is just one of the problems. It also affects the elusive recipient, who with the prevailing segmentation of techniques scarcely lets himself be enticed anymore. Fragmentation applies to the media palette, too, which has expanded and become more motley – with the Internet being just one of the newly added colours. The information bombardment has simply intensified. Consumers shut their eyes and ears in order to hold

their own against all that comes at them. Accordingly, presence, recognisability and consistency are more important now than ever. Authenticity and Genuineness Perhaps more essential, however, is that people are increasingly searching for authenticity and genuineness. They want to be able to actually identify with a company, not with a brand’s slick coat of varnish. The brand must be developed and broadened into genuine contact, real involvement, true concern and emotions. At the same time, there certainly exists an intermittent penchant for superficial amusement, short-lived kicks, empty consumerism, and so forth. This complicates the traditional communications task, because it carries with it the responsibility of actively managing the corporation’s desired identity in an often-ambivalent environment in order to have it correspond with perception as closely as possible. Corporate identity has developed into a complicated strategical composite. Its most easily manipulated components – communications and symbolism – contribute the least to the formation of its image. The influence of the entire doings and dealings of the organisation and of all the people who work there – the corporate behaviour – is far greater. That behaviour is the result of the norms and values that people hold in relation to the most important themes that play a part in the company’s ambitions and the market environment. But what weighs what? And how do the component factors relate to each other? What is

Conspiracy against Laymen In addition, communications has rapidly developed as a profession. At the end of the seventies the study of communications at the university level was still a novelty. Since then, study programs have shot up like mushrooms and the theoretical foundation has become increasingly profound. Remarkably, this has never brought the various disciplines in the field of communications closer together. On the contrary. A touch of professional jealousy always colours discussions in the branch. We in public relations, that bunch in advertising. We in design, that Internet crowd. Despite courageous attempts to set up an umbrella structure,

The upshot is that communications managers purchase services from different companies or from different departments within their own organisation: one supplier for Internet, another for editorial activities, one for publicity campaigns, for the house style, for advertisements, for direct mail… When so many different parties are involved in corporate identity, managing the entirety is extremely difficult, certainly when we bear in mind that management communications is at least as important in the House of Communications. And then, too, there is HRM, human resource management, which has also developed its own approach and secret language. It is difficult to introduce a sense of community into all of this. An extra complex factor – certainly for larger companies – is the annual cycle that has them caught by the short hairs. Earmarked budgets that are often allocated in the autumn for the following year do not make it exactly easy to flexibly manage those budgets. And this is where the communications manager runs into a snag. No funds without a clear budget estimate, nor without a good justification for it. So it’s back to sailing along to the same old media tune. But why not reserve a substantial portion of the budget for the broadening/strengthening of identity? In any event, this leaves some room to avoid the often perforce mechanistic, broadcaster-dominated, predictable forms of communication. This approach indeed offers muchneeded structure, but when too rigidly applied it is stifling. Modern identity management requires continual development, continual movement in order to 47

Furthermore, reactions in the corporate environment are increasingly being based on emotion. The hiring – or firing – of a CEO makes a company’s market value bounce like a yo-yo. Downto-earth accounting rules no longer apply. In reaction to Reason’s domination, Emotion has now made its entrance on the stage. Reasoned, calculated reality has made way for ‘experienced’ reality. Whereas the term ‘risk analysis’ was once reserved for economists, now it is on the agendas of communications managers in industrial circles too – the risk analysis of reputation: Where, and under what circumstances, might management problems arise that could seriously damage the company’s reputation? This is not totally new, of course. Companies that by the very nature of their work can intervene in relation to social themes are certainly prepared for this. Corporations whose activities might lead to environmental damage have a crisis plan with an extensive communications scenario on hand. And every food producer has a recall campaign lying in wait on the shelf. What is new, however, is that companies are being dissected right down to the bone in order to keep damage to their reputations outside. Emotional reactions to events must be channelled and be controllable.

the young profession is still primarily nurtured by insights supplied by other professions, such as psychology, sociology, linguistics, etc. Every specialism is a conspiracy against laymen, and in the communications branch this primarily means against one another. Large organisations are a reflection of this.

Page

the interface between personality, communication, behaviour and symbolism – the classic pillars of identity?

Part

Chapter Corporate Communications Management

maintain a dialogue with the social and political environment. That is to say, a real dialogue that rises above what through selective perception has become the dominant logic in an organisation. Shell understood this very well after the thrashing it took in the Brant Spar affair and has learned to listen. Shell now takes a proactive stance in that dialogue; it takes emotions seriously.

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to view corporate communications differently. Four types of communications management should be considered in relation to one another: corporate story management design management corporate publishing management issue and reputation management Corporate Story Management Anyone wading through the flood of corporate publications, including popular publications on missions and values, will be disappointed at their capacity to be distinctive. At any rate, there are more similarities than differences in the system of corporate values.

No Distinctive Capacity The corporate communications manager struggles against fragmentation in various ways, drawing its orchestration to himself. This approach almost always boils down to striving for an orderly and communal decision-making structure for coordinating all communications disciplines and related affairs, and working from mutually held principles. The disadvantage of these common principles is that they often have a high yawn-quotient: they are the same in every organisation, because they all fall back on our collective pattern of norms and values: respect, openness, quality, innovationâ&#x20AC;Ś They do not lead to any individuality or distinctive capacity, and when taken out of context are multi-interpretable, thus offering a good deal of room for interpretation. Corporations should be aware of their individuality, for only then can they summon up the courage to disseminate that individuality.

The solution for this problem, which recently has been written about more often, is the creation of the corporate story. We typically encounter the corporate story as a way of presenting certain strategic issues in a different light. By this we mean the sustainable corporate story, the dynamic account of an organisation (see page 22). Research shows that corporate stories of companies are in fact utterly distinct and express uniqueness. Why? Because they are not pared-down sales stories, but real, honest, and authentic; and therefore generate a great power of identification.

Page

Corporate Story Management themes

organisational communications

management communications

marketing communications

theme 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; issue a â&#x20AC;&#x201C; issue b

â&#x20AC;Ś

theme 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; issue a â&#x20AC;&#x201C; issue b

â&#x20AC;Ś

theme 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; issue a â&#x20AC;&#x201C; issue b

â&#x20AC;Ś

Communications management is a major artery for corporate story thinking. Communications managers, as important spokespeople and often trendsetters within a corporation, have a special responsibility. In all that they do, and certainly, too, in all that they say and do not say, they must assume the role of storytellers. Thus a narrative organisation emerges where people are familiar with their company’s creation story and with the entire cannon of company stories that may evolve around it. This generates an authentic and recognisable organisational society with a clearly crystallised personality, the basis for a convincing corporate identity. Design Management Interest in design management has shot up

1 Corporate design states what the organisation wants to be Good design emphasises an organisation’s desired characteristics. Good design is by no means an artistic incident. Quite the contrary. It reveals the soul and individuality of an organisation and accordingly states what the corporation wants to be and how it wishes to be seen. 2 Corporate design makes an organisation visible and recognisable Precisely because design reveals the individuality of an organisation, it generates visibility in the world. The company becomes known and recognised. The briefest encapsulation of corporate design is the trademark. This is often a visual anchor for people. They recognise the trademark, connect it with the company and associations that relate to it. 3 Corporate design connects people Corporate design offers the possibility of identification. It connects the people who work within an organisation. It contributes to company pride. Good design also says something about corporate values, the values that people share with each other. In this way, corporate design strengthens a feeling of community. 4 Corporate design lightens daily work Design provides rules and regulations about how to communicate and thus prevents things from becoming muddled. A simple example: Imagine that everybody had to set up their own letters and forms in their own way – what a waste of time! Not to mention the effect this would have in the outside world. 5 Corporate design saves money Because the rules and regulations of the house style are used for a great many organisational components, this at once makes purchase and 49

The corporate story should also have an impact outside the traditional discipline of communications, and research must be done into its effect on other management functions such as human resource management and marketing. The corporate story is thus the framework within which these activities take place. Posts that traditionally generate relatively autonomous messages must be coupled to this.

dramatically in the past few years. And just not out of the blue. Five reasons for the success of corporate design:

Page

Communicating the corporate story is necessary in order to stimulate people, make them enthusiastic and get them to thinking. People feel involved in the story. It is their own. In order for this to be effective, it is essential to offer the reader/spectator a certain amount of space for filling out the story himself. The corporate story can offer inspiration on all platforms that deal with communication. It is true that practical deviations are necessary here and there, such as with media contacts. Different core messages must be distilled from the corporate story. The art is to translate the themes and motifs from the corporate story into all forms of communication, and to generate regular updates of this – after all, not every topic is always equally relevant. The surroundings of a corporation continually change, and thus its story does too.

Part

Chapter Corporate Communications Management

production procedures clear. This often means a considerable simplification of processes and saves a good deal of money. Design management has two aspects: a supervisory component and a directorial component. The supervisory aspects are often relegated to several different departments: IT, Purchasing and Communications. The directorial component is direction of style: the trend sensitive aspect of design. This is the responsibility of the communications manager. He monitors developments, investigates effectiveness…and makes sure that design strategy is adjusted. Corporate design is never finished. You always have to update it, adjust it to the demands of the times – without being trendy, however. Furthermore, the design strategy definitely has to undergo regular upgrading. Design management sees to it that design is dynamic and moves along with the organisation. No one wants to be stuck in a straitjacket for years. In that case, corporate design would be counter-productive. Design management ensures that design maintains its communicative power and contributes to the all-important continual dialogue. Corporate Publishing Management The cognitive power of the individual is ‘organized’ in communities through knowledge management. In our contemporary information society, it is of great importance in this regard that all corporate communications are actually based on the knowledge infrastructure of the corporation. Knowledge management thus precedes communication. This is an essential point of departure for identity management as communications model.

Page

Knowledge management is understood to involve not only the administration of knowledge and information in databases and IT structures, but also the coproduction of knowledge in the corporation: implicit as well as explicit knowledge. Knowledge management therefore includes both

the coded knowledge and information in databases as well as the knowledge and experience existing in the heads and hands of the employees – which cannot so easily be codified. Implicit knowledge, in particular, requires communications structures in all involved components of the organisation. Only when such structures are well organised can this knowledge management be ‘actively’ put into interaction with internal and external knowledge centres. The reputation of a knowledge institution – and nowadays that includes all public and private institutions – can only be effectively managed when the thinking organisation is made transparent. Issue management and corporate publishing are the two notable communications disciplines that should be based on this. Issue management is only possible when a company’s PR is effectively coupled with operational responsibilities, so that its relation with public opinion stems from its knowledge infrastructure. Corporate publishing is a kind of translation of the knowledge in the corporation, in order to make it clear for external target groups. This is rather different than the churning out of brochures, annual reports, customer magazines, employee magazines or whatever else might be called for at any given moment. A knowledge bank is actually a form of internal communication; corporate publishing is the sharing of that knowledge with all target groups. Issue Management: in Balance with the Environment Issue management is closely related to the corporate story because it shows the public where the company stands in current discussions and what those discussions are. Issues come and go, but the standpoints that an organisation takes in relation to them is strongly dependent upon norms and values and ongoing cultural developments. That is the constant. Discussions can also be initiated by the organisation itself, for that matter. In that way, mismatches in the interface between the corporation and its environment can be prevented. The enormous media revolution of the past ten years

has had a tremendous impact on the communications profession. The intensity and magnitude of the media world greatly amplifies the rise and fall of trends and issues. There have always been trends and issues, but never before have they been so explicitly discussed, nor had there ever been any serious scientific literature on the subject. Now there is – on the international level and in the Netherlands as well. In the corporate world, and particularly in the financial world, examples can readily be found of reputations threatened by economic and financial issues. The new economy was a typical issue, and its nonexistence, the opposite swing of the pendulum, naturally became the next. Recently, the untrustworthiness of CEOs and accounting offices has become an overwhelming issue that has plunged corporations into existential crises. The key point in the proposition that issue management is of fundamental importance for the ‘maintenance’ of identity lies in the power of these issues. They come and they go, but are always the result of communications. They are made by people who speak in the interests of their company, using its knowledge to express proactive standpoints and views. The sooner you become aware of issues and, especially, the more you are involved in the emergence of an issue, the greater the chance of dealing with it successfully. So issue management is proactive; in addition to that, of course, it requires ingenuity. Ingenuity in the sense of being consistent, continuous and keenly thought-out in terms of the corporation’s identity, and with professional expertise. Especially on this terrain, simply waiting is extremely threatening to corporate continuity. That’s not to say that ingenious issue management can prevent all mishaps.

becoming a coterie of one or two committee members aligned with certain people from the political and social environment; instead, issue management can determine standpoints on operational responsibilities. In this way the network of storytellers develops a good attitude with regard to discussions in the social environment of an organisation. Other classifications and viewpoints are of course possible, but the essence of this argument is that the traditional way of regarding corporate communications management is too troubled by traces of the other, contributing, professions. Integrated approaches are therefore very difficult. We have made an attempt here to reason the other way round, taking as our starting point the essential function identity has for an organisation. And we have opted for a form of management in which corporate story management totally dominates how the traditionally distinguished communications disciplines are organized, and thus creates room for emotion and imagination, and above all for authenticity. This produces self-assured organisations that say what they do and do what they say. Identity psychosis is foreign to them. Words, images and associations thus become valuable possessions of an organisation and can also be capitalised upon. Issue management, corporate publishing and design management are indispensable instruments for the further strengthening of the corporate communications function.

Page

The people in the company must know the issues and present a united image to the world. The express linkup of issue management with corporate story management, and thus with communications management, can prevent it from

CASES Expressions of Identity

page

This section describes 27 cases about identity. These cases were selected in order to reveal the full scope of the profession as much as possible. What counts above all are the results. Here and there the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;brainworkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is indeed visible in references to theory, but this is mainly a section to look at and be inspired by. In total, the cases offer a good mixture of the simple and the complex, in a variety of branches: government, business services and industry. Well-known firms are mixed with lesser known ones; a professional approach to corporate identity is not just reserved for the big names. Visibility and recognisability are relevant for every organisation, large or small.

Part

page

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

LEADERSHIP

page

values

r so

e sp

b ita

p de

lon

t ela

s cie

, ion

n tio lu o v re

olu

ion

o ab

y lit

a qu

e fre

t ra

n se

w ro

ion

p ici

ty ili b a li re

themes

io at bo r la

n tio in

n io ss pa

values

rendered into form and colour

co l 56

page

cie

e en

The introduction of Royal Van Zanten took place at the international Horti Fair – the location for intensive profiling in trade publications, trade unions and on other platforms where Royal Van Zanten underscores its market leadership.

p es

a ov

The communications concept was further established in the motto ‘Surprising Nature’. With this, Royal Van Zanten lays claim to the most important theme in the branch: Growth in an innovative manner.

Powerful Primary Manifestation The new name of the group became Royal Van Zanten, in order to emphasize the international context. The jungle of brands was cleared away. One mission, one brand, one story, one identity. The new brands structure is an important aspect of the strategy.

tio

io ss

themes

First, KVZG’s corporate story was written down. It is a story full of pride and élan. Every employee received a copy and it became the communicative heart of the company. In order to workably define the identity of the company, a communications matrix was developed that incorporates the three most important themes and values. The nine sectors give an overview of possible attention points for communication. The matrix also shows the visual consequences of particular choices. In combination with an internationally conducted research into the corporate image, this made a sharp profiling possible – putting, as it does, the accent on KVZG’s innovative capabilities.

matrix

Part

Chapter Royal van Zanten Leadership

Showing Who You Are Once you are the actual market leader, how do you also become recognised as such in a highly competitive branch? That’s the challenge that faced Koninklijke Van Zanten Groep (KVZG), a globally operating group of companies that produces high-quality vegetal material for the professional grower.

o gr w

lla

b th

tio

a or

in n

ion

p s as in

rendered into images p es

tio

n a ov n s re

y Product and Authenticity Typographic style Product illustrations Business-like and classical Reference: responsibility

values

w th

completeness profitable varieties quality quality

worldwide presence carefree varieties evolution, not revolution

longterm relations anticipation reliability reliabilit

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Carefree varietiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was chosen as central concept. This determined the way that the primary design elements were worked out.

page

tio

a ov

Growth and Research Illustrative style Detailed recordings History and high-tech Reference: conceptual

People and Knowledge Documentary style with human details Structure and nature Reference: reality

t or Product and Quality Illustrative style Product photography Highly detailed Reference: focus

lla

Growth and Environment Editorial photography Items Humour and reality Reference: directness

co io ss

People and Research Illustrative style New insights and impulses Transparent with human detail Reference: experimental

o gr

Product and Quantity Documentary style Product photography Product range Reference: multitude

Growth and Locations Documentary style Work method: people working Environment, spaces, international Reference: perspective

t or

People and Places Documentary style, Portrait photography, People in their environment, business-like Reference: personality

values

translated into mood boards ec t

themes

tio

b a or n

pe ct

themes

The trademark consists of three elements that symbolise initial development, growth and bloom: the three stages of the growing process. The simple forms are based on circles. The colours are clear and strong and complement one another. This gives the trademark a powerful allure. The primary presence is as solid as a rock.

Grown in

Green label®

Royal Van Zanten packages are sent by the thousands all across the world.

certified greenhouses

Perishables keep away from frost and heat

certified greenhouses

Green label®

Strong elements are added on the communications level, imparting to all sorts of applications a recognisable Royal Van Zanten look & feel.

zantricob

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

8 15 22 29

6 13 20 27

9 16 23 30

7 14 21 28

3 10 17 24

8 15 22 29

4 11 18 25

9 16 23 30

7 14 21 28

4 11 18 25

8 15 22 29

5 12 19 26

9 16 23 30

6 13 20 27

3 10 17 24 31

7 14 21 28

4 11 18 25

8 15 22

5 12 19 26

9 16 23

January 1

February 3

6 13 20 27

March 9

3 10 17 24

4 11 18 25

8 15 22 29

5 12 19 26

9 16 23 30

6 13 20 27

3 10 17 24

7 14 21 28

8 15 22 29

9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24 31

Sa Su

1 2

4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27

May 18

7 14 21 28

1 2 3 4 5

June 20

6 13 20 27

3 10 17 24

7 14 21 28

4 11 18 25

8 15* 22 29

5 12 19 26

We Th Fr Sa Su

9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26

1 2

6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 8 15 22 29 9 16 23 30

August

July 27

8 15 22 29

5 12 19 26

9 16 23 30

6 13 20 27

3 10 17 24 31

7 14 21 28

4 11 18 25

8 15 22 29

5 12 19 26

9 16 23 30

Sa Su

6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

October

September 39

9 16 23 30

7 14 21 28

3 10 17 24

8 15 22 29

4 11 18 25

9 16 23 30

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

8 15 22 29

De Band

3 10 17 24 31 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26

November 44

mei 2002

April 14

6 13 20 27

Bedrijfsblad Royal Van Zanten

2 3

December 47

9 16 23 30

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

3 10 17 24 31

6 * 13 20 27

4 11 18 25

7 14 21 28

5 12 19 26

8 15 22 29

6 13 20 27

9 16 23 30

7 14 21 28

3 10 17 24

8 15 22 29

*15 - 20 May 2002 Lily Exhibition (Lelieparade) Keukenhof Flower Show Lisse, The Netherlands *6 - 9 November 2002 International Flower Trade Show (International Horti Fair) Amsterdam RAI, The Netherlands

Van Zanten Flowerbulbs B.V. 1e Loosterweg 1a P.O. Box 25 2180 AA Hillegom The Netherlands Telephone +31 (0) 252 53 53 53 Fax +31 (0) 252 53 53 00 flowerbulbs@royalvanzanten.com www.royalvanzanten.com

VE LO

A calendar for business relations is a tradition at Van Zanten. A special feature of this one is the illustration in spot varnish.

page

LD TACTICA ESIGN

December / 2001

5 12 19 26

Rijshornstraat 201 1435 HH Rijsenhout The Netherlands

VAN ZANT EN YAL O R

7 14 21 28

S RELATIONS

STRATEGIC DESIGN

SOCIETY

Chapter Royal van Zanten Leadership Part

6 13 20 27

BUSINES

PRO

CIN

Grown in 45

Rijshornstraat 201 1435 HH Rijsenhout The Netherlands

Alstroemeria

Cobra November / 2001 44

Rijshornstraat 201 1435 HH Rijsenhout The Netherlands

Chrysanthemum

Rijshornstraat 201 1435 HH Rijsenhout The Netherlands

Lelie

Chrysanthemum

Banners are a good means of increasing visibility.

The internal company magazine ‘De Band’ is one way in which the relation with the employees is maintained.

ING On letterheads, the rounded corners and unusual placement attracts of the trademark attention.

ox 25, 2180 AA Hillegom Royal Van Zanten,, P P.O. box

Total Identity T.a.v. de heer H.P Brandt Postbus 12480 1100 AL AMSTERDAM Holland

Nieuwe Corporate Identity Geachte heer Brandt,

surprising nature

Datum

7 augustus 2001 Uw brief van/kenmerk

001/AV/av Ons kenmerk

OA/95-125 Bijlage(n)

Geen

Een goede huisstijl visualiseert de identiteit, het karakter van een organisatie. Deze ware identiteit: een boodschap uitdragen die niet door de werkelijkheid wordt geschraagd werkt averechts. De identiteit komt tot stand door een complex van factoren. Om er enkele te noemen: de stijl van leidinggeven, het Zelfbeeld van de organisatie, de mensen die er werken, historisch gegroeide gewoonten en gebruiken, de interactie tussen de organisatie en haar omgeving, de bouwkundige voorzieningen enzovoort. De identiteit van een organisatie is dus niet statisch. Zij is continu in beweging en kan ten dele door stelselmatige inspanningen â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;gestuurdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worden. Een goede huisstijl is daarbij een uitstekend middel om deze ontwikkeling te weerspiegelen. De herkenning van binnen naar buiten en van buiten naar binnen moet daarbij altijd gewaarborgd blijven. Om er enkele te noemen: de stijl van leidinggeven, het zelfbeeld van de organisatie, de mensen die er werken, historisch gegroeide gewoonten en gebruiken, de interactie tussen de organisatie en haar omgeving, de bouwkundige voorzieningen enzovoort. De identiteit van een organisatie is dus niet statisch. Zij is continu in beweging en kan ten dele door stelselmatige.

surprising nature

Hoogachtend, Royal van Zanten

drs. ir. Frans B. Plevier general director

Van Zanten International Holding bv 1e Loosterweg 1a 2180 AA Hillegom P.O. box 25 2180 AA Hillegom The Netherlands

telefone +31 (0)252 535303 telef mobile +31 (0)6 538 99010 fax +31 (0)252 535330 e-mail fpl@vanzanten.com internet www.royalvanzanten.com

Van Zanten International Holding bv 1e Loosterweg 1a 2180 AA Hillegom The Netherlands

Ad Voorbeeld Naam functie

telefoon +31 (0) 252 535 353 telef fax +31 (0) 252 535 455 e-mail secretariat@vzh.kvzg.com internet www.royalvanzanten.com ABN AMRO Hillegom 43.16.29.994 Handelsregister 28065702

2002 - 2003

Alstroemeria

SELL ING

Colourful brochures are not uncommon in this branch, but this design stands out. The squares implicitly say something about the high-tech aspect of these flowers.

The complete product range can be constructed through the internet.

Royal Van Zanten is visible to all walks of life.

P IN

G 59

SHI P

page

PACKA G

Part

page

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

page

Out to surprise the world with a colourful product and an equally colourful corporate design.

Part

page

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

page

Carefree varieties for carefree growers.

Part

page

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

page

Part

Chapter Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2 in 1

Coherence in Foreign Policy The Ministry of Foreign Affairs evaluates policy. Coherence, teamwork and knowledge are important core values in terms of its identity. These, however, were not visible in the Ministry’s use of symbols and communication. Another wish was for a differentiation to be made as regards communicating to national or international target groups. World and Time as Core Concept The ministry has a worldwide network of diplomatic posts. These representatives are in contact with the department in the Hague at every moment and from everywhere in the world. World and time are the bearers of this theme.

Koninkrijk der Nederlanden

105 mm 32

128

176

224

272

210 mm 320

368

416

464

215,9 mm

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

To o the Embassy of the People’s Republic T of Bangladesh Parkweg 2 2585 jj den haag

Royal Netherlands Embassy Gotthardska 6/27 225 40 Praha 6 – Bubenec˘

15 16 17 18 19 20

23 24

Datum Kenmerk Blad Bijlagen Betreft

26 juli 1998 97.0000.tvh 97.0000. tvh 1/1 1 Hrieme e esas gei ge vrog eh iers nus

Telephone elephone T Fax

(00420) (2) 2431 2190 (00420) (2) 2431 2160

25 26

Oaungheingubouh uu eng engsnemasbsvrong soo rerggosbs er e, vrau saise nougunvbrenba sen gresbsah ei, au ugou uub oeng mege. Omengs aboeg or vbruu e ehagomouh ga, raib ai e grengs vbreih ei umiergoe, u rasmargovrinvbreibvbroe nie maug agïrg. Arevra eu aa vreibaro ours grangsheha oenaurgangs orgvrevbraangengsoo ebergvruu oe oe ai e he ar, ar, osbsier usbs baining ugreiggrang eh ies ou, uu miera vram mengsoonne angsaungsha ner unom hebau maungsougog ausaasbs. Aihbe us rensuursgeng ur ee greergan huunsaig riene ars usbsegierg ageib vbreb uregvrerg vbroen agra uun vbraigre neenaa e.

27 28 29 30 31 32 33

Left: The posts use stationery bearing the national coat of arms (with the trademark appearing as watermark). Documents often have to be printed in the local ‘letter’ format, as well as in A4 format. This template can be printed in both cases without any difficulty.

Arevra eu aa vreibaro ours ours – grangsheha grangsheha – huunsaig huunsaig – usbsegierg

35 36 37 38 39

Ae argre gen au u us beings gresebvroe eh oenei be emuu ahebuunhoega uhounse henguns neng roungs miegungs vbroeg grengsegeb ug u en vroebe.

40 41 42 43

De Permanente V Vertegenwoordiger ertegenwoordiger

44 45 46 47 48

J. Jansen

49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56

279,4 mm

Letter

58 59

297 mm Line feed 14 pt

Bottom – from left to right: The original (a draft version of the letter); blank paper with the watermark of the national coat of arms and a completed department letter.

Minuut brief Redacteur T. v. Hoogstraten (DSI-SB) Datum 20 juli 1994 Paraaf

Medeparaaf & datum 1 2 3 4 5 Vaststeller

C.c. H.P. Brandt A. v. Dommelen D.J. v. Haren Noman

To the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Parkweg 2 2585 jj den haag

Directie Noord-Afrika en Midden-Oosten Afdeling Golfstaten Bezuidenhoutseweg 67 Postbus 20061 2500 eb Den Haag

Datum Kenmerk Blad Bijlagen Betreft

Behandeld T. v. Hoogstraten Telefoon (070) 348 64 86 Fax (070) 348 55 59 hoogstraten@dam.minbuza.nl

26 juli 1998 97.0000.tvh 1/1 1 Hrieme e esas gei ge vrog eh iers nus

Oaungheingubouh uu eng engsnemasbsvrong soo rerggosbs er e, vrau saise nougunvbrenba sen gresbsah ei, au ugou uub oeng mege. Omengs aboeg or vbruu e ehagomouh ga, raib ai e grengs vbreih ei umiergoe, u rasmargovrinvbreibvbroe nie maug agïrg. Arevra eu aa vreibaro ours grangsheha oenaurgangs orgvrevbraangengsoo ebergvruu oe oe ai e he ar, osbsier usbs baining ugreiggrang eh ies ou, uu miera vram mengsoonne angsaungsha ner unom hebau maungsougog ausaasbs. Aihbe us rensuursgeng ur ee greergan huunsaig riene ars usbsegierg ageib vbreb uregvrerg vbroen agra uun vbraigre neenaa e.

Ae argre gen au u us beings gresebvroe eh oenei be emuu ahebuunhoega uhounse henguns neng roungs miegungs vbroeg grengsegeb ug u en vroebe.

De Minister van Buitenlandse Zaken, voor deze, de directeur Noord-Afrika en Midden-Oosten

J.E. Craanen

548 560 pt

Arevra eu aa vreibaro ours – grangsheha – huunsaig – usbsegierg

page

512

1 2

Variations in Style Support Structure The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ field of communications is complex. It is therefore crucial to be able to distinguish information quickly and clearly. The design provides for variations in style for policy information, provision of services and information. An interactive design manual on the Internet makes it possible the corporate design to use all over the world.

Buitenlandse Zaken

A trademark was created for the department in the Hague, symbolising ‘the world in 24 hours’ or the 24 time zones of the world. The national coat of arms has not disappeared, but is subtly visible in the form of a watermark. Every diplomatic post uses the coat of arms. Here, the watermark is the trademark of the department. For the rest, the house style is identical. The national coat of arms has been restyled so that it matches the new trademark and can also be applied in a small format and in a single colour. The colours refer to the Dutch flag. Variations and different letterheads have been made for the best possible ease of use.

Ministerie van

Ambassade van het

Ministerie van

Buitenlandse Zaken

The trademark left is a projection of 24 spheres with a light and a dark side – symbolising the 24-hour rotation of the earth. The coat of arms has been restyled to match.

Right/above: The ministry issues different sorts of publications, which have to fulfil different requirements. Depending on the target group, the publications can be divided into eight categories: internal or external and expert or general. This interactive tool helps in determining the category and the appropriate environment.

Ministerie van

Buitenlandse Zaken

To the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Parkweg 2 2585 jj den haag

Directie Noord-Afrika en Midden-Oosten Afdeling Golfstaten Bezuidenhoutseweg 67 Postbus 20061 2500 eb Den Haag

Datum Kenmerk Blad Bijlagen Betreft

Behandeld T. v. Hoogstraten Telefoon (070) 348 64 86 Fax (070) 348 55 59 hoogstraten@dam.minbuza.nl

26 juli 1998 97.0000.tvh 1/1 1 Hrieme e esas gei ge vrog eh iers nus

Oaungheingubouh uu eng engsnemasbsvrong soo rerggosbs er e, vrau saise nougunvbrenba sen gresbsah ei, au ugou uub oeng mege. Omengs aboeg or vbruu e ehagomouh ga, raib ai e grengs vbreih ei umiergoe, u rasmargovrinvbreibvbroe nie maug agïrg. Arevra eu aa vreibaro ours grangsheha oenaurgangs orgvrevbraangengsoo ebergvruu oe oe ai e he ar, osbsier usbs baining ugreiggrang eh ies ou, uu miera vram mengsoonne angsaungsha ner unom hebau maungsougog ausaasbs. Aihbe us rensuursgeng ur ee greergan huunsaig riene ars usbsegierg ageib vbreb uregvrerg vbroen agra uun vbraigre neenaa e. Arevra eu aa vreibaro ours – grangsheha – huunsaig – usbsegierg Ae argre gen au u us beings gresebvroe eh oenei be emuu ahebuunhoega uhounse henguns neng roungs miegungs vbroeg grengsegeb ug u en vroebe.

De Minister van Buitenlandse Zaken, voor deze, de directeur Noord-Afrika Noord-Afrika en Midden-Oosten

AI JE M A I N T I E N DR

page

J.E. Craanen

Part

page

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

PLURALITY +4 +3 +2 +1 +1 +2 +3 +4 minimal

maximal

complex

simple

chaos

order

fake

real

cheap

quality

bad taste

good taste

status

anti-status

reason

emotion

pessimism

One Brabant, Many Faces In order to become more visible, the Province wanted its operations and communications to become more transparent, orderly and simple. It wants to be in touch with its environment, the community of Brabant.

prosperity

welfare

egocentric

responsible

group

individual

old

young

man

woman

craft

high-tech

machine

human

immobile

mobile

uncertainty

certainty

safety

adventure

unhealthy

healthy

specialism

functionality

big

small

regional

global

appearance

reality

weak

strong

cool

warm

linear

organic

closed

transparent

adult

The Province likewise chose a monolithic identity structure: one Brabant with many faces. This means no communicative or visual distinction between the organisation’s components or projects. That choice gave the Province of North Brabant a clear ‘provincial stamp’. Consequently, the Province of Noord-Brabant developed a single house style. That is to say, the house style offers no possibility of showing another sender than the Province of Noord-Brabant. This makes it possible for the Province to concentrate in its external orientation on the dialogue with its environment. This dialogue is based on the themes and values that the Province shares with the community.

child

pollution

environment +4 +3 +2 +1 +1 +2 +3 +4

profile of the Brabant Community desired profile of the provincial organisation most important antitheses

Making Roles Visible The Province lacked a conceptual and visual framework for its identity. In order to develop that identity, a frame of thought was devised that is based on plurality rather than absolutes. The various roles of the Province are the guiding line for identification. In other words: The Province of Noord-Brabant stands in the midst of society, both administratively and communicatively. The semantic differential shows that the Province and the provincial organisation lie very close together.

optimism

page

The Province of Noord-Brabant wanted to put more emphasis on the meaning of its role in society and to let that role be seen. ‘Better Visibility, Visibly Better’ was the motto. On the one hand this referred to the province’s desire to have a more distinctive profile. On the other hand it was aimed at an internal process of organisational development and quality improvement.

II 70

page

Part

Chapter Province of Noord-Brabant Plurality

Matrix The communications matrix is the starting point for the dialogue with society. The matrix reflects how the themes and values of the province of Noord-Brabant come together. Using the communications matrix in the house style makes it possible to convey the subject matters of the province in one style. Each subject has its own appearance and thus its own effect on the target group. The communications matrix is a tool for the staff members of the province of Noord-Brabant to sharpen the province’s dialogue with society (themes) and make it link up better with what people in Brabant think is important (values).

The primary manifestation of the Province consists of the words ‘Provincie Noord-Brabant’ combined with the ‘Diamand’. The diamond represents the core concepts of simplicity, order and transparency and is composed of the primary house style colours red, white and grey. In addition to the primary house style colours, there is a secondary palette of colours.

Personeelsinformatieblad

30ste jaargang 21 juni 2001 Verschijnt twee wekelijks

Jenny Brusse Accountteam Brabant zomert op!

‘Het komt vooral aan op contact met de juiste persoon in Brussel...’

PIB-EUROPA-nummer

Commentarios quo desideras diligenter

Brabant grenzeloos actief Deskundigen over internationalisering en Europese samenwerking Provincie Noord-Brabant

‘Provincie moet meer inzicht krijgen in Europese potenties‘

Coactos ego vero conponam. Sed vide, ne plus profutura sit ratio ordinaria quam haec, quae nunc vulgo breviarium dicitur, olim cum latine loqueremur,summarium vocabatur. Illa res discenti magis necessaria est, haec scienti. Illa enim docet, haec admonet. Sed utriusque rei tibi copiam faciam. Tu a me non est quod. Illum aut illum exigas: qui notorem dat, ignotus est. Soribam ergo quod vis, sed meo more: interim multos habes, quorum seripta nescio an satis: ordineat. Sume in manus indioem philosophorum. Haec ipsa res expergisci te coget, si videris, quam multi tibi laboraverint. Coneupisces et ipse ex illis unus esse. Habet enim hoc optimum in se generosus animus, quod concitatur ad honesta. neminem excelsi ingen rirum humilia delect t et Sordida: magnarum rerum species ad se vooat et extollit. Quemadmodum flamma surgit in rectum, iacere ao d6primi non potest, non magis quam quiesoere. Ita noster animus in motu est, eo mobilior et actuosiar, quo vehementior fuerit.

Nota van aanbieding bij het jaarplan/begroting 2002 Provincie Noord-Brabant

Dedicated goederenspoorlijn Rotterdam-Antwerpen September 2001 Provincie Noord-Brabant

Brabant in balans Streekplan 2002

BrabantStad Position paper

Provincie Noord-Brabant

De toestand van de Brabantse natuur 2001 Ontwikkelingen in natuur en resultaten van natuurbeleid Provincie Noord-Brabant

pm2 Brabantse horizon kent geen grenzen Internationale betrekkingen provincie Noord-Brabant

• Emancipatieprijs 2001 • Omslag in denken • Swingen op het platteland • Jeugd wil duidelijheid • De bibliotheek als brainport

Brabant op de schop Koepelplan handreiking voor opknapbeurt landelijk gebied

Provincie Noord-Brabant

Examples of cover designs based on the nine quadrants of the communications matrix.

@ Brabant wordt werkelijkheid www.noord-brabant.nl

page

Provincie Noord-Brabant

Part

page

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

FOCUS

page

Strategy Follows Market Segmentation The strategy is built upon three market segments. With commodity markets, the focus is standard products and services. Large volumes are characteristic here. Products and services for the speciality markets revolve around specific conditions under which shipment takes place. The third segment comprises the customised markets and is absolutely tailor-made work. These are transports involving a high level of service that necessitates intensive contact with the client. Product segmentation runs parallel to these markets. In building up routine, a customised product can first become a speciality and then a standard solution.

II 74

page

Part

Chapter KLM Cargo Focus

KLM CARGO Transports Everything, And So…? Electronics, animals, mail, diplomatic documents, art, machinery, perishables, pharmaceuticals – everything in the world is transported by KLM CARGO. The global logistical service offered by KLM CARGO varies from standard airport-to-airport transport to complex logistical solutions. But when you ship everything, you also ship nothing. At least it’s difficult to establish a clear profile from that position. KLM CARGO has made visible what the company can mean to the various markets by translating the overall strategy into a sophisticated system of brands. That investigation has simultaneously produced a streamlining of internal services. The result is a crystal clear overview of who does what, so that this also has stimulated a customer-oriented approach.

Within the main groups, a classification is also made of the specific products and the role of transportation. With commodity products the services that KLM CARGO offers are shipment, packaging and stay. With speciality products shipment is ‘just’ a necessity and what is offered is stay and care. With customised products shipment plays a secondary role, and the strength of the service lies in providing care and coming up with clever solutions.

page

To demonstrate and investigate the many possibilities, a CDROM was made with a program in which KLM CARGO can enter the brand components on its own.

Brands System Supports Market Positions The brands system consists of five components, each with its own position. In addition to the corporate brand, KLM CARGO, there are the different brands and labels, extensions and sub-brands. The brand represents the proficiency of the product or service. Transport of standard products is given the name Select. Special transport is called Fresh and specialised shipment is named individually per category.

Part

Chapter KLM Cargo Focus

The label tells us about the condition under which the product is transported. Optionally, an extension or a sub-brand can be used. An extension is a supplementary service and depending upon brand name recognition can be used as a shorter term.

Speed Specials

Conditioning

Care

Mail Solutions

page

The entire range of products on a credit-card sized CD.

Perishable Pharmaceutical Valuable

page

Animal

Part

page

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

LOOKING AHEAD

page

Part

Chapter KLM Cargo Focus

KLM’s house style, dating from 1964, was designed by F.H.K. Henrion. Throughout the years the design has undergone many minor changes and temporary addendum’s. With its sweepingly stylised crown and colour blue, the trademark has built up a tremendous recognition factor. Repositioning A renewed positioning of KLM necessitated an investigation into what that meant for the corporate design. The visual and stylistic implications of key concepts of the new positioning such as young, friendly, unconventional, pragmatic, Dutch, professional and enjoyer were charted and ultimately led to the KLM Design Guide. The guide gives an overview of existing and new building blocks of the corporate design, in both 2D and 3D. In addition, the guide is meant to be inspirational and to anticipate upcoming developments. The examples on this page are from the 1999 guide. A new edition of the quide will be published Spring 2004 Skyblue KLM’s light blue is a very important identity element that will never vanish. But in certain applications the graphic hardness could be softened by a dynamic new design element, the wave. The colours of the wave were also used to distinguish sub-brands such as Business Class and Economy Class. The wave can be applied with subtlety and simplicity, but also with exuberance and flamboyance. The Goudy typeface, used for around twenty years especially in advertising, has been replaced by a younger, more friendly, unconventional, pragmatic and Dutch typeface: the Scala, designed by Martin Majoor, which not only functions well in headlines but also as a reading letter.

Wave shape 1

Wave shape 2

Wave shape 3

Wave1A.eps

Wave2A.eps

Wave3A.eps

Wave1B.eps

Wave2B.eps

Wave3B.eps

Wave1C.eps

Wave2C.eps

Wave3C.eps

Wave1D.eps

Wave2D.eps

Wave3D.eps

Wave1E.eps

Wave2E.eps

Wave3E.eps

Wave1F.eps

Wave2F.eps

Wave3F.eps

Wave1G.eps

Wave2G.eps

Wave3G.eps

Wave1H.eps

Wave2H.eps

Wave3H.eps

Single line Light blue

Single line White (shown on blue)

Complex line Light blue

Complex line White (shown on blue)

Complex line Corporate colours

Complex line Business Class colours

Complex line

In this way KLM’s corporate identity continually evolves, so as to always remain at the top.

Select Class colours

Complex line Economy

page

Class colours

page

OPINION

Part Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

page

Opinion Something definitely has to be done about Utrecht’s central station area. The public should be able to take part in the discussion, even through a referendum. But how do you do this? Letting a few architects draw up a plan and then choosing one won’t solve the problem – after all, the possibilities are endless.

Two possible identities for the station area have been distilled from the inhabitants’ viewpoints as foundation for the vision of the future: vision A (expanded city centre) and vision 1 (compact city centre). The concern is not the choice of bricks and streets, but rather, energy and atmosphere. Atmosphere is determined, on the one hand, by how functions such as living, working and transportation are divided throughout the area, and on the other, by how these are stylistically expressed. Two instruments were developed for the purpose of examining role and atmosphere: the function tool and the style tool. With these interactive tools citizens, stakeholders and experts determine the course of action through computer collages.

The style tool: the user can compose a personal mood board with elements from both tracks (‘A’ and ‘1’).

Four images are given per theme (public transportation, companies, etc). Choose the most appealing image.

Part

Chapter Municipality of Utrecht Opinion

Referendum on the Identity of an Area On 15 May 2002 the city of Utrecht organises a referendum for its inhabitants, one which presents a different choice than the usual. Not a plan that people can oppose or endorse, but two different visions for the future. These visions had been translated into recognisable spatial scenarios based on the input of the inhabitants and directly involved parties.

Visibility of Functions The functions of the city centre are fairly fixed. The question, however, was to what extent those functions should also be visible – and thus determinative for experience. Experts in the field of property and urban development were accordingly asked to arrange these functions in terms of visibility. They felt that the sojourning functions such as catering, culture and retail should be more dominant, so that the area around the station would no be longer a transit zone, but an attraction in itself. This interactive process produced two upheld identities – Utrecht itself had constructed them. These two tracks then became the choices in the referendum. Utrecht chose track A by 59.1%. Opinions were taken seriously. The results of the referendum produced a sharp stylistic briefing for the urban planners who were to begin developing a Masterplan.

The same goes for track ‘1’. The same themes, but different images.

page

Choices for ‘A’ and ‘1’ can be reviewed separately or together. It is still possible to make changes.

With the ‘function tool’ you can determine what functions should be the most important in the area – that is, the most visible. They must be set at the top row in order of importance. The system visualises the choice in a graph.

page

Via www.utrecht.nl/stationsgebied the public could obtain voting advice. On the basis of the images and texts people chose, it was possible to determine whether they preferred track ‘A’ or ‘1’. 51% gets the advice to vote for ‘A’.

The screens on these pages play a role on the nights that the public solves ‘brain teasers’ (such as “What can we do with the Catharijnesingel?”). With the ‘Image Chooser’ ideas can be visualised on the spot.

Part

page

Chapter Municipality of Utrecht Opinion

The results of the sessions are published in a booklet shown here to the right.

Vredenburg Ontdekken

Vredenburg

Belangrijkste kenmerken: • Cultuurplein met vier duidelijke wanden • Muziekpaleis onderdeel van structuur binnenstad • Hoogwaardige retail • Nieuwe horeca aan singelzijde • In- en doorgang naar Catharijnesingel (op 0, 1/2- of 1-niveau)

N.a.v. open aanmerkingen bezoekers stadsavonden

Jaarbeursplein Starten

Jaarbeursplein

Belangrijkste kenmerken: • Reizigersplein met grootstedelijke wanden • Levendige oversteek • Verzameling pronte ingangen • Veilige (ongelijkvloerse?) voetgangers- verbinding • Horeca-to-go

N.a.v. open aanmerkingen bezoekers stadsavonden

Stedenbouwkundige schets

Centrumboulevard Verbinden

Centrumboulevard

Belangrijkste kenmerken: • Herkenbare centrale route (geplaveid?) • Verbindt vijf cruciale knopen en sferen • Overzichtelijke route met interessante aftakkingen • Lopen op twee snelheden (run & fun) • Horeca-to-go

N.a.v. open aanmerkingen bezoekers stadsavonden

Catharijnesingel Spelen

Catharijnesingel

Belangrijkste kenmerken: • Actieve stadsgracht met stenen kades • Kleinschalige beweeglijkheid aan de ‘werf’ • Fietsen, roeiboten, rondvaarten, waterfietsen, watertaxi's • Horeca aan oostzijde • Autoverkeer aan westzijde • Doorgang naar plein Vredenburg (-1, 0, 1/2)

N.a.v. open aanmerkingen bezoekers stadsavonden

Westplein/ Smakkelaarsveld Ontmoeten

Westplein/Smakkelaarsveld

Stedenbouwkundige schets

Stedenbouwkundige schets N.a.v. open aanmerkingen bezoekers stadsavonden

Belangrijkste kenmerken: • Markt met zitjes op autotunnel • Lombok met Smakkelaarsveld onderlangs verbinden • Mensen op straat • Lommerrijk • Aangename route voor fietsers en voetgangers

Jaarbeursterrein Vermaken

Jaarbeursterrein

Belangrijkste kenmerken: • Langzaam verkeer • Bioscoop, foodcourt, expo, casino, sportschool • Wonen en kleinschalig werken • Minimaal 18 uur per dag levendigheid

N.a.v. open aanmerkingen bezoekers stadsavonden

From Referendum to Masterplan After the citizens of Utrecht voted for an ‘expanded city centre’ in May 2002, the results had to be translated into an urban Masterplan. So that the first piling could go in the ground at the end of 2004. Growin’ Up in Public The station area ‘alliance’ (the city of Utrecht, the Jaarbeurs, NS and HC owner Corio) once again invited the citizens of Utrecht to think along with them in the autumn of 2002. This way the alliance gleaned information from the inhabitants, tested viewpoints and made its abstract vision concrete. And it could let the plan ‘grow up in public’. Brain Teasers In the planning a link is made between a functional program of requirements and the identity of the city and its components. Identity is expressed in a story about the city. This story encapsulated the city’s primary core values: relaxed, historically aware, well-considered and connected. The program of requirements is worked out on the basis of six crucial spots in the Station area: Vredenburg, Catharijnesingel, Westplein, Jaarbeursplein, Jaarbeursterrein and Centrumboulevard. These ‘themes’ are always treated in accordance with the values of Utrecht. Clear Images, Guiding Mottoes On six public forum nights those brain teasers are discussed and the citizens’ suggestions for solutions arranged in a matrix. Simultaneously designers make instant sketches of the urban structure and atmosphere that the citizens desired for each spot. These ‘live’ visualisations make the abstract urban puzzles perceivable, attractive and understandable. At Utrecht’s City Hall the alliance, in summarisation of the advice gained from the public meetings, chose a motto, presents a sketch of a possible urban plan and visualises an ideal atmosphere for each spot. These three elements together form one of the guiding principle for the development of the Masterplan.

page

Stedenbouwkundige schets

page

EVOLUTION

Part Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

page

Part

Chapter Bouwfonds Evolution

To space for tomorrow… Traditionally, Bouwfonds has been known as a housing developer. The old label referring to the Dutch municipalities, the initiators, was discarded some time ago. And all things considered, the reference to housing alone is far too limited. Today Bouwfonds is a supplier of innovative concepts in the areas of development, financing and property management. In November 2000 the Board of Directors commissioned the restyling of the ‘corkscrew’, the nickname for the original design by Wim Crouwel, one of the founders of Total Design.

The urban landscape that Bouwfonds creates arises from an interplay of green, water and buildings. The old trademark primarily referred to a dated way of building. The new trademark is more modern and alludes more to the quality of the built environment.

The design choices say something about the changed vision of Bouwfonds, which is inseparably connected with Dutch views on living and space for work and leisure. Namely, Bouwfonds has evolved from being a supplier of architectonic solutions to expert territorial developer. The urban landscape that Bouwfonds creates arises from an interplay of green, water and buildings. Three familiar, clear basic colours represent those elements. Perspective devices were used in order to make that statement clear, so that the image has become more friendly and warm and refers much more emphatically to the quality of the home surroundings.

Flexibele hypotheek subtitel van brochure

one of the six fields

Ruimte voor morgen.

bar with headline ‘space...’ bar The latest Dutch property finance company is called Bouwfonds Property Finance - a company with years of experience in real estate, and one that has immediately become the market leader in the Netherlands. Bouwfonds Property Finance are the people to contact for project finance, project participation, lease arrangements and investment finance. Nationally and internationally. Thanks to our thorough financial knowledge and strong network, we can assist you quickly, decisively and creatively. Ensuring that you have all the room necessary for your ambitions.

ONDERWERP

woningen met eigen identiteit BIJZONDERHEDEN

doorbraak in wonen op maat WAARNEER

in de nabije toekomst LOCATIE

barcelona

MEER INFORMATIE

www.bouwfonds.nl

legend framework baseline

blend elements

Ruimte voor morgen.

www.bouwfondsvastgoedontwikkeling

pay-off

basic elements

Understandable and Recognisable The design depicts Bouwfonds in all of its expressions as an international concern but with an unmistakably Dutch flavour: open, but no-nonsense. The openness is in the accessible and clear design. It is a fresh, honest way of communicating, understandable and recognisable, with no unnecessary frills. And this characterises the Bouwfonds in its house style as a reliable, sharpwitted and involved company for this era, in this environment. The innovative typeface of the trademark further emphasises the character of Bouwfonds and at the same time shows dynamism and courage in that innovation.

Ruimte voor morgen.

trademark typography colour

page

A design is constructed out of different layers with compulsory and optional elements.

www.bouwfondsvastgoedontwikkeling

page

With the Bouwfonds Design Tool basic elements and photos can automatically be combined to make covers simply by following the instructions.

Part

page

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

GUTS

page

How a lawyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office dared to be itself Advertising used to be something that was not done in the legal profession. As soon as that ban was abolished, it was immediately followed by a frenetic search for identity, with every office aiming at an imagined ideal. The result? Hardly any means of distinguishing between them. They spy on one another and imitate one another. They are big, and international, or something in between, but they reveal no personality. Consequently, potential customers, as well as new colleagues, are in the dark about who they are dealing with. In this porridge of uniformity the office of SchutGrosheide is showing courage by deciding to be itself. Its identity is based on the corporate story, a lively story that in turn raises a lot of discussion. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s typical of SchutGrosheide. Research into the corporate story reveals what it is that drives everyone: get cracking without any fuss, do your very best, and above all remain yourself.

Part

page

Chapter SchutGrosheide Guts

How they show that to their business connections… SchutGrosheide has grown tempestuously in recent years, but the traces from the past still cling unmistakably to the office. It is known for being very respectable, but also stuffy. And that is really passé. For SchutGrosheide the most important thing is professionalism in combination with a certain ‘joie de vivre’. Having fun with each other and taking pleasure in work offers the best motivation for providing top-notch performance. The corporate brochure shows this reality plainly. That’s why the ‘Schutters’ themselves appear in the photograph.

page

Part

page

Chapter SchutGrosheide Guts

in the mediaâ&#x20AC;Ś Justice with no detours is the motto, the briefest summary of the corporate story. The motto is not used everywhere, only where the message has to be powerfully established in the market. Deal with it, be yourself, go straight to the point, these are the concepts associated with it. No other office has yet claimed this position.

page

â&#x20AC;Śand how they grow with the right people. A separate programme for students is being developed, with a more dynamic and more appealing programme than usual, certainly in this line of business. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Choose Your Own Playing-Fieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is the motto with which students are encouraged to apply to work at Schut. Despite the singularity of the programme it is unmistakably SchutGrosheide. There is no mistaking the principles of the office.

Part

page

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

CHANGE

page

Defence, Organisation On the Move The Dutch armed forces have undergone a metamorphosis. As a result of changes in international security and social developments, the accent is shifting from the defence of national borders to participation in peace operations and providing humanitarian aid. This requires a different awareness and closer collaboration between the various armed forces. Each of the sectors has its own written and unwritten rules stemming from tradition; the symbols they employ to manifest themselves also based on their own ideas and provisos. An identity trajectory is therefore an important instrument for the process of change.

II 100

page

Part

Chapter Ministry of Defence Change

Peace, Security and Freedom The Ministry of Defence according has a new trademark that conveys the primary aims of the united sectors of the armed forces: peace, security and freedom. The existing emblems, like the lion for the Army and the anchor for the Marines, have been redrawn in a single, coherent style. By employing an endorsed identity structure, the separate sectors still remain visible: the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Military Police. The emblems are incorporated in the house style of the Ministry of Defence, so that the mutual connections are further strengthened.

Looking at Defence A new role also means a new manner of communicating. To make everyone within Defence aware of this, the book Looking at Defence was made. This tells the corporate story of Defence and links the changes to the desired style of communication in words and images.

101

page

Above: the old emblem. Right: the endorsed brands structure.

...

2 year

mobilty

kwaliteit

leven

... transformation

...

future

transformation

life

growth

quality

20 year

trade

mobility

2014 -

2 year

2012 -

2 year

2010 -

2 year

2008 -

3 year

2005 -

5 year

2000 1990 -

10 year 15 year

of nt n ra ize ad it qu he c t

1975 -

y of nit nt u ra m ad om qu he c t

of al nt du ra ivi ad nd qu he i t

er of er nt m ra su ad on qu he c t

of nt on ra ti ad uc qu he a t

e th er of den nt ar ra g ad et qu ark m

1955 -

ity

themes

e t th rke of a nt e m ra al ad les qu ho w

land

ad qu . ..

Part

102

ai or

tis

page

t ts en jec des pm b a lo su ec ve ral e d de ent th c gh of rou th

al du on vi ti di va in oti m

od an

e g ac in sp r liv fo

belief

stewardship

ity al fe qu f li o

environment

responsibility

values

Changing Consumer Demands A shift took place in the 1970’s. Environmental values made their entry and influenced the innovations implemented by the cluster in order to fulfil the demand for production. This development continued through the Nineties. The product on its own no longer legitimates the continuing existence of the cluster. Consumers are becoming more self-aware and, via the (wholesale) trade, are making high demands on products from greenhouse

health

environment

innovatie

health

relevance

innovation

relevance

...

awareness

The history and social role can easily be made visible on the basis of the communications matrix of Dutch greenhouse market gardening. The matrix shows that Dutch agriculture – and hence greenhouse market gardening – emerged after the Second World War, when there was a great shortage of food in the country. Everything was geared to as great a production as possible in order to be able to supply the population with food. The central themes in this history were the land needed for production, the craft and the quantity of production. For small farmers this new development offered the opportunity to become self-supporting, with possibilities for growth and stewardship and a high degree of responsibility.

...

The Future of Greenhouse Growers Dutch citizens have a positive judgement about market gardening as a profession and the quality of greenhouse products. They buy such products in the shops without hesitation. On the other hand, however, citizens are indifferent or even negative towards the market gardening cluster that lies hidden behind the products. The image they have is limited and influenced by stories about transport congestion, pesticides, illegal workers and the way energy and the environment are handled. In order to safeguard the survival of the cluster in the Netherlands, a strong, unambiguous image is needed. The existing approach to communications has not succeeded in creating a strong identity.

Chapter Greenhouse Market Gardening Perspective

PERSPECTIVE

The communications matrix outlines the themes and values that are of importance in greenhouse market gardening. Values: the environment, health and dynamism (plus, in the near future, the right to exist). Themes: innovation, socially responsible businesses and mobility (plus alternative production methods). Values and themes stand at the moment for the ambition to wish to contribute to ‘the quality of life’ as a socially shared value that connects the cluster (and that it shares with the citizen), a quality that is more and more explicitly aimed at space for living.

Shared Value The cluster is too little organised to be able to react adequately through the sort of information it sends out. Each of the various players contributes to greenhouse market gardening and communicates about it how and when they want. In order to build up a relationship with the receivers of the information, the cluster has to communicate as a single party. What is needed is to determine a value shared by all the players within the cluster, one that concurs with the demands made by the social environment. A socially shared value, in other words.

The ‘Quality of Life’ Era A man on a tower sees a market gardener in his greenhouse and the nearby city, the city where the critical consumer lives. What counts above all is the quality of life. Those signals also reach the market gardener. Innovations are rife, the environment is less burdened. The message, however, remains the same: that of the product.

The matrix represents the starting point for attaining this socially shared value. At the moment the most important themes are innovation, socially responsible businesses and mobility. The attitude of the cluster towards this is characterised by the emphasis on the values of responsibility for the environment, health and the demand of dynamism. At the moment these values and themes stand for the ambition to want to contribute something to ‘the quality of life’. This is the socially shared value that offers the cluster a handle for organising itself as a communal transmitter that is involved in one way or another with the quality of life in all its aspects. The matrix is not static, but moves along with the period in which the cluster is situated. Thus we see in the matrix that, within the foreseeable future, the accent will shift from ‘the quality of life’ to ‘space for living’. The first signals in this direction are already apparent and greenhouse market gardening should be duly aware of this.

Towards the ‘Space for Living’ Era A helicopter pilot’s view. He is able to place the market gardener in the field of social forces. The citizen demands more from the greenhouse market gardening cluster. The quality of life also means space. The Netherlands is becoming more densely built, the horizon is becoming visually polluted and roads are congesting. The time that the cluster could suffice with communicating about the product is over. The question now is whether the cluster will bridge the knowledge gap in order to seek a common frame of reference with the citizen.

103

The ‘Me’ Era A market gardener walks through his greenhouse. In the distance he can see the skyline of the city. The people there know that their vegetables come from the supermarket; they know little about the production process. The gardener tells the (wholesale) trade how good his product is. The shopkeeper passes this on to the consumer. The greenhouse market gardening cluster’s communication is thus aimed at the product.

page

market gardening, as well as in the area of health and socially responsible business enterprises. It’s a question, then, of what the cluster means for people’s welfare. This trend has continued in the new century, when a new theme with its accompanying values appeared on the stage: (the need for) mobility and dynamism. The quality of life striven for by citizens has become less determined by a health viewpoint; trust in the products of Dutch greenhouse market gardening is still great. What has become more important is the individual’s need for living space. This development has forced the cluster to think about possible alternatives in its own business processes and the impact that these have on dealing with space. This tendency is expected to intensify in the coming years, with a greater need for the cluster to show its right to exist.

Part

page

104

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

GROWTH Because of various takeovers, including that of the NBM construction companies, the Koninklijke BAM Groep (Royal BAM Group) has greatly widened its activities. This offensive diversification strategy has led to a broad spectrum of activities, but it was unclear how the companies differ and what binds them. The BAM Groep needed an identity that facilitates growth and creates clarity.

In order to fulfil these ambitions a strong, simple identity was needed, one that is consistent, recognisable and distinctive. It was very important that this choice enabled The BAM Groepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rate of growth to accelerate rather than slow down. The BAM Groep had to present its diversity of activities more strongly under a single denominator. An endorsed brands structure offered a good solution. The BAM Groep is the anchor, the

four sectors or labels are the entry for the client: BAM NBM Vastgoed (Real Estate), BAM NBM Infra, BAM NBM Bouw (Construction), BAM NBM Techniek (Technique). BAM NBM Makes the Difference The original trademark symbolised the separate activities around construction. Discussions led on from there and eventually ended up with a symbol that

105

page

Power and Simplicity

stands for the result of an integral approach, showing a mutual connection and cohesion. The BAM Groep is no longer about different building activities, but about the ‘built environment’, which offers many more perspectives. What is also important is the choice of an eloquent basic colour, light yellow, that allows the BAM Groep to distinguish itself in the market. The new colour radiates at once strength, warmth and stability.

Part

page

106

Chapter KONINKLIJKE BAM GROEP GROWTH

At an European level a highly distinctive and conspicuous brand has been created. The original regional diversification has been replaced by a strong unity at a national level. Through the fusion with the Hollandsche Beton Groep a new player has arisen, which joins Europe’s top 10. That is growth. BAM NBM Breadthwise The identity choices make themselves felt in the way images and colour are used in the means of communication. At the level of the group, the sectors and the subsidiaries, the perspective of the images is different, as is the balance between the house style colours, yellow and dark blue.

107

page

Part

page

108

Chapter KONINKLIJKE BAM GROEP GROWTH

The old logo (above left) referred to the product: constructions, concrete. The new logo (lower right) is based on the old one, but suggests much more the built environment and the different sectors. A selection of sketches are illustrated on these pages.

109

page

Part

page

110

Chapter KONINKLIJKE BAM GROEP GROWTH

Instruction and Motivation In order to promote a consistent application of the renewed corporate design, an interactive corporate identity manual has been developed in addition to a paper version. The paper version motivates and inspires, and is mainly intended for internal use. The digital version principally serves as an instruction tool for other agencies.

– – – – – – –

The Digital Manual Database Internet Fast searching Downloading Up–to–date Collection Accessible

111

The Printed Manual Loose–leaf Bookcase Linear Motivating Snapshot indication Statement Exclusive

page

– – – – – – –

112

page

112

Part

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter Kerkinactie Connection

113

page

CONNECTION

Chapter Kerkinactie Connection

114

page

There is a lot of pressure in the charities market. Everyone is claiming attention for ‘their’ purpose. The situation is no different for Kerkinactie (Churches in Action). It is active in the areas of missionary and diaconal work and ecumenical relations, soliciting charitable funds in order to get the money needed for its projects. What is important is to show well what Kerkinactie is in favour of and what it represents, since transparency and trust are aspects that count heavily for potential donors.

The central theme of the concept is interaction. By writing Kerkinactie as www.kerkinactie.nl, the name is at the same time the web address. The ‘www’ stands here for Kerkinactie’s worldwide network and ‘nl’ for the home base. Kerkinactie forms the bridge between the world and the Netherlands. The visual translation of the concept has led to a specific application of photography. A foreign photograph (www) is always used in combination with a home photograph (nl).

Transparency In this crowded market it is a question of choosing as favourable a position as possible in relation to market developments in general, the identity of the organisation and the position of competitors. As an organisation Kerkinactie does not concentrate on a single, clearly defined goal, but on various goals. This makes profiling more difficult. In order to communicate Kerkinactie’s field of action, an endorsed identity structure has been decided on. The parent brand Kerkinactie functions as an umbrella above the different programmes. The programmes are World Deaconate, Children in a Fix, Emergency Help, Missionary Work, Missions and Deaconate. In this way donors are able to make donations for specific goals. In order to make it clear what Kerkinactie stands for, its values are communicated through the slogan ‘believing-helping-building’.

Campaign and identity The phrase ‘faith in progress’ underpins the corporate campaign. Kerkinactie is saying that faith is a strong motivation for helping people. A powerful message for people who are in difficulties in this world. It is a message of hope. The communicational strength of the campaign is also that different symbols and metaphors are used than is customary in the world of charity. This gives Kerkinactie a distinctive and believable identity. Faith is here announced soberly, rather than with the finger raised. What characterises every expression is that it shows all the things that Kerkinactie has achieved so far. The aim of the campaign is to increase the visibility and reputation of Kerkinactie.

115

page

Part

page

116

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

SELF-ASSURED AMEV offers a varied assortment of property and life insurances and financial products for both the private and the business markets. It is embarking on an intensive dialogue with its intermediaries in order to share its knowledge of products, branches, consumers and distribution methods. The aim is to enable the intermediaries to deal with the market in the best way possible, thus creating a win-win situation. In order to appeal to intermediaries as well as final customers a convincing concept is needed that shows what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about. Research has shown that AMEVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers and its intermediaries are self-confident people who embrace life and try to get the most out of it. There are signs that a shift has taken place from collectivity and security to individualism and calculated risks. Which supplies the motto: Dare to Live. This is the starting point for the concept, in which photography in particular plays an important role.

holders. The product brochures deal with AMEV products such as health insurance, mortgages or assets building. In addition there are branch-specific brochures, such as for the catering industry. The website www.amev.nl is deployed as an extra source of information for the end user. Background Information In order to respond to the information needs of intermediaries, AMEV also publishes magazines, newsletters and brochures. The brochures give very specific instructions about how particular AMEV products should be handled. The other formats sketch news, market developments, opinions, and so forth. Work-Supporting Information AMEV Cockpit is a gateway for different applications for the intermediaries. By using this instrument the intermediary can request and input basic client information. This makes it handy for making a quote which can then be clicked directly through to AMEV. This approach works. AMEV is experiencing considerable growth. By sharing knowledge and engaging in an intensive dialogue, a solid relation with both the intermediaries and the end customers is created.

collective

group, family

individual

117

page

certainty

calculated risk

risk

Structure in Commercial Information In classifying the brochure material it was decided to make a division into thematic brochures and product brochures. The thematic brochures are aimed at specific target groups, with brochures for employers, employees and major share-

Part

page

118

Chapter AMEV Self-Assured

Photography is an important element of the communication concept. AMEV shows people living life to the full. Self-aware and full of energy. These are people who get the most out of life.

119

page

Intermediary

AMEV Consumer Products

Product information specially for the intermediary.

Part

Chapter AMEV Self-assured

Company Products

Product Specifications

Cockpit is the Intranet system with which AMEV supports the intermediary.

120

page

Transfer of Knowledge

Staff magazine.

Magazine for intermediaries about developments in the branch.

End Customer

Product brochures and folders.

Website - business products.

With some brochures (‘concept brochures’) the theme is the target group rather than the product.

Website – private products. The website refers through to the intermediary.

Quarterly report for investors about stocks and funds.

121

page

Conditions booklet.

Part

page

122

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

123

page

CENTRAL

Part

Chapter IN Central

A New Vision in Housing ‘Volkshuisvesting’ is the result of the fusion of two of housing corporations that originally had an important task in providing public housing. As the government gradually withdraws, Volkshuisvesting’s vision of its role is changing. Volkshuisvesting is developing into a two-fold organisation, whose starting point remains the ideology, ‘Good living for everyone’. The development branch earns the money to pay for the housing branch. ‘Make our new role and the social enthusiasm of our organisation visible,’was the assignment. That led to a unique process from which a firm basis was created for the new identity. In Pictures Its own employees provide the input. They go into Groningen with disposable cameras to show what binds them to their city, what fascinates them and why they are in love with the pearl of the Northern Netherlands. This then produces material for brainstorming sessions and meetings in which the essence of Volkshuisvesting is revealed in words and images. The new identity thus slowly gains form.

124

page

The Making of In Ultimately the whole process and its results are laid down in a booklet: The Making of In. For ‘In’ is Volkshuisvesting’s new name. The booklet draws everyone into the story again, motivating them for the choices that are being made. It is an important document of process and decisions. There is a great deal of enthusiasm.

125

page Page

In The name’s concept spreads enthusiasm for the city. ‘In’ is the core element that binds the organisation to its world. It shows one of people’s basic needs: shelter, four walls and a roof, being inside, being ‘in’ somewhere: ‘In’. A monolithic identity structure has been decided on. The foundation’s two main activities – housing and development – do not play a major role visually, but are visible at a secondary level.

Part

page

126

Chapter IN Central

Six basic colours are used for the house style. The colours are characteristically lively, bright, dynamic and are deployed at random. The use of landscape format for the brochure gives an impression of breadth and spaciousness. In Dialogue with the City A booklet on ‘The Making of In’ was handed out at the internal naming party and a spontaneously made ‘In song’ was sung. At the introduction the In posters brightened up the whole of Groningen and multi-coloured balloons bore the words ‘In the air’. ‘In’ can now enter into dialogue with its city in a way that speaks for itself – appealing to Groningers, asking them questions and responding to them.

127

page

DYNAMICS As a new organization, STE needed a trademark that makes a powerful statement about its role. The trademark above all shows the dynamics of the financial world. STE is the constant factor in that world and is everywhere present. This has been represented by a spiral. The trademark is three-dimensional, so it can also be used in Web animation. This moreover refers to the electronic traffic in which the transactions take place, of course.

Part

Chapter Stichting Toezicht Effectenverkeer Dynamics

The Stichting Toezicht Effectenverkeer (STE), a foundation supervising trade on the stock exchange, stands in the midst of the financial world. In those dynamics, supervision plays an essential role. After all, it is through supervision that confidence in the financial system and credibility must be guaranteed. That confidence must in the first place stem from the market parties themselves. STE defines those responsibilities and ensures that they are actively met.

128

page

A trademark that is as dynamic as the financial world: moving, continually changing but always recognisable.

129

page

PAIRIN

NG UP

Two Communities, One Identity The communities of Voorburg and Leidschendam have decided to go through life as one municipality from now on. LeidschendamVoorburg is the new name that the inhabitants chose in a referendum, but the two civic centres will retain their original names. The singularity of those centres must be incorporated in the new municipalityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corporate identity.

Part

Chapter Municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg Paring Up

Telling the Tale of a City The tale of both municipalities and their pairing up is told in the corporate story. Voorburg is old and distinguished, and has something of the quality of the stately city of the Hague to which it is directly attached. Leidschendam is a young town, more rural. The story relates the reasons for the fusion and describes the character of the new municipality. In that sense it is also an important record of the fusion process. The story is also the starting point for the development of the municipal concept. The connection between old and new, town and country, is achieved by linking heraldry with a contemporary feeling. A booklet describes this process and the inspiration behind it so that everyone can follow the train of thought.

132

page

Balance in the City The trademark combines past and present in a modern design with historic elements. The figures, who represent the inhabitants of Leidschendam-Voorburg, are grouped around an empty plane that symbolises the space that they share: the new city. Each figure tells a little story, and as a whole they represent a day in the life of the municipality. The figures not only play an important part in the trademark, but also in the new house style of the municipality. The inhabitants encounter them everywhere.

Shield bearers are minor heraldic characters who bear a coat of arms. They thus make the coat of arms possible. The inhabitants of Leidschendam-Voorburg make the municipality possible too, in fact. They are the shield bearers of our times.

Intensive Introduction Program In order to introduce the new house style, a communications program was set up for both internal and external use. This introduction was deliberately detached from the emotionally laden municipal fusion process and focuses totally on ‘a new start’. Via an exhibition and posters throughout the city the inhabitants have become acquainted with the municipality’s new image.

In clockwise direction, the silhouetted figures represent one day in Leidschendam-Voorburg. Wolff aan het vliegeren met zijn vader Vergadering bij Blauw nv

Lunchpauze bij de firma Dijkstra

Ans en Hedwich bij C&A Architectenburo aan een lastige opdracht

Marloes is weer begonnen na de lunch

Marloes net voor de pauze Meester Fransen over c ommunicerende vaten

Voordracht in het congrescentrum

Mevrouw Hofman gaat de kaas halen die haar man heeft v ergeten vanochtend

Meneer Hofman gaat kaas, melk en ham halen

Frans wordt gebracht door z ijn moeder

Frans wordt weer opgehaald d oor zijn moeder

Schilder Martens aan zijn eerste klus vandaag

Wachten op de bus

Bart de Wit op de sportschool Meneer Jansen gaat naar bed Manon van Straaten in haar favoriete bar Meneer Jansen staat op

133

Paul Willems aan het stoeien met zijn das

page

De tandartsassistente opent de praktijk

Snel naar de tram

Eerste corporate brochure van de gemeente Leidschendam-Voorburg

juli 2002

2003/2

Chapter Municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg Paring Up

De nieuwe huisstijl als een frisse wind door de gemeente.

Part

page

134

The inhabitants of both municipalities soon become accustomed to the new name and the new image â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on paper, on screen and on the streets.

135

page

Part

page

136

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

137

page

EXPERIENCE

The World of Flying

The Pleasures of Travelling

High Speed Trains

Part

Chapter Thalys Experience

Trains That Were a Real Adventure

138

page

De merkomgeving

Concept: Le Lancer

Logo Sketches

Between Plane and Train Four European rail companies, SNCF, NS, SNCB and DB have united forces in creating the first international rail network. A high-speed line that connects Paris, Amsterdam, Cologne and Brussels. The trainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important competitors are the automobile and airplane. The train must therefore be able to measure up to both forms of transport as to speed and luxury.

The Thalys as an Experience As the brand was developed, a number of values came to the fore which determined its profile. Travelling with this train is a real experience: speed, reliability, customer friendliness and comfort are central to this. These values were the starting point for the development of the name and the accompanying trademark.

In order to clearly profile this service, a new brand was created. It had to have a strong and recognisable identity that bridges cultural and language barriers. For this purpose an extensive analysis was made of the rival transport possibilities and the ambience that would determine the concept.

The design of the trademark is inspired by the flowing movement of an object that cleaves the air on the way to its destination. In the design this movement is combined with a human form. The specially designed typeface of the logo again underlines the human aspect. The design of the train was made in collaboration with the former design department of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen, NS Design. The latter is responsible for the interior design and the pictograms in the coaches. 139

Logo Sketches

page Page

Concept: La FluiditĂŠ

Part

page

140

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

STATEMENT

141

page

Part

Chapter Icare Statement

I Care, We Care Fusions are difficult processes, and in the perilous course of a fusion the collective goal can often become diffused. That was also in danger of happening with the Pantheon Zorggroep, a cooperative association of homecare organisations. Pantheon offers services in the area of homecare, nursing, maternity care, nutrition and information. During the merger, the accent was mainly on organisation, costs, budgets, etc. Individual employees could no longer recognise themselves in this. They wish to be there for the client and offer care. This was the challenge in creating a new identity with a clear statement. A Statement in the Primary Manifestation An important theme is the experience of giving and receiving care. Employees and clients felt a field of tension between an increase in scale on the one hand and the retention of the quality of service on the other. It was clear that they attached great value to accessibility and the quality of care. This was such an important point for the new identity that it was reflected in the primary manifestation. The new name is Icare. Together with the trademark, the brand thus becomes a powerful statement. This is all about the experience of emotion, rather than the setting of tasks.

142

page

Statement and Identity Structure Icare contains a statement, a promise: ‘I care for’. It is a communicative name that is pronounced in the Dutch way, which also gives it an associative charge. Within the identity structure, this collective avowal is more important than the various services.

The design of the Icare trademark is a rounded pebble shape, an allusion to the traditional Dutch saying that by carrying one little pebble ‘everyone does their bit’. It is a soft, friendly, and organic form; an indication of the future, progress and innovation. The letters in the logo are drawn so as to accentuate the care experience. Here too, rounded shapes are dominant.

Right: brochures made for Icare with photos featuring people.

voeding en dieet

Zwanger Zwanger anger,, bev bevalling alling en verder? r rder?

Alles over gezond eten

eventie eventie De cursussen en informatiebijeenkomsten van Icare V Voorlichting oorlichting en Pr Prev houden niet op bij zw zwangerschap angerschap en bev bevalling. alling. Want ook daarna is er genoeg te ler leren of uit te wisselen met andere ouders. Bijv Bijvoorbeeld ov over de ontwikke-

zorg die bij u past

ling vvan uw baby by,, het omgaan met peuters, opv opvoeding… oeding… Icare Voorlichting V en Pr Prev eventie ev entie heeft een gev gevarieer arieerd arieer d aanbod aan cursussen en informatiebijeenkomsten: Cursus 'Als je een baby by hebt' Een cursus voor kersverse ouders waarin u

informatie krijgt over de ontwikkeling van uw baby. Cursus 'babymassage' Contact maken met je baby is goed voor zijn ont-

wikkeling en ontspannend, ook voor de moeder. En baby’s vinden het heerlijk! V Voor ouders van baby's vanaf ongeveer 6 weken tot 9 maanden. Gespreksgr Gespreksgr eksgroep oep 'pr 'praten aten ov over peuters' Uitwisselen van ervaringen met

andere ouders van kinderen van 1,5 tot 4 jaar. Themabijeenkomsten voor ouders van zuigelingen en peuters Praten en leren

over bijvoorbeeld: huilen en troosten, regels en grenzen, slaapproblemen en koppigheid. eid. V Voor ouders van kinderen tot 4 jaar. Cursus 'slaap kindje slaap' Een cursus voor ouders van jonge kinderen

met slaapproblemen. Cursus 'Opv 'Opvoeden: zo!' Een cursus over opvoeden voor ouders van

kinderen van 3 t/m 12 jaar.

kraamzorg Hoe meldt u zich aan? Als u zich wilt aanmelden voor kraamzorg van

Soorten zorg Icare Kraamzorg biedt u keuze uit een aantal

Icare, vult u dan het inschrijfformulier in dat bij deze folder hoort. Nadat u dit heeft teruggezonden ontvangt u van ons een aanmeldingsbevestiging.

mogelijkheden:

Wat heeft u nodig? Als u ongeveer zeven maanden zwanger bent, dan W

is het belangrijk dat u alles in orde maakt voor de bevalling en de kraamtijd. Het is goed om dan ook de babyuitzet klaar te hebben.

maximale kraamzorg 64 uur, 8 x 8 uur

gecombineerde kraamzorg 48 uur, 4 hele en 4 halve dagen

nee

basiskraamzorg aantal dagen achtereen minimaal 4 uur

hulp bij de bevalling

leiding praktijkervaring ervaring k kunnen opdoen. Daarom is het nodig dat stagiaires meelopen met een kraamverzorgende. Tijdens het intakegesprek vragen wij u dan ook of een stagiaire gedurende de kraamtijd kan meelopen. Zij werkt onder directe verantwoordelijkheid van de kraamverzorgende.

zorg en begeleiding voor moeder en baby

Stagiair We vinden het belangrijk dat kraamverzorgenden in opStagiaires

hulp in de huishouding

bij u thuis voor een intakegesprek. Dit gesprek is bedoeld om zoveel mogelijk ‘kraamzorg op maat’ te leveren. Aangepast aan uw gezinssituatie en rekening houdend met wat u verwacht. Zodat u straks de juiste kraamzorg krijgt. Verwacht u uw tweede of volgende kindje, dan vindt de intake telefonisch plaats.

zorg voor de andere gezinsleden

De intake Als u uw eerste kindje verwacht komt een kraamverzorgende

Kraamzorg op maat zorg die bij u past

Het et kr kraampakket bestaat uit:

3 doosjes steriele gaaskompressen 16/16 1 flesje alcohol van 70% 2 pakken kraamverband of 1 pak kraamverband en 1 pak inlegluiers 2 pakken maandverband 1 pak verbandwatten 10 onderleggers

1 kraammatras 1 bedzeil 1 navelklem 3 kleine veiligheidsspelden 3 grote veiligheidsspelden desinfecterende zeep (stuk of handpompje) 2 netbroekjes

• Op indicatie van n kr kraamv aamverzorgende aamverzor erzorgende, vverloskundige of arts kan het aantal ur uren en kr kraamzor aamzorg worden bijaamzorg gesteld. Dit is ook afhankelijk vvan de mogelijkheden die uw ziektekostenv ziektekostenverzekering biedt.

ouder- en kindzorg

Cursussen vvoor aanstaande ouders

Icare Ouder- en Kindzorg

Wat W at kan ik doen om gezond en fit zw zwanger anger te zijn? Hoe kunnen mijn partner

zorg die bij u past

en ik ons samen vvoorber oorbereiden oorber eiden op de bev bevalling? alling? Watt is handig om te w weten voor or aanstaande ouders? Kies ik str straks borst- of flesvoeding? eding? Als je zw zwanger bent heb je meestal vveel eel vr vragen. agen. Daarom organiseert Icare Voorlichting en Prev Prev eventie entie vverschillende erschillende cursussen en informatiebijeenkomsten, speciaal vvoor aanstaande ouders. Leuk, leerzaam, en een prima gelegenheid om erv ervaringen uit it te wisselen met ander andere aanstaande ouders!

Wat biedt Icare V Voorlichting oorlichting en Pr Prev eventie Icare V eventie Voorlichting en Preventie

is specialist op het gebied van cursussen en voorlichting. Onze docenten zijn vakbekwaam en hebben veel ervaring. De cursussen en informatiebijeenkomsten worden gegeven in verschillende plaatsen in het werkgebied van Icare.

page

‘Zwanger en…’: informatiebijeenkomst(en) voor aanstaande ouders Zwangerschapsgymnastiek Zwangerschapsyoga Zwangerschapsaerobics Samen bevallen

143

Icare V Icare Voorlichting oorlichting en Pr Prev eventie ev entie organiseert aniseert de vvolgende cursussen en informatiebijeenkomsten:

Part

page

144

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

BUILDING TBI is a construction and technical enterprise that consists of a number of separate companies. In the construction world these companies each play a local or regional role on the basis of their specialism. Their mutual collaboration, mostly on a project basis, has become increasingly established in recent years, however. In order to give the companies a good chance with large contracts their mutual solidarity was institutionalised. An important aspect of that collective identity is entrepreneurship. TBIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s identity stands for quality and recognisability with a contemporary, dynamic and businesslike air. Building is not only the piling up of bricks, but also entrepreneurship and the managing of different disciplines, whereby quality is a prerequisite for continuity. The values that can be concluded from this vision and that are central to the corporate design are process, teamwork and innovation.

The trademark is powerful and abstract and consists of three quadrants of a circle seen from different perspectives. The circles represent a building under construction, from the perspective of the future user. The three levels give an impression of the various disciplines that work on the construction of a building and symbolise the phases of a project.

Unity in Variety A trademark for the group that offers room for the preservation of individual identity was developed. The affiliated companies bear their own name with the trademark of the group placed beside it.

145

page

A modular system offers the separate companies a framework whereby they can produce their own communication devices within the house style. There is a range of choice in terms of form, colour, typography and illustration. Each company can select the aspects that it feels are appropriate for its own identity. In addition there is a labelling system for the front of the communication. The system makes clear to the reader at a glance who has sent a particular brochure and what it is about.

Part

page

146

Chapter TBI Building

A series of differing brochures for the various companies, made with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Modularâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a layered template file with instructions.

147

page

SELF-AWARE

Chapter Westland/Utrecht Hypotheekbank N.V. Self-Aware

Core Competence This strength still exists in Westland/ Utrecht’s genes, but is lying dormant. The potential to develop innovative concepts and products continues to be present, but is no longer seen as a unique, central competency. Consequently it is insufficiently experienced as a distinguishing strength and no longer communicated to the market as an integral part of its identity.

IDENTITY BEHAVIOUR

SYMBOLISM

Competent, Sympathetic and Honest

House Style Personality ‘THE CREATIVE’

COMMUNICATION

Central Proposition

Westland/Utrecht is a partner in realising (life’s) aims through offering creative and innovative property-based concepts and related services.

Part

Dialogue Westland/Utrecht Hypotheekbank N.V., a bank specialising in property-based financial products and services, is finding it hard to describe its position in the market. The company, which is part of the ING Group, focuses on both the private as well as the business market. Specialising in property-based financing, it occupies a unique position within the Netherlands. Research shows that it acquired a name and fame as a bank that ‘in the past’ always introduced innovative products onto the market. Outsiders who have worked with Westland/ Utrecht intensively and for a long time are of the opinion that the organisation is able to develop very inventive financial solutions.

In order to re-define this strength a dialogue has been initiated. Through interviews and workshops with key figures, Westland/Utrecht is re-inventing itself so that its identity can regain a sharpness. The theme of the annual report is ‘dialogue’.

PAYOFF SURPRISINGLY INVENTIVE

PERSONALITY CH

COMPETENT Refer HONEST Refers to

SYMPATHATIC Ref

150

page

CREATIVE Refers t

IMAGE

MARKET DEFINITION

Westland/Utrecht offers (financial and adjacent) services and products based on property.

REPRODUCED IDENTITY THROUGH TARGET GROUPS

PRODUCTS

Property financing Financing of business premises Financing of dwellings Financial planning Adjacent advisory products in the area of property

POSITIONING

Qualitatively holding a top position in specialised property-based financing and related services.

INTERMEDIARY

–

Private Market, 3 Segments Price fixer Mortgage specialist Financial planner

• • •

– •

Business Market Accountants TTax consultants

END CUSTOMER

–

Private Market The self-aware person who needs advice

•

– •

• •

Business Market, 3 Segments Stock market-quoted companies with a turnover of more than 500 million guilders: financial director Major company: financial director and director-shareholder Small business: financial director and director-shareholder

INSTRUMENTAL VALUES

END VALUES

(communicated via advisory products) Competent, open-minded, imaginative, helpful, independent, responsible, courageous

Contributions to society, society, equality equality,, self-respect, social recognition and wisdom

HARACTERISTICS

rs to professional, expert, specialised, quality and source of self-confidence modest, cautious, careful, accurate, honest and critical

fers to friendly friendly, pleasant, obliging, socially involved and empathic

to innovative, modern, up-to-date, dynamic, wilful

151

page

SURPRISINGLY INVENTIVE

Chapter Westland/Utrecht Hypotheekbank N.V. Self-Aware

ZELFBEWUSTZIJN MAAR VRAGEN ONS OOK AF WA WAT DAARVAN HE ER ZIJN 286 BERICHTEN OP HET INTRANET VERSTUURD AAN COLLEGA’S

Part

Imagination The 30th anniversary is a good opportunity to experience the renewed identity with one another. Westland/Utrecht gave flesh and blood to their new identity through an employees’ meeting on the theme of ‘the imagination’. Sub-aspects were elaborated, questions answered, abstractions filled in. It is the employees who use their imagination to give form to their own organisation. The organisation has become self-aware again, creating a clear view of their own ability and their own role in the market and society. The motto, therefore, is: surprisingly inventive.

152

page

KWA L

KWALITEIT > NU: KENNIS, KENNISOVERDRACHT EN DE SAMENWERKING DIE HIERVOOR ESSENTIEEL IS, ZIJN DE BELANGRIJKSTE ZAKEN DIE HIER NAAR VOREN KOMEN. MAAR OOK CREATIVITE EATIVITE IT EN DEGELIJKHEID WORDEN GENOEMD ALS DRAGERS VAN EA ONZE KWALITEIT. TOEKOMST: WE BEELDEN UIT DAT DA WE IN DE TOEKOMST KWALITEIT, KENNIS, SNELHEID EN KRACHT IN SAMENWERKING WILLEN VERMEERDEREN EN VERBETEREN. DOOR CREATIVITE EATIVITE IT WILLEN WE SOLIDE MAATWERK EA LEVEREN. CONCLUSIE: WE ZIJN EEN BEETJE ETJE ONZEKER OVER ONZE KWALITEIT IN DE TOEKOMST. WE WILLEN EEN ET NIEUW ZELFBEWUSTZIJN MAAR VRAGEN ONS OOK AF WAT WA DAARVAN HET NUT IS. WE WILLEN WEL IETS NIEUWS, MAAR WETEN NIET GOED HOE WE DAT DA KUNNEN REALISEREN.

TOEKOMST

ET NUT IS. WE WILLEN WEL IETS NIEUWS, MAAR WETEN NIET GOED HOE

10X

153

page

L ITEIT

Part

page

154

Chapter Westland/Utrecht Hypotheekbank N.V. Self-Aware

Challenge The following step is to approach the market with the newly found élan. This is the challenge that then forms the theme of the annual report. Westland/Utrecht is initiating a public debate on Internet. There are round table discussions with experts. Brochures appear… Westland/Utrecht is making itself seen and heard everywhere.

Above: theme section of the 1999 annual report ‘the challenge’. Below: design of product brochures.

155

The interactive forum.

page

The more the discussion progresses the fuller becomes the table.

Chapter Westland/Utrecht Hypotheekbank N.V. Self-Aware

46 WESTLAND/UTRECHT HYPOTHEEKBANK N.V. 1969-2002

1981 Kampen met tegenslag INCASSEREN

De verslechterde onroerendgoedmarkt heeft ernstige gevol-

gen voor Westland/Utrecht. De bank boekt voor het eerst een negatief resultaat. Er komt actie: een reorganisatie. De activiteiten in onroerend goed worden ingekrompen, 200 mensen moeten afvloeien en kantoren worden gesloten. De financieringsbehoefte voor de komende drie jaar wordt zeker gesteld door de verkoop van hypotheken aan het Algemeen Burgerlijk Pensioenfonds. Ook de huiseigenaren gaat het niet voor de wind: het aantal veilingen neemt toe. Niets zit mee dit jaar. De Fries Hilbert van der Duim vergeet op het wereldkampioenschap schaatsen in Oslo het laatste rondje van de 5.000 meter.

1981 RENTE IN % 11,0

10,0

9,0

8,0

7,0

6,0

Huizenveilingen ‘Dat waren de tijden

80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

jaar, van drie keer per van 1.400 veilingen per jaar week overwerken; we waren onderbezet op

STATI STIEK BRON: CENTRAAL BUREAU VOOR DE ST

De krapte op de geld- en kapitaal-

Bijzonder Beheer.’ Hans Jongerden is in 1981

markt houdt nog even aan, onder meer door de grote financieringsbehoefte van de over-

groepshoofd op deze debiteurenafdeling op het hoofdkantoor. ‘Het was keihard: veel men-

heid. In 1981 reiken de hypotheekrentes tot ongekende hoogte; het afgifterendement op pandbrieven stijgt tot boven de 13 procent.

sen kwamen door de recessie in de problemen. Vader werd ontslagen, kon geen aflossing meer betalen, het huis moest geveild worden en als dat onder de prijs gebeurde had de

Daarna zet, eindelijk, de daling in.

familie nog een schuld ook. Dat laatste probeerden we wel te voorkomen. Op de veilingen dreven we de prijs op door mee te bieden tot onze ‘bodemprijs’. Soms kochten we het pand dus zelf op als de prijs onder de maat we er af en toe zelf ook de mist mee in.’

19 2 1981 Vestiging Brussel WU opent

23 2 1981 Brand in Nijmegen Tijdens

een vestiging in Brussel. De heer Desmarets,

krakersrellen in Nijmegen brandt het

vice-premier van België, spreekt tijdens de plechtigheid de hoop uit dat de rente nu eindelijk eens omlaag gaat.

Westland/Utrecht-kantoor aan het Keizer Karelplein helemaal uit. Het kantoor zal niet meer worden geopend.

Part

Consequence The renewed identity has provided sharpness and profile. As a result, discussions arise within the parent company ING about the future of Westland/Utrecht. By separating from the ING Group, Westland/Utrecht would have greater freedom to work independently on product development and growth. ING decides, however, to combine expertise by coupling the commercial business of Westland/Utrecht with ING Vastgoed and ING Bank. The private business is combined with ING InterAdvies. Thus Westland/Utrecht has gained a new form and says farewell to the old. A jubilee book is made for all the employees, in which we see the company throughout the years. The environment is changing, the mortgage bank is changing along with it. And in that dance evolution comes to an abrupt end. And once again there is a new beginning.

28 WESTLAND/UTRECHT HYPOTHEEKBANK N. N.V. 1969-2002

IN MILJOENEN GULDENS

200 175 150 125 100

Zie bladzijde 45

Zie bladzijde 24

50 25

1972 Hypotheekportefeuille voorbij ƒ 2 miljard

Netto resultaat Westland/Utrecht Hypotheekbank N.V.

1973 Introductie GuldenGroeiplan

156

page

1969

1970

1971

1972

BRON: WESTLAND/UTRECHT HYPOTHEEKBANK N.V.

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1980 Mede door de stagnatie in de onroerendgoedmarkt boekt WU vanaf 1980 een negatief netto resultaat. situatie 1984 1981 1982Deze1983 houdt aan tot en met het verslagjaar 1985.

1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

ZIELTJES WINNEN

Het CDA en de VVD verliezen bij de verkiezingen van 1981 hun

kleine meerderheid en CDA moet noodgedwongen met de grote winnaar D66 en de PvdA een kabinet vormen. De tegenstellingen tussen CDA en PvdA blijken onoverbrugbaar. Vanaf het begin rolt het kabinet vechtend over straat.

29 7 1981 Sprookjeshuwelijk Prins Charles

21 11 1981 Demonstratie ‘Alle kernwapens de

en Diana trouwen in pracht en praal voor

wereld uit, om te beginnen in Nederland.’ Rond

het oog van de wereld. Elizabeth Emmanuel maakt de legendarische trouwjurk van prinses Diana voor slechts £ 1.200,–.

de 400.000 mensen demonstreren in Amsterdam tegen de plaatsing van 48 kruisraketten in Nederland. De stoet is zeven kilometer lang.

29 WESTLAND/UTRECHT HYPOTHEEKBANK N.V. N. 1969-2002

Netto resultaat esultaat W Westland/ Utrecht versus driemaands- & tienjaarsrente IN PROCENTEN

16 15 14

2000 Groei kredietportefeuille 22,7 procent

13 12

Zie bladzijde 76

11 10

Zie bladzijde 60

9 Driemaandsrente

Tienjaarsrente

5 4

1996 Rendement eigen vermogen 18,9 procent

Zie bladzijde 98

Zie bladzijde 65

3 2 1

1989 Lagere marge door rentestijging en omgekeerde rentestructuur

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

BRON: CENTRAAL BUREAU VOOR DE ST STAT ISTIEK

157

1986

page

1985

47 1980-1990 NEGENTIENHONDERDEEN&TACHTIG

dialoog

Part

page

160

Chapter Municipality of Zwolle Dialogue

Hearing and Being Heard A ‘two-part house style’ was designed for Zwolle, something that had not yet been done. The two components each highlight a separate facet. The ‘Zwolle’ trademark indicates what the city government can do. In addition, a small hand in conjunction with a word symbolises the dialogue with the environment. The hand represents a way of looking at things. It signifies that the municipality not only hears, but actually does something about it. The hand says what has been done. It makes it clear that people are heard. The result is a strongly thematic house style that places interaction central. And that goes with Zwolle. Use of the hand symbol stimulates reflection in the internal organisation. It forces the city to continually consider what its message actually is, for whom it is meant, what it is all about. All of which leads to an interpretation of the objective. This process requires a different internal culture, a culture that goes with what Zwolle wants, that goes with its identity.

BALANCE

INVOL INVOLVEMENT

AMBITION

heritage

welfar welf are e

creativity cr

nt dialogue dial ogue

openness opennes

vir on

collaboration ollaboration

durability

ics

dy INNOVATION VATION VA

THEMES

en EXTERNALLY EXTERNALL ORIENTED

Dialogue Zwolle. An old Hansetown on the IJssel River. A city with history. But also a city with a future. Modern and contemporary. After an internal reorganisation, the municipality of Zwolle decides that it is also time for a new house style, one that will fit with the changing organization: An organisation that is ready for the future. That places itself as governing body in the midst of society, in the city that it runs. That conducts a dialogue with its environment.

CULTURE CUL

VALUES

development devel opment

future-orientation e-orientation

N.A.A.M. van de Persoon Functie

Zwolle

161

Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid Afdeling Stadskantoor L端beckplein 2 Postbus 10007 8000 GA Zwolle Telefoon (038) 498 20 75 Mobiel 06 12 34 56 78 Telefax (038) 498 32 71 naamvandepersoon@zwolle.nl www.zwolle.nl

page

The concepts in the communications matrix do not stand by themselves but indicate the environment in which municipal policy will take place in the coming years. Between the concepts (heritage and future-orientation, durability and creativity, etc.) lies a dynamic which invites reinterpretation. The reverse side of the visiting cards illustrate these reinterpretations in the form of nine combinations of words and images that relate to the concepts in the matrix.

The words accompanying the hand can be very divergent in nature. In combination with images, the number of meanings is endless.

Zwolle

oktober 2002 | nieuwe identiteit

Naam dienst Afdeling Stadskantoor Lubeckplein 2 Postbus 538 8000 AM Zwolle Telefoon (038) 498 20 07 Fax (038) 498 30 33 www.zwolle.nl

Retouradres: Postbus 1234, 5678 AB Zwolle

words substantive adjective preposition verb

images concrete symbol metaphor connection

meanings representation characterisation transition appeal

Naam organisatie Ter attentie van Postadres 1234 AB PLAATS LAND

Uw brief Ons kenmerk Behandeld door Datum Onderwerp

CD/12-345 0001/AB/ab N.A.A.M. Persoon Lange Naam 1 mei 2002 Corporate Identity

Geachte heer De Jonge, Het begrip huisstijl is een versimpelde vertaling van het begrip ‘corporate identity’; het is een verzameling van gecoördineerde uitingen van een onderneming of instelling. Een huisstijl maakt iets zichtbaar. In het gunstigste geval geeft deze verzameling een juist beeld van die onderneming of instelling. Een ‘juist’ beeld moet worden opgevat als een beeld dat sfeermatig een afspiegeling is van een activiteitenpatroon en van de doelstellingen. Slechts zelden kan een visueel programma een letterlijke vertaling zijn; dat is alleen mogelijk voor zeer enkelvoudige ondernemingen, bijvoorbeeld voor bedrijven die slechts een standaardprodukt leveren. Een goede huisstijl is niet automatisch een weerspiegeling van de indruk die het publiek heeft van een onderneming. Imago heeft meer te maken met ‘het gedrag’ van een onderneming dan met de visualisering ervan. In principe is het eenvoudiger om een goede huisstijl te ontwikkelen dan een imago te sturen. Naar buiten toe kan men refereren aan iets tastbaars, iets dat zichzelf is. Het begrip huisstijl is een versimpelde vertaling van het begrip ‘corporate identity’; het is een verzameling van gecoördineerde uitingen van een onderneming of instelling. Een huisstijl maakt iets zichtbaar. In het gunstigste geval geeft deze verzameling een juist beeld van die onderneming of instelling. Hoogachtend,

Chapter Municipality of Zwolle Dialogue

G.J. Jansen Functie

Zwolle

bouwen Aanvraag bouwvergunning Woningwet 1991, artikelen 8, lid 3, jo. 40, lid 1 Algemene wet bestuursrecht, artikelen 2:1, 4:1 en 4:2 (Model-)Bouwverordering 1992, artikelen 2.1.1 t/m 2.1.8, incl. bijlage 1

In te vullen door aanvrager

Niet in te vullen door aanvrager Dossiernummer BWT

Aan Burgemeester en Wethouders van de gemeente

Datum ontvangst Bouwvergunning

De aanvraag betreft

Bouwvergunning voor het gewijzigd uitvoeren van een bouwplan waarvoor reeds een bouwvergunning is afgegeven

Onder nummer

1 Gegevens opdrachtgever bouwproject a Naam en voorletters b Kwaliteit 1

Part

c Adres

Zwolle

Postcode en woonplaats d Telefoonnummer e Faxnummer

2 Gegevens eventuele gemachtigde a Naam en voorletters b Kwaliteit 1 c Adres Postcode en woonplaats d Telefoonnummer e Faxnummer 1

Bijvoorbeeld eigenaar, huurder, bouwondernemer.

3 Gegevens werkzaamheden bouwwerk De bouwwerk betreft

Oprichten / plaatsen Gedeeltelijk / geheel vernieuwen Veranderen Vergroten van een

Retouradres: Postbus 1234, 5678 AB Zwolle

Naam organisatie Ter attentie van Postadres 1234 AB PLAATS LAND

Zwolle

162

recycle

page

Indienen in veelvoud van Indienen bij Dienst/Afdeling

Datum afgifte

schrift

Zwolle

open

Zwolle

Stadskantoor Zwolle Kijk eens binnen voor informatie

Zwolle zomerprogramma 2002 Komt dat zien!

jong

Zwolle

Nota Ouderenbeleid 2002-2005

bereik

163

Zwolle

page

ingeslapen?

Part

page

164

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

US!

165

page

Individuality With the fusion of all vocational training programmes, pre-vocational secondary schools, and adult education programmes in the Amsterdam region, an educational institution with 35,000 students spread out over 450 programmes at 80 locations had arisen. But this largest of educational centres in Europe has over 100 separate identities. A search for an optimal balance between individual character and group unity began.

Part

Chapter ROC Us

An endorsed identity structure was chosen to indicate the three types of education through colour coding at sub-level. The corporate design had to suggest visual unity, but provide room for variation. The name of the institution, in correspondence with the large universities, became the ROC van Amsterdam (Regional Training Centre of Amsterdam). For the Student ‘The ROC van Amsterdam enables every student to develop his/her potential’ is the proposition that this large educational organisation makes. A flexible brand that reflects group and individual ambitions and achievements was developed to put this message into form. But no matter how you look at it, students stand centre stage in the ROC’s primary manifestation. Actual students of the ROC van Amsterdam together form the ‘O’ of the trademark. Thus the different units have their own students in the trademark. The dynamics of the corporate design go still further. The design offers the possibility of filling in the contents. An ‘O’ can depict the subject of a brochure, for instance.

166

page

Introduction Campaign An internal campaign with informative meetings, posters, newsletters and workshops accompanied the introduction internally. Next came the ‘My School’ poster campaign, which was supplemented with stands during information days and open days at the schools. After the new name and the corporate design were introduced, name recognition has increased by 20% and the number of applications rose by around 8%.

Above: the group of people in the trademark are students from the three sectors. Right: students play an important role in the photography of the school’s brochures. Left: the corporate design connects the different locations in the city. Previous page: students on the day the corporate design is introduced.

VMBO

Beroepsopleidingen

Volwassenenonderwijs

Horeca, Toerisme, Brood & Banket

Toerisme

Mavo Havo Vwo

2003/2004 Regionaal Opleidingen Centrum van Amster

dam

‘Een VMBO-opleiding bij het ROC van Amsterdam: mijn opleiding!’

‘Een beroepsopleiding bij het ROC van Amsterdam: mijn opleiding!’

‘Volwassenenonderwijs bij het ROC van Amsterdam: mijn opleiding!’

VMBO

Beroepsopleidingen

Volwassenenonderwijs

VMBO Op Maat

Haarverzorging

Cursussen voor Volwassenen

2003/2004 Regionaal Opleidingen Centrum van Amster

dam

‘Een VMBO-opleiding bij het ROC van Amsterdam: mijn opleiding!’

‘Een beroepsopleiding bij het ROC van Amsterdam: mijn opleiding!’

‘Volwassenenonderwijs bij het ROC van Amsterdam: mijn opleiding!’

VMBO

Beroepsopleidingen

Volwassenenonderwijs

Handel

Hotelschool

Toeleiding Beroepsonderwijs

2003/2004 Regionaal Opleidingen Centrum van Amster

dam

‘Een VMBO-opleiding bij het ROC van Amsterdam: mijn opleiding!’

dam

‘Een beroepsopleiding bij het ROC van Amsterdam: mijn opleiding!’

dam

‘Volwassenenonderwijs bij het ROC van Amsterdam: mijn opleiding!’

167

dam

page

dam

INSPIRATION

Putting an Idea into Form

Part

Chapter Belastingdienst Inspiration

Internal Order

Nowhere is information density so high as at the

Belastingdienst, the Dutch tax department. Thus it’s important for the quality of internal communication that employees keep an overview in that flood of information: Is this for me are not? Relevant or not? Can it wait or is it urgent? Questions that need to be answered quickly. And all of this while dispatchers are appearing and disappearing due to the dynamics of the organisation. Time to scrutinise the internal distribution policy. In Service to the Message The Belastingdienst turned its policy around 180 degrees. From dispatcher to receiver. The message had to be the central focus for the person who received it. Questions arose: What type of document is this; What is it essentially about; Which employees must do something with it? Questions that forced people to stop and think about internal communications and the role of every employee in this, as dispatcher and receiver. Questions that ultimately were translated into structures and systems, into language and imagination. And therefore made a contribution to the quality of communication. Invitation to Speak The palette of possibilities that arose holds an invitation. It is not a straitjacket, however. The employees were handed variations that approach the viewer via graphic illustrations and photos. It is an invitation for them to improve the quality of communication themselves. Freedom in restraint. One Belastingdienst with different recognisable streams of information. This scheme also contributes something to the identity of the Belastingdienst, where values such as ‘meticulous’ and ‘respectful’ are important.

Formulate the idea: This publication concerns the registration of individuals. Combined into one image: register of individuals. That can be the

idea-driven component:

idea-supporting component

line illustration

differentiation: photo/colour field

combined

alternative offer in principal, already sufficient for visualising the idea alternative

alternative offer

A subject is expressed in two concepts. The idea is thus determined by the interchange between the two concepts and the space that arises between them. The idea-driven component is always a line illustration.

Image Bank 150 x 2 To also make it easy to use, an image bank was created which contains the ‘vocabulary’ in images. With the House Style Indicator the vocabulary can be used to create concrete means via Intranet and the Internet. On national house style day and in various workshops communications employees were taught the ropes of the language and its possibilities. In everyday usage, new applications of images are growing and employees are learning to speak and understand their language faster. And that was precisely the intention.

170

page

Determine a layout: Is the brochure part of a series?

Yes ƒ Choose a cover style. Other covers in the series have the same layout. No ƒ Choose a cover.

symmetrical

a-symmetrical

background photo Personeelswijzer

Personeelswijzer

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Personeelswijzer

...

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

Uitgave Februari 2002

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Personeelswijzer

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Personeelswijzer

...

Personeelswijzer

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

Uitgave Februari 2002

Personeelswijzer

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Personeelswijzer

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

Uitgave Februari 2002

Personeelswijzer

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

Personeelswijzer

...

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Personeelswijzer

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

Personeelswijzer

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Personeelswijzer

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

line illustration

Personeelswijzer

Uitgave Februari 2002

Determine the typography, the colours, the genre, the publication data and the dispatcher: the typography

a-symmetrical

genre + pictogram dispatcher Personeelswijzer

typography

Geloofwaardigheid. Verantwoordelijkheid, zorgvuldigheid. Dat zijn de basiswaarden van de Belastingdienst. Een stap naar meer helderheid, en duidelijkheid om bij dilemma’s meer houvast te hebben.

Personeelswijzer

Het ICT-beleid hangt samen met het beleid van de Belastingdienst. Deze verkenning onderzoekt de wederzijdse beïnvloeding, en is een indicatie van de toekomstige ITC-strategie voor 2003.

Persoonsregistratie

Personeelswijzer

Persoonsregistratie

Personeelswijzer

De Belastingdienst decentraliseert. Om de klant zorvuldiger en completer van dienst te zijn. Wat betekent dat voor de Belastingdienst in Limburg?

Burgers vertrouwen eigen belangen toe aan de Belastingdienst. Deze serie brochures behandelen alle ethische vragen van vertrouwenspersonen werkzaam binnen onze organisatie.

Een verkenning

Personeelswijzer

Persoons registratie

Persoonsregistratie Een verkenning

Personeelswijzer

Uitgave Februari 2002

Wat te doen bij brand en andere levensbedreigende situaties? Deze serie brochures zijn speciaal geschreven ter voorkoming van calamiteiten in- en rondom het werk.

Persoonsregistratie

Uitgave Februari 2002

...

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

Uitgave Februari 2002

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

...

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

Uitgave Februari 2002

belastingnet /basiswaarden.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

publication data

Inleiding

Persoonsregistratie

Uitgave Februari 2002

Colours, genre, publication data and dispatcher

Personeelswijzer

Burgers vertrouwen eigen belangen toe aan de Belastingdienst. Deze serie brochures behandelen alle ethische vragen van vertrouwenspersonen werkzaam binnen onze organisatie.

Uitgave Februari 2002

Persoonsregistratie

Inkomensregistratie

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

income register

belastingnet /persoonsregistratie.htm

Uitgave Februari 2002

Examples trust + the individual

photo

outline illustration

Personeelswijzer

administration + instrument

photo

outline illustration

Personeelswijzer

Burgers vertrouwen eigen belangen toe aan de Belastingdienst. Deze serie brochures behandelen alle ethische vragen van vertrouwenspersonen werkzaam binnen onze organisatie.

Uitgave Februari 2002

Persoonsregistratie

secrecy + the individual photo

outline illustration

Beleidsinformatie

Uitgave Februari 2002

Besturingsinstrumenten I

photo

Uitgave Februari 2002

Besturingsinstrumenten II

Management Managers betitelen zichzelf vaak als coach, terwijl hun medewerkers dat anders ervaren. Welke managementsaanpak is het beste toepasbaar en op welk moment?

Serie Besturingsinstrumenten belastingnet /besturingsinstrumenten_management.htm

belastingnet /vertrouwenspersoon.htm

belastingnet /besturingsinstrumenten_coaching.htm

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

belastingnet /persoonsregistratie.htm

Serie Besturingsinstrumenten

Serie Personeelsonderwerpen

Managers betitelen zichzelf vaak als coach, terwijl hun medewerkers dat anders ervaren. Welke vormen van coaching zijn er en in welke fasen zijn zij effectief?

secrecy + data outline illustration

Beleidsinformatie

Coaching

Vertrouwenspersoon

photo

171

registration + the individual outline illustration

page

e title.

Part

page

172

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

NO-NONSENSE

The briefing pulled no punches: No-nonsense, clear, ‘back to basics’ No decorations or gimmicks Original Stopping power Elegant, aesthetic, sophisticated Functionally Innovative Character Total Identity’s corporate design is to an important extent determined by its typeface and colour palette. On the one hand the feeling is modest, because of the character of the house style typeface and the simplicity of design, but on the other hand it is also monumental, through the symmetry, the vibrant colours and the use of capitals in the logos. Typography The use of a typeface unique to the company lends the design exclusivity. The letter has virtually no contrasts, in which it is reminiscent of technical typefaces such as DIN and Letter Gothic. The capitals are very small, which makes the use of small caps (bothersome in an office environment) superfluous. For the same reason, the numbers are all the same width. Bold type is no wider than regular.

Oneliner Italic 18˙

Oneliner Regular 18˙

1234567890 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz áâàäãåéêèëçíîìïñóôòöõøúûùüÿæœ ÁÂÀÄÃÅÉÊÈËÇÍÎÌÏÑÓÔÒÖÕØÚÛÙÜŸÆŒ .,:;…‘‚’“„”¡¿«[‹({|})›]»!?/•-–_—· €£$¢¥ƒ¶§#%‰&ßfifl©®™@†‡*ªº’” ∆∂ıµ∏π∑Ω√∞∫◊⁄¬ ~=+<≤±≥>–÷≠≈ ´^`¨˜°¯˘˙ Oneliner Bold 18˙

1234567890 1234567890 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz áâàäãåéêèëçíîìïñóôòöõøúûùüÿæœ áâàäãåéêèëçíîìïñóôòöõøúûùüÿæœ ÁÂÀÄÃÅÉÊÈËÇÍÎÌÏÑÓÔÒÖÕØÚÛÙÜŸÆŒ ÁÂÀÄÃÅÉÊÈËÇÍÎÌÏÑÓÔÒÖÕØÚÛÙÜŸÆŒ .,:;…‘‚’“„”¡¿«[‹({|})›]»!?/•-–_—· .,:;…‘‚’“„”¡¿«[‹({|})›]»!?/•-–_—· €£$¢¥ƒ¶§#%‰&ßfifl©®™@†‡*ªº’” €£$¢¥ƒ¶§#%‰&ßfifl©®™@†‡*ªº’” ∆∂ıµ∏π∑Ω√∞∫◊⁄¬ ∆∂ıµ∏π∑Ω√∞∫◊⁄¬ ~=+<≤±≥>–÷≠≈ ~=+<≤±≥>–÷≠≈ ´^`¨˜°¯˘˙ ´^`¨˜°¯˘˙

173

– – – – – – –

TOTAL IDENTITY TOTAL STRATEGY TOTAL DESIGN TOTAL IMPLEMENTATION TOTAL COMMUNICATION ••••••••••••••••••••

page

How do you create a corporate design for an organisation that deals with corporate identity? Must it be the ultimate corporate design? Or should it remain very modestly in the background?

Chapter Total Identity No-Nonsense Part

II 174

page

The special quality of the house style expressions lies not so much in the printing itself, but in functionality. There is a CD sleeve into which an A4 with the CDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s index can be folded. Specially designed software gives the index the proper layout. The sleeve also fits into a folder.

Reports are bound with the Wire-O system. The special way of folding the cover makes it possible to print a title on the spine of the report. The flyleaves come in different colours, so that publications can be differentiated.

175

page

Purely typographical covers for the series of essays in which Total Identity shares its knowledge with business contacts.

TRUST

Part

page

176

Chapter Sanquin Trust

Sanquin came about by bundling all activities in the Netherlands concerned with the blood supply. For various reasons a monolithic identity structure was chosen. Internally, Sanquin desired a greater integration of divisions. That desire for unity is now clearly visible in the identity structure. Moreover, this has yielded obvious benefits in terms of scale and efficiency. Externally, the monolithic brand has led to more com-

municative clout which, for instance, has considerably improved Sanquinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position on the labour market. Next Phase Since the beginning of 2002 all activities of Dutch blood banks have been officially brought together under one name: Sanquin. Besides the Sanquin Blood Bank, the names of the CLB divisions were changed to

Sanquin Research, Sanquin Diagnostics and Sanquin Plasma Products. The change of names was carried through in the house style. Naturally that also had consequences for the design and printing of the packaging.

177

page

‘Sanguin’ literately means ‘blood’ in French and Latin. Using the letter ‘q’ made it possible to register the name as a brand. From time immemorial the pelican has symbolised mercy. A pelican was once supposed to have saved its hungry young by pecking open its own breast and feeding them with its blood. The origin of this legend can be traced to the Dalmatian Pelican’s throat pouch, which turns blood red in the mating season. This is reflected in the trademark. The form is simultaneously very pure, emphasising the fact that this is a scientific, highly scrupulous organization.

Part

page

178

Chapter XXXXXXXXXXXX

179

page

CUSTOMISED

A World of Tents In 75 years’ time the De Boer company from Alkmaar has developed from being a regional tent maker into a worldwide player in the field of temporary accommodations. From the Lowlands Festival in Biddinghuizen to the Loya Jirga conference in Kabul, De Boer makes sure that it stands there.

Part

Chapter De Boer Customised

The changes in the visual corporate identity and the communication style mark a new era. De Boer is the psychological market leader and makes use of that position. But before gaining that leadership not only did its corporate identity need strengthening, the streamlining of commercial processes was also essential. De Boer Covers All De Boer has a fitting solution for every demand for temporary shelter. Because of such clear similarity in De Boer’s activities, a solid, monolithic identity structure was chosen. The various PMC’s and international establishments were not separately labelled, but De Boer now communicates from behind one ‘counter’ in relation to all market requests. The company’s management and solution-oriented approach are underscored by the self-assured corporate pay off: De Boer Covers All. A simple, centrally accessible framework aids in the speedy and flexible production of convincing communications material. Account managers in all countries can make use of this in order to create material in support of sales. That’s why two ‘digital solutions’ – an i-Base and Design Tool – were intregally applied in a unique fashion for De Boer.

180

page

Digital Aids The basic elements and guidelines of the new house style are recorded in an i-Base (a digital manual) that all of De Boer’s employees and suppliers (designers, printers, and agencies) all over the world can consult via a protected Internet site. A characteristic component of the i-Base is an extensive digital Image Library that contains high-quality photos of De Boer’s hundreds of projects and tent structures.

The history of D E B O E R spans the growth from a single mast tentbuilder to a company that operates world-wide. One who has developed the temporary structure product into flexible, modern concepts. Gaining a grip on the world market requires an entrepreneurial vision, which covers a great deal more than one might expect. We still role up our sleeves and get the job done, but simultaneously we have looked beyond the boundaries of our own trade to global developments. Our experience and world view shine through in every accommodation solution we provide.

D E B O E R C OVE R S ALL

Edition No. 1 July 2002

INTRODUCING THE NEW CORPORATE IDENTITY De Boer Covers All

DE BOER AT LE MANS Top Hospitality for top brands

CONFERENCE ROOMS FOR AFGHAN TRIBAL ELDERS A fully carpeted conference

DE BOER USA IN THE PICTURE De Boer and Golf Tournaments

DE BOER AT AMSTERDAM AIRPORT SCHIPHOL From temporary structure to semi-permanent accommodation

ROYAL WEDDING THE NETHERLANDS 2 FEBRUARY 2002

De Boer bv Laanenderweg 11 1800 ak Alkmaar The Netherlands Phone +31 72 540 04 44 Mobile +31 612 34 56 78 Fax +31 072 540 02 14 info@deboer.com www.deboer.com

The trademark has been sharpened and gained more of character. The house style has been adapted, and the trademark is now always used in combination with the corporate pay off on means (product information, examples of events) that sustain ‘De Boer Covers All’.

Hajo K. Reinders International Marketing Director

DE BOER AT AMSTERDAM AIRPORT SCHIPHOL

From temporary structure to semi-permanent accommodation During the past two years, De Boer has developed various new markets. The company had traditionally focused on providing temporary accommodation for parties, celebrations and other events, both large and small. Recently, however, the range of services has been significantly extended to include projects of a semi-permanent nature, covering residential accommodation, production facilities and other working environments and overnight accommodation. This trend has largely developed from the contracts concluded by De Boer in connection with the provision of temporary facilities for asylum seekers in the Netherlands, which appears to have heralded in a new age.

A new direction, a new magazine De Boer Tenten has changed its name to De Boer. That may not seem so earth-shattering at first sight but, on closer scrutiny, it symbolises a historic change of direction by our company. The family firm of De Boer Tenten has become a modern organisation with a presence in all kinds of new markets. And that is now reflected in our corporate identity. Our structures provide much more than temporary accommodation for a party or other event. They offer temporary, flexible and efficient cover which can be the answer in all kinds of situations. Indeed, to refer to our structures merely as ‘tents’ is to do them an injustice. In their latest form, as a production building, warehouse, baggage handling facility, conference centre, office or supermarket, users will be unaware they are in a temporary structure at all. COVERSTORY

De Boer is keen to show a broad public what the company can do by being active in the provision of accommodation in almost every country in the world in connection with a huge variety of high-profile projects. But we also want to display our wares in another way. That’s why we have pleasure in launching ‘Coverstory’, the new, international magazine published by De Boer, which will be produced twice a year. The first edition of Coverstory is devoted to the changes taking place within the company and the implications they have for the way in which De Boer presents itself world wide. The magazine also reports on various projects highlighting the many different uses for our products. From accommodating the large meeting of Afghan tribal elders in Kabul to the provision of temporary baggage handling facilities at Amsterdam Airport, De Boer has the answer. Or, as the new corporate identity puts it: De Boer Covers All

These innovations are referred to as product-market combinations. De Boer has clearly embarked on a new course, directed at new products and markets. The ‘tent’ as temporary accommodation takes on a whole new dimension in De Boer’s revised market approach, suggesting all kinds of potential uses. De Boer supplies readymade temporary accommodation solutions in four distinct markets: ranging from weddings to sports events and from emergency shelter to semi-permanent accommodation.

Now that De Boer has had a presence in this market for some time, the possibilities are proving to be almost endless. “Apart from the COA facilities, for example, we have also built a number of temporary supermarkets,” continues Marcel Kroef, who, as sales manager in the Netherlands, is responsible for large-scale projects with long rental periods. “Our temporary structures have already been used as kitchens, offices, warehouses and even as a prison.” SCHIPHOL AIRPORT

Wouter Zick, general manager of De Boer T Tenten B. V. sees huge scope for these new applications. ‘With the activities on behalf of COA, the organisation responsible for looking after asylum seekers in the Netherlands, De Boer has amassed considerable expertise in the construction of semi-permanent accommodation. It was also an eye-opener for us. We quickly recognised the potential for breaking into new markets. Obviously, that recognition has to come first, but that by itself will not generate new business. Y You need to do more. People don’t immediately think of a company like De Boer in connection with this kind of project, so a marketing effort is required to put ourselves in the frame as suppliers of such h products.’

This summer De Boer has been involved in a large project at Schiphol Airport. Amsterdam’s international airport is about to undergo a number of major renovation and alteration projects. For instance, by the end of the year, all the baggage handling/reclaim areas have to meet new fire safety standards and a system is being installed to provide the necessary screening of all luggage passing through the airport. On top of that, the plan is to decentralise baggage handling, particularly in the case of transfer baggage of passengers from European airports using Amsterdam as a hub for onward flights to other continents. Maintaining business as usual while the alterations go on could be a problem, especially in view of the increased passenger throughput during

the summer months. So the airport management was urgently looking for alternatives. Ron de Kuiper is Head of Operations at KLM Baggage Services and closely involved in the project. “With all the alterations we were afraid we might not be able to guarantee proper baggage handling. So we put our heads together to consider the various possible solutions. There was once a plan – and I’m talking about four years ago now – to have four stand-alone systems. And that scheme was resurrected. We then started looking around for suitable accommodation and came up with the idea of a temporary structure. Since Amsterdam Schiphol Airport already had good relations with De Boer, the airport management turned to them in the first instance. They came back straightaway with definite proposals. We needed a space measuring 75 by 75 metres, but in the end that became a structure measuring 55 by 70 metres by piers D19 and D21. I must admit to being a little apprehensive to begin with. How would it turn out? But it was the only feasible scenario. A totally enclosed production area has been created with the Delta by De Boer system, in the space of just seven weeks. For Schiphol that’s a unique achievement. I was there when the structure was being erected. It took around 20 minutes to raise an enclosure covering half a football field and within two hours the job was done and dusted.”

mated systems normally operating at Schiphol, however, the baggage has to be selected manually with this system. “This was the only way it could have been done in such a short period of time,” continues De Kuiper. “Although it does mean we’ve actually reverted to a baggage handling system discontinued in 1988. Oddly enough, you now have 60 to 80 people in the unit busy selecting baggage, which you might think would not go down too well. But the great thing is they like it. It may be hard work, but it’s a good deal more enjoyable. There’s human contact while you work. A nice anecdote is that of one of the staff who was looking for the ‘tent’ stopped me and said: ‘I can’t see any tent.’ I said: ‘It’s right in front of your nose.’ To which he replied: ‘That’s not a tent!” TRIPLANAR®

The contract may have been unusual enough for Schiphol but, when the enquiry reached Vanderlande Industries in Veghel, it certainly raised a few eyebrows. Vanderlande Industries ranks among the top three suppliers of airport baggage handling systems in the world. Maarten Broeders was project leader for Vanderlande on the ‘Decentral Transfer Service’ project at the airport.

“We e do get quite a few strange requests,” says Broeders. “The main thing is what is feasible within such a short space of time. In this case we decided on our Triplanar® product. We were able to manufacture three of these lines fairly quickly because there was already a half-finished machine we could use for one of them. We do quite a lot of work for Schiphol and were therefore able to act quickly. Normally you would wait for the signed order to be returned, but there is a good relationship of trust between Schiphol and Vanderlande, so we started work immediately before the order was officially received. The time we saved by doing so was crucial. Once the structure had been erected we started work immediately on the installation of our systems. From the start of building to final installation took just seven weeks. That is an exceptionally short lead time and would not normally be possible. It even surprised us when things went so well, but when we accept a challenge we really get stuck in. Although there mustn’t be any hitches, of course. Incidentally, this was the first time that we have installed our products in a ‘tent’. That really is a first. When someone first mentioned the tent idea, I had a totally different picture in my head. But it’s actually more of a prefabricated building. Only the fabric roof and

DE BOER USA IN THE PICTURE

the fact that the whole thing had to be hoisted up during erection reminded me of a tent. I have to admit that it’s turned into a really nice baggage hall.”

De Boer and Golf Tournaments A perfect combination

The extra baggage handling facility at Schiphol will be in service for at least a year. By then, however, the alterations should have been completed and it will be possible to switch to the new, fully automated system that is currently being built in the basement of the terminal building. That will have the capacity to handle 6,000 pieces of luggage an hour. Schiphol airport expects that it will be possible to dis mantle the temporary structure on 1 May 2003. The three baggage lines presently installed will then serve as backup.

The eighteenth hole is the place to be during golf tournaments. Not surprisingly, you will find De Boer Structures at this hotspot on the most prestigious golf courses around the world. As a preferred supplier to several PGA tournaments, you will see our hospitality units in the background of thrilling TV coverage during the last rounds of major tournaments. It is fair to say that golf is really big in the USA and it follows that De Boer USA is big in this respect as well. The schedule for 2002 reads like a who’s who in the international golfing digest. 2002 started with some of the senior PGA tournaments in Florida. For the Royal Caribbean in Key Biscayne, special chalet structures were created. And the Double Decker structure was erected at the Verizon Classic in Tampa.

PREVIOUS INVOLVEMENT OF DE BOER AT SCHIPHOL

In the past, De Boer oer T Tenten has supplied a temporary departure lounge for Schiphol to cater for the anticipated extra passenger volume in connection with the European Football Championships, which were held in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2000. A temporary structure was also built to house the snow clearing equipment used on Schiphol’s Runway 06, pending the construction of a permanent shelter.

De Boer on tour

In between the sunny tournaments, De Boer was present in Salt Lake City for the cold but exciting Winter Olympics. De Boer was proud to build all sponsor and hospitality structures for Anhauser Bush in the special Budweiser Village. From the mountains of Utah, De Boer set out for Georgia. During the Masters in Augusta, several hospitality venues were provided. Fully air-conditioned high-end suites were created, and one De Boer structure even housed an indoor driving range. The senior PGA tournament calendar is closely followed by De Boer. We have all the major tournaments around the USA scheduled for the upcoming months pencilled in - from the state of New York to Minnesota and from Iowa to Texas. As if North America were not already amply covered, De Boer USA will be closing

2002 with the World Cup PGA in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, building on past successes in Tokyo, Japan, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the previous years. Product innovation

Given the importance of this market, it is hardly surprising that De Boer has come up with a new structure type, specifically developed for the American Golf tournaments. The Skybox by De Boer is the brand-new relocatable version of the wellknown hospitality units at sports venues. The Skybox, consists of a private reception area with an integrated, covered terrace. The newly designed scaffolding system for the Skybox structure permits flexible set-up on almost any ground or hilly terrain. This makes the Skybox extremely suitable for top hospitality accommodation at golf tournaments. The Skybox can

Events calender

be extended in length by the addition of extra modules, limited in number only by practical considerations. The reception area can be used as private diner location while the covered terrace provides a splendid and unobstructed view of the golf course, tennis court, racing circuit and so on.

‘The schedule for 2002 reads like a who’s who in the international golfing digest.’ The Skybox was successfully launched during the PGA tournaments in the second quarter of 2002. This kind of innovative product, in combination with De Boer’s presence in the international sporting event market and the commitment of our people will mean more of such promising events in the USA in the years ahead.

US OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS, FLUSHING MEADOW, NEW YORK – USA 26 August–2 September 2002

HISWA, AMSTERDAM SEAPORT BOATSHOW, IJMUIDEN – NETHERLANDS 3–8 September 2002

RYDER CUP, THE DE VERE BELFRY, S TON COLDFIELD – UNITED KINGDOM 27–29 September 2002

For the third year in succession De Boer is to provide top-class hospitality facilities for America’s most renowned tennis tournament. The big names of the tennis world will be mingling with American celebrities in the specially designed temporary structures erected by De Boer USA.

Europe’s biggest in-water boat show is the perfect setting for the structures of De Boer. For several exclusive shipyards and yachtbuilders De Boer is even providing floating hospitality units in among the spectacular vessels on display in the harbour. They create the ideal ambience for this exclusive boat show.

The best golfers of Europe and the Un States meet for the 34th Ryder Cup Matches in the United Kingdom, know the unofficial world championships of golf. A better place for corporate hosp ity is hard to find and top brands will o course be present in De Boer structur at the Belfry.

DTM, HOCKENHEIM CIRCUIT – GERMANY 4–6 October 2002 One of the big names in European racing events is DTM, the German Touring Car Championship. The DTM calendar for the 2002 season includes ten rounds of races, and De Boer will be providing the corporate hospitality tents for several major carmakers. The last race of the season traditionally takes place at Hockenheim.

VOLVO MASTERS ANDALUSIA, SAN ROQUE CADIZ – SPAIN 7–10 November 2002

WRC WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CARDIFF – UNITED KINGDOM 14–17 November 2002

True golf enthusiasts consider the famous Valderrama golf course in southern Spain as one of the best in the world. And it’s the perfect setting for the specially designed hospitality units by De Boer, carefully erected around the most spectacular holes of the course.

The spectacular WRC includes timed spe stages all over the world. These rally event are a perfect backdrop for De Boer’s struc tures. Paddock clubs and hospitality units were erected in Corsica and Greece. The final round will take around Cardiff. The sh ters provided by De Boer will offer an idea refuge in the good old British weather.

‘THA ‘THAT’S NOT A TENT’

A baggage handling system capable of processing around 2,000 pieces of luggage an hour was installed in the space thus created. In contrast to the fully auto-

Klaas de Boer

COVERSTORY Nr. 1 | July 2002 3

De Boer structures feature prominently at numerous high-profile events around the world. The following is a brief selection out of th events scheduled for the second half of 2002.

10 COVERSTORY Nr. 1 | July 2002

COVERSTORY Nr. 1 | July 2002 11

14 COVERSTORY Nr. 1 | July 2002

PAGE 1/3 PRINTED IN APRIL 2002

MOTORSPORT EVENTS BY DE BOER

JUMBO HALL

PAGE 1/3 PRINTED IN APRIL 2002

JUMBO HALL The name of this structure gives it away: it is gigantic! Its enormous clear span of 30, 40 or 50m allows the erection of a structure the size of a complete stadium. The standard wall height is 4m. The apex height varies from 8 to no less than 12m. The Jumbo can accommodate every event in the utmost comfort. Like the Alu Halls, the Jumbo has a patented roof- tensioning system. This prevents any annoying flapping of the roof covers. NUMEROUS US LARGE- SCALE APPLICA APPLICATIONS

De Boer jumbo structures serve the most diverse purposes. These include use as a gigantic event hall, as an exhibition area or for the storage of goods. A complete trade fair will even fit in. High quality roller shutter doors can be fitted in the front and rear facades, to create an extra high drive- in opening for trucks. SPA FRANCORCHAMPS, 2001

24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 2001

SUPERMARKET, 2001

COMFORTABLE T TABLE

Through the use of the hard PVC side panels a comfortable area is created with perfect temperature control. The peaks of all Jumbo structures have a ventilation grid system, developed by De Boer, which ef effects natural ventilation. De Boer has a wide range of options for lining and furnishing the structure. 'CUCKOO' FOR STILL BETTER VENTILATION VENTILA

Another special De Boer development is the ‘Cuckoo’, which can be fitted to the roof of the Jumbo Hall. This is a raised ventilation grid that provides natural, enhanced extraction of air. This innovative and effective ffective system ensures extra, draught- free air circuff lation and a delight-fully comfortable climate.

EURO-JUMBO PA PAVILLION A 50/ 400/5

white

blue

white

GABLE FABRIC blue

QUALITY AND SAFETY

blue

(light- proof)

white/opaque

(light- proof)

Structures available Maximum bearing ng capacity capacity, floor

with and without system floor 500kg/m

Connection with other DB structures

yes

Side wall height

Connection to buildings

yes

Overall height

yes

Wind load

Awning available

yes

Snow load

Wall lining/swags and pelmets available

yes

Roof ventilation (cuckoo) available Separation ffabric, 30m available

no yes no

Installation options ffor: luxury synthetic door

yes

luxury pushbar/glass door

yes

Locking door

yes

Emergency door

yes

The pictures from the Image Library are frequently used for commercial applications: account managers can use this ‘design-wizard’ to make reference sheets (narrative descriptions of a relevant project) or product sheets (technical information about a tent structure). With these richly illustrated documents they inform target groups in different PMC’s one to one about the possibilities and expertise offered by De Boer.

400/5Incline of roof

Light- proof ffabric available

Optional replacement of wall bracing

24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 2001

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Truss profile Roof tensioning system

18º

Typical of all De Boer accommodation is the soundness and safety of all the materials and structures used. Structures meet stringent European requirements, including the German DIN standards. All materials meet the highest European standards for fire safety. All structures are wind tested. In this way De Boer ensures not only stylish accommodation but carefree hospitality as well.

SCHIPHOL AIRPORT, 2001

3870 9120 50KN/m 0KN/m 120*300 unique roll-up system

Roof overhang

yes

Performance calculations

yes

German T.U.V. assessor

yes

Valid assembly manual

yes De Boer B.V.

Telefoon 072 540 04 44

Laanenderweg 11

Fax 072 540 02 14

postbus 446, 1800 AK Alkmaar

http://www.deboer.com

Nederland

info@deboer.com

Specifications may be altered without notification. Copyright by De Boer.

181

ROOF COVERS

page

SIDE P PANELS

Part

Chapter Concern voor Werk Together

TOGETHER

From the Corner The human dimension was important in the identity, but the same time it should not be ‘soft’ – for the different corporate activities operate in competitive markets and are treated as normal companies. In that sense, the new identity also had to increase self-confidence. Not one mention is made of the fact that a large portion of the workers are disabled. The identity also had to show the new power that had accrued to the organisation through the merger. That’s why the name Concern voor Werk was chosen. Concern has a double meaning: it refers to an enterprise of a certain size and at the same time means involvement and care.

Own Language The target groups are extremely diverse – from highly educated academics to disabled people who can barely read or write. Therefore a corporate brochure was opted for that tells the story of Concern voor Werk in a very direct fashion. The story is told in relatively detached statements, supported by graphic symbols that recur repeatedly.

182

Concern voor Werk (Concern for Work) helps people who have been away from the job market for an extended time to get back to work. Sometimes the company is a way station to a paying job. Sometimes, for those who wish to stay working in a protected environment, it is also the final destination. Concern voor Werk originally consisted of two separate organisations: Impulz, a work force re-entry organisation, and the IJsselmeergroep, a social unemployment relief service. The merger of these two produced one large reintegration organisation that through guided trajectories offers a mixture of training, schooling, study workplaces, protected work environments and job posting. A combination that is unique in the Netherlands.

The human dimension is symbolised by using a great number of figures that resemble one another. Not one of them is the same – just like the workers. At an individual level, that’s the predominating visual language. At an organisational level the trademark predominates, symbolising the correlation of different activities. DIN is the house style letter, making the typography sympathetic but solid at the same time.

page

language

mens = organisme

concern

mensen = groep

arbeids indu gro

een mens = individu

joo

symbols

use

company symbol

n voor werk

group symbol

sintegratie ustrie oen

joost

183

joost

page

ost

individual symbol

Trajecten

Postbus 1109 8300 BC Emmeloord Produktieweg Postbus 11095 8300 BC Emmeloord Telefoon (0527)5 25 63 00 Produktieweg Fax (0527) 61 77 79 Telefoon (0527) 25 63 00 FaxE-mail (0527)info@concern.nl 61 77 79 www.concern.nl E-mail info@decollegas.nl www.decollegas.nl

Koninklijk Huis T.a.v. Guido van Breda 5 Meistraat 1 1234 AB DEN HAAG

Datum Referentie Doorkiesnummer Onderwerp Pagina

10.10.2001 01.08263/EC/jp [0527] 25 63 12 Imago-onderzoek 1/5

Huisstijlontwikkeling

Geachte meneer van Breda, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Industrie biedt een breed palet van diensten op het gebied van handel en productie in food en non-food.

Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiatDatum nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Hoogachtend,

Part

Chapter Concern voor Werk Together

Bor Veen

bor

Directeur

184

page

Telefoon 0527-25 63 51 Fax 0527- 61 77 79 Mobiel 06 - 133 587 11 www.concernvoorwerk.nl

Postbus 1109 8300 BC Emmeloord Productieweg 5 8304 AV Emmeloord

borveen@concernvoorwerk.nl

Arbeidsintegratie brengt mensen die niet zomaar aan de slag kunnen, en werk dichter bij elkaar.

Bij Groen is alles wat met aanleg en onderhoud van groen te maken heeft in de best denkbare handen.

Emmeloord bant

ke rw eg ss tra at >

N331

marknesserweg

urk

ftw

g we

r oo

eg tw

g we g de we gil nd de ra ng rle ve

eg lerw

ld re ka

nage

n tra

rcu

g mwe g erda amst uktiewe od < pr

steenwijk / marknesse / vollenhove

kamperweg

at lerstra

riu

derw

kuin

N351

nage

en-

met < ko an la us rn at atu stra

lange dreef

eef e dr

kort

N50 beursstraat

boslaan

laan eler

N351

kuinre / wolvega

muntweg

banterweg

esp

hannie schaftweg

espel

groningen / leeuwarden / lemmer

oude espelerweg

espelerweg

amsterdam / lelystad

nagele

zwolle / kampen / enschede

Locaties Concern voor Werk A â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hoofdkantoor

Produktieweg 5 8304 AV Emmeloord Postbus 1109 8300 BC Emmeloord

B Kon. Julianastraat 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4 8302 CD Emmeloord

C Transportweg 2 8304 AX Emmeloord

D Saturnusstraat 153 8303 CD Emmeloord

Telefoon 0527 - 25 63 00 Fax 0527 - 61 77 79

185

page

joost

III MEDIA Bearers of Identity

Media are continually in development â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is what this section is about. It is not an exhaustive discussion of all the types of media one can imagine, but a selection of the most obvious forms of corporate publishing: annual reports, magazines, corporate brochures and Internet sites. The role of these media is characterised by a certain dynamic; not only in respect of each other, but also as types of autonomous expression. In addition, there are descriptions of a number of tools based on Web technology which make all sorts of publications and house style applications manageable.

III

Part

Chapter Correspondence

Correspondence is the communicating of a message. The message is sent with the relevant information (sender, references). The recipient reads the message and can store it. Communication is one-way: the information goes from sender to recipient. The design is focused on reading. No questions have to be answered by the recipient or to be sent back, as in the case of forms. The primary information is the message itself. The secondary information is all the rest, such as: â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the recipientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s address (the address to which the message is sent: postal address, e-mail address); â&#x20AC;&#x201C; information referring to the relevant message/document (date, reference number, page number and the like); â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the sender (important information about the sender, such as the name of the organisation, address (street and/or PO Box), web and e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers, and trade register and account numbers). All of this information can be printed. In order to be able to read the contents of the message, it is important to separate primary and secondary information. The demands which are made of both sorts of information are different. The primary information can include long and short texts that have to be readable. A balance has to be found in the typeface, the line length (number of characters) and the distance between the lines. The secondary information consists only of data. The chosen arrangement and design of the information should apply as much as possible to all sorts of documents (letters, reports, etc.). The documents can be automated in such a way that the user only has to type the content of the message. No actions are needed to put the text in the right position or to provide the correct formatting. Consistent application of the arrangement and a uniform design are necessary for the organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recognisability and efficiency in processing.

Letter Letter continuation Lower House letter* Lower House continuation* Mailing list Mailing list continuation Enclosure Enclosure continuation Registered letter* Registered letter continuation* Memorandum Memorandum continuation Mailing list for memorandum Continuation of mailing list Enclosure with memorandum Continuation of enclosure Fax Fax continuation Press release Press release continuation Press release fax Continuation of press release fax Report, Title page Report, Table of contents Report, Content 1 Report, Content 2 Ready-made letter in print Ready-made letter by hand Note Internal memorandum Continuation Open model Continuation of open model

Correspondence

Document name

Document name: established name Document name: to be filled in after â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Enclosureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Document name: whole name to be filled Dispatching To (Address) details Address without heading â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Toâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Fax field to be filled in, without heading â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Faxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) Through the agency of Copy to Trademark Trademark(black) Print on blank paper

Sender information Rank Name of person

Job title Block 1

Ministry of Defence

Section

Department

Office / Section

Extra level Block 2

Street address: Name of building Street + number

City Country Postal address: Military Postcode (MPC) Post Box number Post Box number or street + number Postcode + city Country Telephone number Fax number Internet address Block 3 Writer: Abbreviated rank + name of person Telephone number Fax number Mobile telephone number Satellite number E-mail address Reference Title (document) information Subtitle (project) Project number Client Author(s) Status Version number From Date Our ref Your ref Priority Number of pages Subject Subject (if no mention of ref) Room Telephone Content Title of the document Subtitle (of the project) Extra heading(s) Contents To For your information Salutation: to be filled in at will Salutation: to be filled in at will Salutation: to be filled in at will (Message) text Tick possibilities according to model Signature Concluding sentence: to be filled in at will Concluding sentence: to be filled in at will Concluding sentence: to be filled in at will â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THE MINISTER OF DEFENCEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (or filled in at will) per pro, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THE MINISTER OF DEFENCEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THE SECRETARY TTARY ARY OF ST STAT ATE FOR DEFENCEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (or filled in at will) per pro, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THE MINISTER OF DEFENCEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THE PERMANENT SECRETTARY FOR DEFENCEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;SECRETARY TTARY FOR DEFENCEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or: filled in at will filled in at will per pro, Signatoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job title Signature Signatoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name Signatoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rank Notes â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In answering refer to â&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Page number Page 1/1 Rubrication Statement of rubrication Marking Marking â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dealt with by â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Determined by â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Assessment date â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Time limit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Number of pages including enclosures â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Copy number

C O O O C C O O O C O C O O C O C C O O C O O O O O O O C C O C C C C O C C C O C C O O O

O C C O O O C C C C O C C C O C O O

C O O C C C C C C C C O C O C O C C O C O O O

O C C O C C O C O O

C O C C O O O C C C O O C O O

C C O O O C C C O O C O O

C O C C O O O C C C C O O O

C C O O O C C C O O

C O O O O O O C C C O C O O C O C

C C C C O O C O C

C C O O C C C O O O C O C O O C O C C O O C O O O O O O O C C O C O C O O C C C O C O O O

188

page

C = compulsory O = optional

Grouping of information per document and the texts that are obligatory or optional.

C C O O O C C C O O C C C O C O O

C C C C O O O C C C O O C O O

C C O O O C C C O O C O O

C C C C O O O C C C C O O O

C C O O O C C C C O O

C C C C C O O O C O C O O C O C C O O C O O O O O O O C O O O C C C C C O C C C O C O O O

C C C O O O C C C C O C C C O C O O

C O C C O O O C O C O O C O C C O O C C C C C

O C C O O O C C C C

C C C C O O O C O C O O C O C C O O C C C C C

C C C O O O C C C C

O C C O O O C O C O O C O C C O O C O O O O O O O O O O O O O C O O O O O

C C O O O O O O O O O C C O O

C C C C C C C C C C O O O

C C C C C C C C C

C C O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O C

C C C C C O O O C O C O O C O C C O O C O O O O O O O C O C O C O O C C C O C O O O

C C O O O C O O C C O C C C O C O O

C C O C C O O O C O C O O C O C C O O C O O O O O O O C O C O C O O C C C O C O O O

C C O O O C O O C C O C C C O C O O

RUBRICATION/MARKING UBRICA UBRICATION/MARKING

Sender details

RUBRICATION/MARKING UBRICA UBRICATION/MARKING

Sender details

RUBRICATION/MARKING UBRICA UBRICATION/MARKING

Sender details

Bericht

RUBRICATION/MARKING UBRICA UBRICATION/MARKING

Sender details

Bericht

RUBRICATION/MARKING UBRICA UBRICATION/MARKING

Sender details

Bericht

RUBRICATION/MARKING UBRICA UBRICATION/MARKING

Sender details

Ministerie van Defensie Onderdeel Afdeling Bureau / Sectie (Extra) niveau

Document name Bericht

Dispatch details

Naam organisatie Ter attentie van Straat of Postbus POSTCODE EN PLAATS LAND

Aan

Reference details Ref

Datum Ons kenmerk Onderwerp

Contents

07 maart 2001 AB/1234 Pagina 1/2 Corporate identity

Bezoekadres: Plein 4 Den Haag Postadres: Postbus 20701 2500 ES Den Haag Telefoon (070) 318 81 88 www.mindef.nl Steller: N.A.A.M. Persoon Telefoon (070) 318 81 88 Fax (070) 318 83 20 E-mail: defensie@netnet.nl

Geachte heer Denaam, Het begrip huisstijl is een versimpelde vertaling van het begrip corporate identity; het is een verzameling van uitingen van een onderneming of instelling. Een huisstijl maakt iets zichtbaar. In het Pagina 1/2 gunstigste geval geeft deze verzameling een juist beeld van die onderneming of instelling. Een juist beeld moet worden opgevatt als een beeld dat sf sfeermatig een afspiegeling is van een programma en een letterlijke vertaling zijn; dat is alleen mogelijk voor zeer enkelvoudige ondernemingen, bijvoorbeeld voor bedrijven die slechts een standaardprodukt leveren. Het begrip huisstijl is een versimpelde vertaling van het begrip corporate identity; het is een verzameling van uitingen van een onderneming of instelling. Pagina 1/2

Een huisstijl maakt iets zichtbaar. In het gunstigste geval geeft deze verzameling een juist beeld van die onderneming of instelling. Een juist beeld moet worden opgevatt als een beeld dat sf sfeermatig een afspiegeling is van an een programma en een letterlijke letter vertaling zijn; dat is alleen mogelijk voor zeer enkelvoudige ondernemingen, nemingen, bijvoorbeeld bijv voor bedrijven die slechts een standaardprodukt leveren. Hoogachtend, Functie ondertek onder tekenaar enaar Pagina 1/2

Naam ondertek onder tekenaar Rang Signature Pagina 1/2

Bijlage: Titel bijlage A Titel bijlage B

Explanation

Bij beantwoording datum, ons kkenmer enmerkk en onderwer enmer onderwerp p vver ermelden. ermelden.

Pagina 1/2

000

RUBRICATION/MARKING UBRICA UBRICATION/MARKING

Pagina 1/2

Primary information

Design of information: certain styles are allocated to groups of texts and a choice is made for the method of filling in (filling in of headings above or at the side).

189

Arrangement of information, valid for all sorts of documents for the whole organisation.

page

Secondary information

Forms Correspondence is about conveying information (the message), while forms are about acquiring information. A form contains questions designed to acquire the required information so that it can be processed afterwards. Correspondence is one-way traffic; with forms the traffic goes in two or more directions. The design of a form is therefore aimed at the filling in and processing of specific information.

Chapter Forms

The primary information in correspondence consists of the content of the message; the primary information in the form consists of the questions to be answered and any additional commentary. The design of the information in a form is determined by elements with a fixed position (such as trademark, name of form, details of sender) and elements with a variable position (such as question and answer spaces, explanations).

Form elements with fixed position 3

9,5

Icare trademark

Name of form

Statutory name

Document number

III

Part

Forms can be designed and printed externally, or generated within the office environment using special software (Form Office™). The Internet is becoming more and more important for gathering information. This of course offers great advantages in terms of processing data.

end-of-text position

object height

end-of-text position

object height

Statutory name

9 5

end-of-text position

object height

Document number

9 5

A form element is a module that can be combined with other form elements. By working with modules a form can more easily be designed, produced and, if necessary, automated.

end-of-text position

thuiszorg

6,5

Trademark (‘home care’, ‘maternity care’ etc.)

object width

Form elements with variable position 3

Instructions

end-of-text position

object height

General Instruction

– general instructions or5 instructions for a group of questions

– instructions for a question

end-of-text position

– separate instructions; see specifications for ‘Text’

Text

object height

Heading example

– text, with possibilities5 within an object space:

– heading

– text with lists

– footnote

Headings

end-of-text position

object height

One-line question

9 5

3 – heading and subheading

end-of-text position

object height

– heading and subheading in tables

9 Questions

– one-line question

choice

1 4

– questions with more than one line

object height 3

Answer space 1 (with or without grey areas)

5 – answer space with minimum height

– answer space with variable height

– answer space with variable lines

21 height 21 and dotted 21 21

– answer space with input boxes

– answer space with sums (totals)

object width

Answer space 2 (with or without grey areas)

– already filled in answer with answer line

– already filled in answer without answer line

– check boxes with already filled in answer without answer line

190

page

– check boxes with already filled in answer with answer line

– check boxes without already filled in answer with answer line

– check boxes without already filled in answer without answer line

thuiszorg Formuliernaam

Statutaire naam x x

Algemene toelichting 1. Kop boven een groep vragen Toelichting boven een groep vragen Vraag met zij-invulling

vooringevuld antwoord

Vraag met zij-invulling Vraag met invoerruimtes Vraag met nootverwijzing 1

Toelichting bij een vraag

Vraag met aankruismogelijkheid

thuiszorg

keuze 1

keuze 2

1 Voetnoot

2. Kop boven een groep vragen met zij- en onderinvulling (matrix) Subkop boven een groep vragen Statutaire naam Ma Di Wo Dox Vr Za Zo x

Formuliernaam Algemene toelichting

131

567

556,5

546

535,5

525

514,5

504

493,5

483

472,4

462

451,5

441

430,5

keuze 1

keuze 2 Subkop boven een groep vragen

Subkop boven een groep vragen

Subkop

Vraag

Tweeregelige vraag

Subkop Drieregelige vraag

Subkop boven een groep vragen Statutaire naam Ma Di Wo Dox Vr Za Zo x

Vraag met zij-invulling

173

Totaal

Totaal Toelichting bij een vraag

keuze 1

3. Kop boven een groep vragen met onderinvulling (tabel)

keuze 2 Subkop boven een groep vragen

Subkop boven een groep vragen

Subkop

Vraag

Tweeregelige vraag

Subkop Drieregelige vraag

2. Kop boven een groep vragen met zij- en onderinvulling (matrix)

271

Subkop boven een groep vragen

285

299

Subkop boven een groep vragen Za

Vraag

Tweeregelige vraag

Drieregelige vraag in een kleiner corps

Ondertekening Za

Vraag met zij-invulling

313

Vraag

Opmerkingen

Vraag

257

Vraag

Vraag met zij-invulling Vraag

1 Voetnoot

243

Vraag met zij-invullingen

vooringevuld antwoord

Vraag met aankruismogelijkheid

229

Vraag

Vraag met nootverwijzing 1

215

Drieregelige vraag in een kleiner corps

Subkop boven een groep vragen

Vraag met invoerruimtes

201

Tweeregelige vraag

Langere vraag zij-invullingen

Vraag met zij-invulling

187

Vraag

Vraag met zij-invulling

Toelichting boven een groep vragen

159

Vraag

Totaal

Vraag

1. Kop boven een groep vragen

145

Vraag

3. Kop boven een groep vragen met onderinvulling (tabel)

1 Voetnoot

Algemene toelichting

117

Toelichting bij een vraag

Formuliernaam

89 103

Vraag met zij-invulling

420

409,5

399

388,5

378

367,5

357

Vraag met invoerruimtes

2. Kop boven een groep vragen met zij- en onderinvulling (matrix) 75

Vraag 346,5

336

325,5

315

304,5

294

283,5

273

262,5

252

241,5

231

220,5

210

199,5

189

178,5

Vraag met zij-invulling

Vraag met aankruismogelijkheid

thuiszorg

Vraag met zij-invullingen

Vraag met nootverwijzing 1

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36antwoord 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 Vraag met23zij-invulling vooringevuld

168

157,5

147

Vraag

Toelichting boven een groep vragen

136,5

126

115,5

105

94.5

73,5

0 pt

Langere vraag zij-invullingen

1. Kop boven een groep vragen Breedte objectruimtes

Subkop boven een groep vragen

Vraag met zij-invulling

Zo Vraag Vraag Ondergetekende verklaart

dat bovenstaande naar waarheid is ingevuld.

Datum

Langere vraag zij-invullingen

327

Vraag

341

Handtekening medewerk(st)er

Documentnummer

Vraag met zij-invullingen

355

Vraag met zij-invulling

369

Opmerkingen

Vraag

383

Totaal

Invullen door salarisadministratie Vraag

Vraag

Totaal

397 411

3. Kop boven een groep vragen met onderinvulling (tabel)

425 439 453

Subkop boven een groep vragen

Subkop

Vraag

Tweeregelige vraag

Subkop Drieregelige vraag

467

Vraag

Tweeregelige vraag

Drieregelige vraag in een kleiner corps

481

Ondertekening

495

Ondergetekende verklaart dat bovenstaande naar waarheid is ingevuld.

509

Datum

523 537

565

Opmerkingen

579 593 607

Documentnummer

Handtekening medewerk(st)er

551

Totaal

Invullen door salarisadministratie Vraag

Vraag

621 635 649 663 677

Ondertekening

691

Ondergetekende, Arnout Janssen, verklaart dat bovenstaande naar waarheid is ingevuld.

705

Datum

719 733

Handtekening medewerk(st)er

789 803 817

Invullen door salarisadministratie Vraag

Vraag

191

775

page

761

Documentnummer Documentnumme

747

Part

III

page

192

Chapter Magazines and Dialogue

Magazines and Dialogue Designing and producing magazines is not traditionally the task of design agencies, although there are a few exceptions to this. The design and layout of a magazine is mainly an editorial affair, in which content and imagery are meant to go hand in hand. A magazine is primarily a product of journalism. Magazines are generally made for particular target groups or repeatedly devote attention to one specific subject. The life cycle of a magazine is longer than that of a newspaper, but more short-lived than a book – unless one or more issues are preserved. Magazines are seldom read from cover to cover. ‘Zapping’, ‘jumping’, ‘surfing’ are contemporary notions that are rooted in the ancient practice of ‘leafing’. Publishers should also bear in mind that their magazines are competing with numerous other media, especially digital media. Magazines as Corporate Means of Communication Companies are increasingly becoming aware of the fact that the knowledge they possess, about products, services, developments and the like, is interesting to share with others. Corporate publishing is the activity that answers to this. Companies feel the need to put their organisation in the spotlight by using a different means than the traditional annual report or the corporate brochure, and to do this at less obvious moments, more often and in an original way. Not infrequently an external editorial body is formed for this purpose, which then attempts to adequately conduct and maintain a dialogue with the readers. Twyn (Twynstra Gudde), Mezzanine (Bouwfonds) and Single Audit (Ministry of Social Affaires and Welfare) are good examples of this.

193

page

III

Part

Chapter Magazines and Dialogue

Look and Feel: to Read or Not The design plays an important role in a reader’s decision whether to start leafing or not. The reader – who takes on the role of visitor in this context – will first acquaint himself with the style (look and feel) and only afterwards become absorbed in the content. It is thus wise to see the magazine as a three-dimensional object, whose temporal axis – that is to say, its rhythm – has first of all to be carefully determined in consultation with the editors (compare it with a storyboard or score). Time and emotion can be directed through a wellbalanced variety. Contrast makes for exciting pages: direction (horizontal versus vertical); format (large versus small); and amount (many versus few). Different Reading Levels Not new, but provocative in this context, is the idea that conveying information in a magazine should be able to take place at different levels depending on the time available to devote to it. If an article can be described as a collection of elements that carry meaning, then the content of an article is not only determined by the ‘hackwork’, but by all of its elements: heading, introduction, photographs, captions, credits, streamers, text, frames, graphics, and so on. As far as the corporate magazine goes, it is here that there is room for innovative design. Another possibility is to reuse structured information.

194

page

Bouwfonds publishes its Mezzanine magazine three times per year.

195

page

Annual Reports

III 196

page

Part

Chapter Annual Reports

The annual report continues to evolve. Once it was little more than a financial report bound in a cover. An obligation towards shareholders and other financiers that simply had to be fulfilled. In the meantime the annual report has developed into a guiding document, one that still contains the results of the previous year, but also takes a look at the future. More and more space is being devoted to the strategic context surrounding the latest figures. The annual report is increasingly being discovered as a medium for expressing a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s underlying motives. For it is on this sort of future-oriented information that investors, analysts and other stakeholders base their judgement of a company. Nowadays the outside world wants a different way of communicating: faster, more specific, more interactive, more open.

Another way of making the annual report more attractive is to choose a magazine-like lay-out, a form that is better suited to the way people read today. Readers can zap, leaf through, read diagonally, but can also absorb the entire text, of course. The annual reports from Waterleiding Maatschappij Limburg (Waterworks Limburg) and ING Group are good examples of this development.

197

page

An important task of the annual report is to translate corporate identity into a creative basic concept which will indicate the company’s direction for a number of years. The concept is made visible through the annual report’s form and content. What subjects are given a chance, from what point of view are the subjects discussed, how are images used, what is the balance between text and image? Depending on current developments, the basic concept regularly needs refining and this is also expressed in the annual report. The annual report thus reveals how the company has changed throughout the years.

III 198

page

Part

Chapter Annual Reports

Managers who dare to abandon the obligatory form and go further than just financial reporting give an extra dimension to their annual report. It becomes a more interesting document. But that is not the most important thing. The report becomes part of an on-going process, namely corporate publishing, which is how the company expresses its corporate identity.

The annual reports from the Brabantse Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij (BOM) have gone through an interesting development. The first report of company’s involvement with the province of Brabant is expressed in the map of Noord-Brabant. In the second report we hear stories from that region. How do people make Brabant what it is? That travelogue can be found in the supplement. The third report concentrates on ‘meeting points’, the places where we encounter Brabant: region, people, meeting places.

199

page

III 200

page

Part

Chapter Annual Reports

The annual report in printed form is a snapshot in time and provides the same information for all readers. Yet many readers have a need for up-to-date information concentrating on their field of interest. As a means of strengthening bonds with business associates and stakeholders, the printed report actually falls short. For this, several means of communication are needed besides the annual report. Separate half-yearly reports, for example, or a regular magazine for shareholders or by continuously providing up-to-date information via a website. The more specific and current the information, the greater its value for the target group. With an interactive annual report, the company can provide all those interested with what they want. After all, the visitor to the annual report on the Internet puts together his own information menu. Analysts and investors find the latest version of financial figures, prognoses and market analyses. Clients see an outline of important product innovations, and potential staff get an impression of the organisation. The company determines what information is offered and thus retains control over the quality of the information through its corporate publishing policy. The printed annual report will remain, but it is becoming part of other, more refined and continuous forms of reportage. Corporate communications are becoming faster and more complete. The company thus becomes not only more well known, but also a good acquaintance.

Bouwfonds had put out an annual report and various brochures for quite a time. In the 2000 annual report Bouwfonds introduced a theme; this was integrated into the report. In the following annual report the theme became more extensive and was separated from the actual report. Consequently, the relationship with the other corporate publications was changed. This ultimately led to a thorough reorientation of the communications with the corporate target groups through a variety of publications, namely the annual report, corporate brochure and Mezzanine magazine.

201

page

Monologue

Dialogue

time

A schematic display of DSM’s reportage reports using various media during a certain period.

Facts and figures

• financial

2002

• environmental

• social

?/?

’02

Spring 2003

FA C T S A N D FIGURES 2001

?/?

’01

Spring 2002 DSM exists 100 years

Facts and figures 2000

60/36

Financial Report

RCPR

100

’99

Printed Media

III 202

Part

Digital Media

With DSM’s annual reports we see a two-part shift: from monologue to dialogue, and from printed to digital. The digital annual report was launched in the Spring of 2001 (fiscal year 2000).

PDF

Financial verslag en RCPR

48 100

Word

page

download van documenten

Chapter Annual Reports

Spring 2001

printed customized

site

’00

203

page

Corporate Brochures

III

Part

Chapter Corporate Brochures

Corporate brochures have gone through quite a development. At one time they were the calling card of a corporation, invariably proclaiming the same theme: This is Us, We Stand for This, We’re Reliable. But what with today’s information glut, corporate brochures in their traditional form no longer fill the bill: corporate brochures still exist, of course, but they contribute next to nothing in an appraisal of a company. Research shows that people spend an average of 7 seconds looking at them. So, the trick is to make a brochure that is not immediately cast aside, and at least gets across a few essential messages – both informative and emotional – even at a casual glance. Companies are very different, and their corporate brochures should be just as different. It is important to make a clear blend of images and information that shows the context of the organisation in as convincing a manner as possible. Vision, facts & figures, opinions, feelings and responsibility…sometimes represented visually, sometimes factually, sometimes with journalism. This background information tells the reader what the organisation’s stance is in the world, what social responsibilities it assumes and what its relevance is. The information should not include too many commercial messages; product brochures, fact sheets or the website can provide sufficient room for that.

204

page

Today more and more brochures are doing an about-face: the ‘we’ messages are losing their rationale. The perspective has been reversed. We are shown the world around us through the eyes of the organisation. These stories do not say much about the organisation’s inner world, but say all the more about its relevance in the outside world, about responsibility and durability. As a result, the corporate brochure is again gaining a clear function in our present day and age.

205

page

Internet Sites

III

Part

Chapter Internet Sites

In the past few years, the Internet has evolved from an isolated phenomenon surrounded by technological hype into a new medium. The medium. And that’s reflected in the way sites are classified: first generation, second, third…from the digital variant of the corporate brochure to the full-scale integration of company functions, notably focused on e-commerce. The interesting aspect of the medium is the possibility for custom-made information and the possibility of dialogue and transaction, irrespective of time or place – for that is determined by the users themselves. What with the Internet’s unprecedented possibilities and the fast growth of broadband and wireless applications, the medium will certainly gain in importance. Especially when the generation that was educated with paper is outplaced by the people who have grown up in the digital era. The medium contributes to the identity of a company and facilitates a dialogue with the user. Users are putting high demands on the medium, a fact that expresses itself instantly in their surfing behaviour. Functionality (ease of navigation, overview, search possibilities, etc.) and degree of service (updatedness, links, response speed, and so forth) are just as determinative for people’s assessment of a site’s quality as an attractive look & feel. In order to end up with a good site, different disciplines must be drawn upon. After all, the site can be about communication and design too…and about information, computerisation, marketing, stockkeeping… Proper management of these disciplines is a prerequisite for obtaining a good result.

206

page

In creating an Internet site the central question is: What role does the site play for whom? Is the site supposed to be a service instrument, is it a marketing tool, or perhaps a logistic instrument? What role does the site play in the total communications mix? Too great a mixture of these roles soon leads to frustrated users. Running parallel to the development of Internet sites is the question of how the website is anchored within the organisation. Unlike traditional media, an Internet site requires constant attention: the processing of responses, updating, technical maintenance… You can view this as normal editorial activities, with the understanding that an online product needs continual maintenance.

207

page

Part

III

page

208

Chapter Internet Sites

209

page

Part

III

page

210

Chapter Internet Sites

211

page

III

Part

Chapter Design Management Tool

Design Management Tool The success of a corporate identity programme is greatly helped when there is coherence and consistency in all forms of communication between an organisation and its target groups. Previously, the house style manual was a handy aid in this, but nowadays it has been replaced by all sorts of digital solutions based on web technology. Moreover, this technology has made unprecedented applications possible, which go much further than the traditional manual: all knowledge in the area of design and communication can be accessed. And so an identity database is created: an i-Base. An i-Base creates the communications framework and makes it manageable. It provides insight into the organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position, what its strategic and operational principles are as regards to internal and external communications, and how these can be creatively interpreted in the various means of communication and contact moments that propagate the identity and make it perceptible. Designtool, an online application derived from this, enables means of communication to be drawn up and produced without the need for professional design skills and production knowledge. The core of the application consists of a system of design elements (including trademark, typography, colours, and form elements), design rules and patterns, so that brochures, advertisements, newsletters, product sheets and other means can be realised in accordance with a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own corporate design. This is important, since speed is often what determines the result of a marketing, sales or PR campaign. Because of its comprehensiveness, i-Base, together with Designtool if necessary, fulfils the needs of organisations for achieving unity and harmony in their communications policy, not least for reasons of cost efficiency. Helping to exclude contradictions, fragmentation and static in all forms of expression is the important contribution that digital solutions can make to the quality of a corporate identity programme.

212

page

i-Base opening page and manual (building blocks).

213

Downloading files (secure). page

Catalogue of corporate design products.

aanvragen toegangscodes

Ć&#x2019; manual

autorisatie door design manager

Ć&#x2019; basiselementen

invoeren toegangscodes

Ć&#x2019; design richtlijnen

Defensie i-Base

Ć&#x2019; design inspiratie

Ć&#x2019; manual

design inspiratie

Ć&#x2019; catalogus (design items )

Ć&#x2019; corporate story Ć&#x2019; ...

Ć&#x2019; moodboard Ć&#x2019; design tool

Ć&#x2019; catalogus

Ć&#x2019; zoeken

Ć&#x2019; download

Ć&#x2019; items per beheercluster

Ć&#x2019; contact design manager

Ć&#x2019; items per organisatie Ć&#x2019; items per gebruiksomgeving Ć&#x2019; items per doelgroep

Chapter Design Management Tool

Ć&#x2019; moodboard

Ć&#x2019; items per basiselement

Ć&#x2019; toon items & basiselementen per:

Ć&#x2019; items per medium

Ć&#x2019; beheercluster Ć&#x2019; organisatie Ć&#x2019; gebruiksomgeving Ć&#x2019; doelgroep Ć&#x2019; medium

â&#x20AC;˘ weergave items met preview â&#x20AC;˘ weergave basiselementen met preview

III

1. organisatorische communicatie 1.1 soort items (correspondentie) Ć&#x2019; item 1.1.1 Ć&#x2019; item 1.1.2 Ć&#x2019; item 1.1.3 1.2 soort items (verzendmaterialen) Ć&#x2019; item 1.2.1 Ć&#x2019; item 1.2.2 1.3 soort items (rapporten, contracten)

2. marketing communicatie 3. kantoorautomatisering 4. gebouwen & omgeving 5. voertuigen & materieel 6. kleding

items per organisatie

selectie Part

items per beheercluster

Ć&#x2019; selecteer basiselement

Ć&#x2019; selecteer item

Ć&#x2019; Ministerie van Defensie Ć&#x2019; Koninklijke Marine Ć&#x2019; Koninklijke Landmacht Ć&#x2019; Koninklijke Luchtmacht Ć&#x2019; Koninklijke Marechaussee Ć&#x2019; Defensie Interservice Commando

items per gebruiksomgeving Ć&#x2019; aan/uit zetten

Ć&#x2019; toon details

invoeren download toegangscodes

Ć&#x2019; download Ć&#x2019; download basiselementen Ć&#x2019; beeldmerken van: Ć&#x2019; Ministerie van Defensie Ć&#x2019; Koninklijke Marine Ć&#x2019; Koninklijke Landmacht Ć&#x2019; Koninklijke Luchtmacht Ć&#x2019; Koninklijke Marechaussee Ć&#x2019; Defensie Interservice Commando Ć&#x2019; vormelementen

Ć&#x2019; download items Ć&#x2019; selecteer item uit: Ć&#x2019; beheercluster

Ć&#x2019; organisatie Ć&#x2019; gebruiksomgeving Ć&#x2019; doelgroep Ć&#x2019; medium

selectie Ć&#x2019; kies versie basiselement: 1

invoeren download toegangscodes

kleur zwart/wit diapositief

Ć&#x2019; kies bestandsformaat: 2

214

items per doelgroep Ć&#x2019; beleidmakers Ć&#x2019; publiek Ć&#x2019; ... Ć&#x2019; ...

items per basiselement

EPS SWF WMF PDF JPG

Ć&#x2019; kleuren Ć&#x2019; lettertypen Ć&#x2019; beeldmerken Ć&#x2019; vormelementen Ć&#x2019; tekstelementen

1 - alleen bij basiselementen kan uit verschillende versies gekozen worden. 2 - alleen de beschikbare bestands- formaten worden getoond.

items per medium Ć&#x2019; druk Ć&#x2019; print Ć&#x2019; digitaal Ć&#x2019; 3D

Ć&#x2019; download bestand harddisc client

page

Ć&#x2019; open dag Ć&#x2019; voorlichtingstand Ć&#x2019; conferentie Ć&#x2019; ... Ć&#x2019; ...

basiselementen ƒ toon alle basiselementen ƒ toon basiselementen per type: ƒ identity elementen ƒ identity support elementen ƒ brand elementen ƒ brand support elementen ƒ blend elementen ƒ toon basiselementen per soort: ƒ kleuren ƒ lettertypen ƒ beeldmerken ƒ vormelementen ƒ tekstelementen ƒ toon basiselementen per organisatie: ƒ Ministerie van Defensie ƒ Koninklijke Marine ƒ Koninklijke Landmacht ƒ Koninklijke Luchtmacht ƒ Koninklijke Marechaussee ƒ Defensie Interservice Commando

basiselementen selectie ƒ weergave basiselementen met preview ƒ weergave basiselementen als lijst

ƒ selecteer basiselement

basiselement • details basiselement ƒ toon richtlijnen voor basiselement ƒ toon design items (gerealiseerd mbv. basiselement) ƒ download basiselement

design richtlijnen ƒ toon alle design richtlijnen ƒ toon richtlijnen voor: ƒ type basiselement ƒ soort basiselement ƒ beheercluster (design items) ƒ design item ƒ medium

richtlijn • details richtlijn ƒ toon gerelateerde basiselement(en) ƒ toon design items (gerealiseerd mbv. richtlijn)

items selectie ƒ weergave items met preview ƒ weergave items als lijst

ƒ selecteer design item

item • details item ƒ toon basiselement(en) ƒ toon design richtlijnen ƒ toon item op moodboard

215

page

ƒ download werkbestand (eps)

III 216

page

Part

Chapter Design Management Tool

Besides being a practical aid in organising the content and form of corporate expressions, the interactive i-Base is also a source of inspiration for creating new means of expression and a guide for finding answers to questions concerning the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s identity. The corporate story and the identity matrix, for example, can be incorporated in the i-Base, so that communications staff can use it as a briefing tool linked to guidelines for content and design. Designers have detailed information at their disposal for creating recognisable expressions, in accordance with the possibilities laid down in the corporate design programme. In order to speed up the design process, besides digital files of design elements there are also ready-to-use design templates and production files for brochures, leaflets, newsletters and letterings for facades and vehicles. In many situations the user of Designtool will only have to select a means of communication and import the necessary content and then let the computer take over the design and layout tasks. If so desired the user can retain control over the final result and change the parameters of a number of design settings so as to determine the most communicative solution. The final result can be distributed both in the form of prints as well as in digital format for e-mail distribution, for example, or for placing on a website.

Using the specially developed Designtool, production files can be put together step by step via i-Base.

217

page

IV TRADEMARK Building Blocks of Identity

A graphic trademark is the smallest summary of identity and after its genesis it becomes a catalyst of identity. The trademark enables desired meanings and associations to be linked to itself. This fourth part deals with the trademark and its building blocks: names, forms, colours and letters. Since heraldry traditionally has an important influence on trademarks, this is dwelt on at considerable length.

Nomen Est Omen A name imparts meaning, characterises and is used to present and address an organisation. It is an important word, therefore, and together with the trademark is part of an organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary manifestation. The organisation presents itself and is recognised by its name in all sorts of situations: on the telephone, in newspapers and magazines, in the stock market, in the telephone book, but also in advertisements and brochures, on the building, in the website. In short: in all types of communications, and in discussions and reports about the organisation as well.

Communicative Statement New names can vary from the fully abstract â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an unrecognisable new word or combination of numbers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to a very ordinary word. In creating a name, a play is made between different combinations of qualities until a well-balanced whole is achieved that meets the communicative requirements.

Part

Chapter Nomen Est Omen

Meaning There are two aspects to a name: the name has a meaning in itself, and we relate our own experiences to the name so that it becomes further loaded with meaning. In the best case, the intrinsic and loaded meanings complement each other perfectly. A name is not only visual, a word in written language, but also has a sound, in spoken language. In addition to intrinsic meanings, references and associations, the

qualities of a name also include sound-colour, letter-image, accent and rhythm. Through these characteristics a name acquires loaded meaning. New names can also be totally new words. But people always have associations with those words through their vocabulary and capacity to assess that mix of characteristics. Thus they themselves will give meaning to the new name, even when they encounter it out of context.

theme/character

< explicit

implicit Ć&#x2019;

descriptive

communicative

associative

abstract

organisation

Belastingdienst Concern voor Werk

activit activity, professional field

Belastingdienst Concern voor Werk

Concern voor Werk Icare (English) TenneT

attitude/manner

220

Page

vision

Icare (English) TenneT

Icare

01-10

+ The name is easy to recognise and understand, requires relatively little time and expense. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The name can hinder future activities, runs the risk of becoming boring, is not very distinctive and is difficult to use internationally. tionally

+ The name supports the positioning and/or values â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Â The name can hinder future activities.

+ The name supports the positioning and/or communicates values. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The name can hinder future activities.

+ The name is not a hindrance for future activities and is potentially distinctive. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Requires intensive time and expense to load the name and/or add values.

Quite clearly, Concern voor Werk is the name of a company, almost a descriptive one, like ‘Tax Department’. The meaning of this name effortlessly places this company in one line with electronics concerns, global concerns, foodstuff concerns, publishing concerns, construction concerns, etc. But this is not all: it also incorporates an English word meaning care, involvement. Voor werk (‘for work’) refers to the company’s core activity: helping people who have been away from the job market get back to work.

The name TenneT is a combination of two syllables: Ten and neT. ‘Ten’ refers to the system of grading in Dutch schools, where ten stands for no mistakes, the best, the Top! ‘Net’ has varied associations, such as a TV channel, a net, a highway network, the electricity network or grid. And that’s where you’ll find the company behind this name: the administrator of the electricity network with the highest voltage. Furthermore, the word is a palindrome: you can also read it from right to left. Because of this, the logo has a great symmetry, granting added attention value to TenneT everywhere the word appears. The explicitly designed logo gives extra emphasis to the meaning. Colours, visual and word elements steer the association still closer to the intended meaning.

Because it refers to a Dutch homecare organisation, the name ‘Icare’ is pronounced the way the Dutch like to say it [ee’car re]. When they see the name in writing, the extra meaning that people receive is the English words ‘I Care’: a nice statement for this organisation.

A name can have a very functional role in oral language usage. ‘Good morning, In Groningen’ is the friendly greeting given by telephone receptionists at the ‘In’ housing corporation in the city of Groningen. Here the name of the company is the same as an extremely common preposition in Dutch. The name changes the normal intonation of the phrase. Because ‘in’ is used as a name, this short preposition gains extra emphasis. A friendly, but above all very distinctive name, that through the solid design of the ‘n’ in the trademark suggests a space with an open door, where you can go in. The task of this housing corporation is essentially to make sure that people can go somewhere for shelter. And so this combination of form, sound and content works very well.

221

Page

Numbers can also make meaningful names. They are codes, signals that systematically communicate information in accordance with pre-determined agreements. Life is full of them: you give out your 06 number, you win by 2-0, you take the S106, you score an 8, it’s the 24th. The code 01-10 falls into place when you recognise a date in it: the moment in time that the architecture agency was founded, 1 October. In their vision, that carefully chosen day was when a movement started rolling. And that’s what they do with their architectural designs: 01-10 initiates momentum. In this way, a moment in time can expand into something lasting, a tangible construction, thanks to the inspiration and energy of 01-10. That fascination is also reflected in the name. The founding moment lives on in the almost symmetrically sharp logo number.

Form

Deel

Chapter Form

Form and colour are inextricably connected with each other. Form exists by the grace of colour and colour by the grace of form. Every form has a remainder that demarcates itself visually by means of a colour contrast, where in this respect light and dark are to be regarded in the same way as colour. Colour loses its significance in the absence of other colours, and as soon as there is a boundary, however vague it may be, you can speak of form. Form and colour thus establish the basis for visual perception. Powerful Forms It is possible to describe a form as an outline, a sketch or ‘blueprint’. A drawing is often started in this way, with lines. A thin line can indeed contain a great deal of formal quality and feeling, but the impact on the retina is subtle. For an appreciable visual impact it is necessary to ‘colour in’ such a form. Only then is it possible to properly judge a form’s quality. In order to determine whether a form is strong, you can look at it through half-closed eyes. Details then fall away and the vague areas that remain (form and colour) should convey the essential visual information. By looking in this manner, we in fact simulate the way our perception is hampered by distance, movement, lack of light and the like.

Form exists by the grace of colour and colour by the grace of form.

With form, it always comes down to an interplay between the positive form and the negative remainder form, which is essentially just as important. This principle is best illustrated with letters, which are powerful forms. The white in and between the letters plays a minor role in spelling, but is essential for reading. Long texts in outline letters are much more difficult to read than solid black letters. Only the black of the letters flows from our pens, but in reading it is actually the white that is more important. This principle has to be taken into account when designing trademark or posters, for example. The form is identical, but without colour there is no visual impact. Everything Revolves Around Contrast Contrast in colour (tint) and contrast in form (positive/ negative) are thus essential for perception. Designing is the managing of contrast. Contrast enables things to be accentuated and hierarchy to be introduced: finding the correct balance, the right degree of contrast in all the variables present. Form always leads to meaning – everything can and will be interpreted by the viewer.

222

Page

A form cannot be seen separately from its counterform.

form

hue (colour) – complementary – ton sur ton – cold/warm texture – physical surface – visual surface

quality line – direction form – type quantity composition – proportion – balance – structure

saturated saturated colour colour colour cold, distant, thin rough matt

dark different colour non-complementary or grey different colour complementary colour neighbouring colour warm, nearby, heavy smooth glossy

vertical

horizontal

organic

geometrical

complex large symmetrical pattern

simple small asymmetrical chaos

223

quality – simultaneous

light

Page

colour

quantity*

White

Pink

Magenta Purple

Beige

Lilac

Violet Ultra- marine

Light grey Middle grey

Baby blue

Grey blue

Sky blue Turquoise Cyan Green

Dark grey Dark brown Black

Light green Cream Salmon pink

Red

Red orange

Orange

Buttercup Lemon yellow yellow

Groen- geel

Apple green

Grass green

Dark blue Dark green Olive green Ochre Caramel

Consistent Colours Considerable value is attached, and rightly so, to colours always being correctly reproduced. It is not possible to make all colours look the same in every technique. Even when a colour is reproduced very precisely, the impression made by that colour can be different. A colour on a large area often seems lighter than the same colour on a sheet of paper. The same colour printed on a different sort of material looks different. Colours also often change under the influence of light. Colours that look the same in artificial light can suddenly appear different in daylight. What has to be done in an early state of determining colour is to look at translations into the techniques that are most important: offset ink (PANTONE®) and full-colour printing CMYK), silkscreen printing ink, opaque and transparent film, paint (RAL and NCS), monitors (RGB), etc. It is advisable to make specimens that can always be used for reference. The consistent application of the right colour is a matter of continual concern.

Bordeaux

Deel

Chapter Distinguishing Colours

People can distinguish between more than ten million colours. More than a thousand printing ink colours are specified with the PANTONE® colour system. In the building industry, colour is an important distinguishing element: green with orange is HBG, light green with purple is TBI, blue with orange is Volker Wessels Stevin, and so on, so that we can recognise the building sites from a distance. There are a lot of shades of colour between TBI’s green and that of HBG, but none of them remains an option for a construction company. The colours lying in between are not simple to name, to remember or to be perceived under changing conditions of light. Practically speaking, on average there are only about thirty-five colours that we can name and remember without much difficulty. The number of colours and their selection is partly culturally determined. People who work a lot with colour will be able to distinguish more than others. This limited palette makes finding a unique corporate colour or colour combination a difficult business.

Aubergine

Distinguishing Colours

224

Page

People find it easy to perceive the difference between two adjacent colours, but it is difficult when we have to remember a colour. It helps if we can name the colour. Without any other references, a person with normal colour vision cannot see many more nuances of colour than the 37 illustrated here.

Hein Schilder Bouwâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colour specifications Coated paper Spot colourÂ&#x192; Full colourÂ&#x192; PPANT ANT ANTONEÂŽ ONEÂŽ C M Y KK

Uncoated paper Spot colourÂ&#x192; Full colour PPANT ANT ANTONEÂŽ ONEÂŽ C M Y K

Paint

Â&#x192;

Opaque foil

Translucent foil

Monitors

RAL

HSB-blueÂ&#x192;

274 CÂ&#x192;

100/100/0/20Â&#x192;

2758 UÂ&#x192;

100/100/0/20Â&#x192;

brightblueÂ&#x192; Avery 969 SCÂ&#x192; Avery 5540 QMÂ&#x192;

13/9/94Â&#x192;

0D095E

HSB-redÂ&#x192; Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;

206 CÂ&#x192;

0/100/50/0Â&#x192;

206 UÂ&#x192;

0/100/50/0

RAL 3027Â&#x192;

Avery 981 SCÂ&#x192; 3M Scotchcal 3630-49Â&#x192;

247/0/72Â&#x192;

F70048

HSB-blackÂ&#x192; Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;Â&#x192;

Black CÂ&#x192;

0/0/0/100Â&#x192;

Black UÂ&#x192;

0/0/0/100Â&#x192;Â&#x192;

Avery 901 SCÂ&#x192; 3M ScotchcalÂ&#x192; 3630-22

0/0/0Â&#x192;

000000Â&#x192;

Hexadecimal

Corporate colours in the Dutch building industry BAM NBM Dura Vermeer

HBG

Koninklijke IBC

Verenigde Heijmans Bedrijven

TBI Bouwgroep

Koop Tjuchem

Strukton Groep

Ballast Nedam

Koninklijke Volker Wessels Stevin

225

Page

HSB

The Importance of the Letter

Deel

Chapter The Importance of the Letter

Beatrice Warde (American typographer, 1900-1969) called the letter the voice of the written word. Just as a voice goes with a person, a letter goes with the identity of an organisation. Corporate Design For decades now, the letter has been considered one of the building blocks of corporate design. So it is very tempting to additionally apply the house style typeface within the computerised office situation. Unfortunately, it still is not possible to make a PostScriptfont clearly visible in the word processing programs on a PC. The only fonts that produce an acceptable on-screen image are the standard TrueTypefonts that come with the dealer-supplied operating system software. Making fonts suitable for the screen is extremely costly. The behaviour of each letter must be determined in program lines (hinting). This is a time-consuming and specialised job, and only a few have the knack of it (e.g. Agfa Monotype). Windows typefaces such as Arial and Times have accordingly become the ‘typewriter letters’ of modern times.

Own Letter Leaving the technical problems aside, we would recommend that every organisation choose their own typeface, or have one made for them. The latter can even turn out to be cheaper when you compare the cost with that of user’s licenses for existing fonts. When a corporate typeface has to be used on office computers as well, you must include the costs for hinting in your calculations.

226

Page

Something different: one typeface for both Latin and Arabic script – especially designed for the logos of the Al-Futtaim Company in Dubai.

A Letter Made to Measure

An example of a corporate design in which the letter plays a large role is that of Total Identity. Apart from colour, the Oneliner typeface is its most important component – a typeface that was expressly designed by Total Identity for this purpose. The name Oneliner refers to the concept of a letter with an equal thickness of line, as is obtained with broad-nibbed calligraphy pens. In this respect the Oneliner resembles other typefaces that lack contrast, such as Isonorm and DIN, unpretentious letters with a technical character. But a letter that is truly equally thick everywhere usually looks ungainly. The Oneliner has accordingly undergone several optical corrections. 1| The letters are drawn in one line, thus not in contours, as is usually the case. This has consequences for the shape: a curvature that’s too sharp immediately results in an ugly outside form. 2| The boldness of the letter can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the line.

3| The horizontal parts of the letter are precisely the same thickness as the vertical parts. They seem too thick, however. This is an optical illusion. In order to compensate, the letters are made 15% taller. 4| Now we render the lines into contours. This too-tall letter image is thus equally thick everywhere. 5| The letters are reduced to their original height. This has no effect on the vertical parts of the letter, but it does affect the horizontal parts. They are now thinner, which makes the letter look more harmonious.

6| The basic foundation that has been obtained in this manner must be adjusted completely by hand – the contours are still nowhere near ideal, and despite the curvature in the verticals the connection points are still too thick. And the middle of the ‘s’ has become narrower along with the rest, while in fact it needs more weight.

227

Page

The Heraldic Basis

Deel

Chapter Hoofdstuk XXXXXXXXXXXX The Heraldic Basis

Every municipality in the Netherlands has its own coat of arms. But other institutions, companies and families can also possess one. The coat of arms can be considered the precursor to the house style. Heraldic coats of arms seem to be very much alike at a cursory glance. The number of colours and themes in heraldry is limited. The lion, for instance, appears on hundreds of these coats of arms. A coat of arms is readily associated with an official body, but it can also reinforce the impression of bureaucracy. Governments are therefore increasingly choosing to distinguish themselves with a more modern version, which gives them the possibility of expressing other values. Heraldically correct Coat of Arms Within heraldry, coats of arms are appointed in writing – the division of the shield, the figures and the colours. The execution is in the hands of the craftsman. Nowadays people tend to determine the image precisely and apply it consistently. When a coat of arms must be reproduced in a small size or in a colour, however, the great amount of detail that often appears on it can quickly present a problem. And the frequently used metallic colours are also not always easy to apply. Simplified Coat of Arms For the above reasons, it may be necessary to simplify a coat of arms by eliminating details and/or colours so that it can be reproduced on the desired scale and in the desired technique. Stylized Coat of Arms Although the form is not appointed, the stylisation can be carried so far that it becomes debatable whether the coat of arms still remains true to heraldry.

A heraldically correct replication of the Dutch coat of arms. All of the listed components are present, in the proper colour, and executed ‘normally’ (gold and silver are reproduced here in yellow and white respectively).

A stylistic adaptation of the Dutch coat of arms in the symbol of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Its simplification makes it suitable for use in one colour and on a small scale. Within these limitations, it remains faithful to heraldry.

A strongly stylized representation of the city of Rotterdam’s coat of arms. The lions are still recognisable, but the lack of a crown raised protests.

The use of elements from the coat of arms Borrowing elements from the coat of arms and using them separately is not heraldic. In this case, therefore, we no longer speak of a coat of arms, but of a symbol.

228

Page

The trademark of the city of Houten is clearly based on the municipal coat of arms. However, there is no question of heraldry here.

The District Water Control Board of Amstel, Gooi and Vecht has a fine coat of arms. But much was lost in reproduction, and the black two-headed eagle created an aggressive impression. At the right, a proposal for an improved interpretation and a more contemporary air.

The final result. A shield-like form with a heraldic image. The full name of the Water Control Board is displayed on the edge. Shadow and lustre suggest spaciousness. The blue in the lion’s claws and tongue has been replaced by red.

229

The form of the ‘shield’ becomes more exciting, while the representation is a free interpretation: the red lion is replaced by a dot and the cross is cut in half.

Page

The two-headed eagle has been replaced by a circle. The representation is still faithful to its heraldic foundation.

Catalyst of Identity Words like trademark, logo, vignette, logotype and symbol are used interchangeably. As often happens with technical terms, their content has been subject to slippage. In order to limit the confusion it is useful to start with the orthodox principles.

The trademark can consist of a word, an image or a combination of both. If it consists only of an image then we refer to it as a symbol. If it consists only of a word then we call it a logo. The often-used terms that are equivalent to these are vignette and logo. ‘Logotype’ in particular is often wrongly used instead of trademark.

Identification Strength The communicative value of a trademark lies in its identificatory power. Both internally as well as externally, since we should not forget that employees in particular should be able to recognise themselves in the symbol for their organisation. In view of this identificatory power and its value in our information society, the era of the trademark has only just dawned.

Building Blocks of Trademarks With a trademark, an organisation makes itself visible and tells something about itself. The combination of name, forms, colours and letters determines the organisation’s primary presence. Together these form the smallest, visible summary of identity. Core values, history, market, ambitions and desired associations are reflected in the trademark. The unsuspecting recipient has to get a whiff of this, while the recipient who is already familiar with the organisation projects his own experiences onto it. The trademark acquires a charge, thereby acting as a catalyst for the ‘mark’.

interpretant

ati

Visual Quality A good trademark has visual quality. The form possesses tension and contrast. The image ‘remains etched on the retina’. A good trademark is of course unique. It should not look similar to another trademark. This is no simple matter: there are millions of them worldwide. A trademark office can check out whether similar logotypes and trademarks exist.

C.S. Peirce’s semiotic triangle is not only applicable to companies and their trademarks, but actually to everything. The word ‘table’ is also a sign, referring to an object (denotation) and evoking an image of a top with four legs (connotation).

not

What is a Good Trademark? A good trademark is one that is able to fulfil its communicative task: to claim attention, to evoke confusion… many tasks can be imagined. But a trademark is a lasting investment and ultimately has to fulfil certain basic functions. In the first place it has to make the carrier recognisable, as originating from the relevant organisation – to make it noticeable in word and/or image. Secondly, it has to implicitly convey values and messages. A trademark is therefore meant to have a long-term effect. It becomes, then, the symbol for the organisation.

con

Deel

Chapter Catalyst of Identity

The word ‘trademark’ best describes what we mean. It is a mark of distinction that stands for a certain category: the mark that identifies and characterises an organisation. ‘Trademark’ is therefore used here solely in the narrower sense and is not synonymous with the term ‘brand’, which refers to the whole complex of factors surrounding a name.

and its values, since it will always continue to refer to that object. Which is why references to forms in trademarks are in reality often implicit and thus offer space for interpretation. A ‘mark’ can also become charged as a result of this space. Individual and collective experiences with the organisation are evoked through the trademark that originally did not have these associations. Of course, it has to be possible for these desired associations to proceed from the trademark.

230

Page

1 In fact we never relate directly to an object, but always via a sign that represents the object – in this case an organisation. It is difficult for a trademark that refers directly to a familiar object to become a symbol for an organisation

sign

denotation

object

identity and/or ideology outlives its sign

du vi di in

law Ć&#x2019;

^ realism

pe ep

type/concept

validity in time

archetype

symbol

lle

< emotion

tio

three sorts of signs

index

amount of visual information

n tio

icon

v abstraction

experience Ć&#x2019;

231

Page

A photograph is suitable for directly evoking an atmosphere or feeling. An index refers unequivocally to a particular concept, in this case mobile telephones. It is universally valid (archetypal). The symbol has to be learned. Only after experience does it become connected with the object. Afterwards it is inextricably connected with the project.

logos

typographical

intervention

Deel

Chapter Catalyst of Identity

trademark

232

Page

additions

233

Page

Deel

symbols

figurative

convertible

Chapter Catalyst of Identity

trademark

234

Page

abstract

235

Page

Colophon Pages

Credits

54-63

Royal Van Zanten – AM, AvD, EdH, HPB, LS, MY. Photography Aatjan Renders. Ministry of Foreign Affairs – AM, AvD, HPB, JiK. Photography Aatjan R enders. Province of Noord-Brabant – EL, GVB, JZ, MK, PV, SWS. Photography page 68 (top) Aatjan Renders. KLM CARGO – AvD, HPB; truck: FCB/BK&P. Photography Aatjan Renders. KLM Passage – Wave: AvD, LS 3D sketches (2000): Sinot Design Associates. Photography Aatjan Renders. Municipality of Utrecht – FN, IM, JZ, LS, MY. Photo page 82 Aatjan Renders. Sketches Urban Development: Projectorganisatie Stationsgebied. Bouwfonds – AM, HPB, RL, SWS. Designtool: JZ, MiV. SchutGrosheide – BM, CO, EdH, JV, RL. Photography pagina 92 Aatjan Renders; photography pagina 93 DUO Aldwin Izarin, Hans van der Linden. Ministry of Defence – AvD, AJ, IB, PO. Photography Hennie Keeris. Greenhouse Market Gardening – BB, FN, HPB. Koninklijke BAM Groep – AvD, EV, HPB, JC, MGO. Photography Aatjan Renders. Kerkinactie – EL, EV, HPB, SWS. Photography pagina 113 Aatjan Renders. Layout Hoonte Bosch en Köning. AMEV – AvD, CY, JZ, RL. Photography covers Thirza Schaap; photography content Erno Wientjes, Hans Tak, Jaap van den Beukel. In – CM, EL, JiK, MY. Photography Aatjan Renders. Stichting Toezicht Effectenverkeer – LS. Photography Aatjan Renders. Municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg – EdH, KU, LS, NC. Photography page 131 André van den Bos. Other photography Aatjan Renders. Thalys – JvdTV, RvH. Photography Aatjan Renders. Icare – AvD, MOG. Photography pages 140-141 Aatjan Renders. TBI – AJ, HPB, JC, RvdZ, SWS. Photography Aatjan Renders. Westland/Utrecht Hypotheekbank N.V. – BM, HPB, JiK, RL, RvdZ, SWS. Photography pages 148-149, 152-153 Joep Kroes. Photography pages 156-157 Aatjan Renders. Municipality of Zwolle – HPB, KU, PO. Photography Marco C. Slot Photography. ROC – HPB, IB, PO. Photography Reinier Gerritsen. Belastingdienst – AH, GvB. Total Identity – AvD, HPB, JvdTV, LS. Photography Aatjan Renders. Sanquin – AvD, AJ, MC. Photography Aatjan Renders. De Boer – AM, FN, JZ. Photography Associated Press, Amsterdam. Concern voor Werk – EdH, GvB, RdV.

64-67 68–71 72-77 78-81

82-87

88-91 92-97

98-101 102-103 104-111 Colophon

112-115

116-121

122-127 128-129 130-135

136-139 140-143 144-147 148-157

158-163 164-167 168-171 172-175 176-177 178-181 182-185

236

Page

Regrettably it is impossible to mention everyone who has worked on these cases here. The ultimate results have come about through the efforts of everyone at Total Identity.

Final editing: BIS/Total Identity Copy director: Edsco de Heus Design: Aad van Dommelen DPP/image editing: Rik Hoving Project management: Rosemarie Leenders Item photography: Tom Mittemeijer Printing: Star Standard Industries, Singapore Letter: Oneliner Lithography: TenL Premedia & Productions, Amsterdam We have tried to exercise all copyrights within the legal requirements. Nevertheless, anyone who thinks they can claim certain rights can contact us.

AvD AM AC AK AH AJ AV BB BM CM CO CY CW CN EV EdH EV EL EC FvdO FR FL FN GvB HPB HP HJH HK HT IV IM IB JZ JS JV JK JvdTV JM JvV JiK JK JJ JC KvdB KG KU KD LS MB MG MGO MK MvdS MY MM MC MiV MV NC NI PM PO PW

Aad van Dommelen creative director André Mol senior designer Anja Cronenberg interaction designer Anne-Marie Kaandorp management assistant Ariane Hofmeester project manager Arnout Janssen senior information designer Arthur Visser system manager Barbara Brian communication advisor Bas Masbeck senior designer Claudia Mareis designer Clara Ormeling copywriter Chris Yeo designer Christie de Wit communication advisor Conny Nienhuis traffic manager Edo Visser designer Edsco de Heus copy director Eli Vlessing business unit manager Ellen Kuipers advisor Esther Cammelot project manager Frank van de Oudeweetering senior designer Frans Ruiter administrator Friederike Lambers senior designer Frederik Nysingh advisor Guido van Breda senior designer Hans P Brandt managing director group Hans Postel copywriter Herbert-Jan Hiep manager digital solutions Hub Knuth administrator Huibert Teekens dpp operator Ine de Vries information designer Irene Merten creative researcher Inez Bosch project manager Jack Zwanenburg senior interaction designer Jan Steinhauser senior communication advisor Jeanett Visser advisor Jeannette Kaptein senior designer Jelle van der Toorn Vrijthoff creative director group till 2002 Joachim Mädlow information designer Jolanda van Vegchel dpp operator Joline Korthoven copywriter Joop Kaatee calculator Jorge Jordan information designer Jos Castricum project manager Karel van den Berghe operations manager Karola Grösch administration manager Keiko Uijttenboogaard advisor Kirsten Dekker traffic manager Léon Stolk senior designer Marco Bakker interaction designer Marion Greve receptionist Mark Goslinga advisor Mark Keus web engineer Mark van der Schaaf corrector Martijn Kagenaar strategy director Mohamed Moussaoui administrator Monique Coffeng advisor Marcel Villerius designer Mylène Vieyra dpp operator Nancy Captijn project manager Niels Illem system manager Paul Monster dpp operator Paul Oram senior designer Paul Wolfs designer

PH PV RB RvH RV RH RvdZ RdV RL SaS SK ST ShK SG SWS TD TM TN YS

Peter Hovius production manager Peter Verburgt senior consultant Regina Beyhl designer Richard van Herwijnen senior environmental designer Richard Vogel designer Rik Hoving studio manager Rogier van der Zwaan copywriter Roline de Vos project manager Rosemarie Leenders stylist Sandrijn Sas project manager Sejal Korenromp project manager Seline Tap receptionist Shira Koopman receptionist Sonja Greven executive secretary Stephan Saaltink type director Thijs Dekker receptionist Tom Mittemeijer documentalist Ton Meershoek financial director Youri Stavenuiter designer

Initials

Den Haag

EK EP EW FL JG MM NM SK SV

Edmond Kerkdijk designer Edwin van Praet senior designer Esther vd Wallen traffic manager Frank Lina managing director Jeffrey Groot designer Mohamed Moussaoui administrator Nancy Moorman dpp operator Simone Hogema-Koek project coordinator/dpp operator Svetlana Veen traffic manager

Initials

Maastricht

AGM CA DD LC MP MI PA SU TA

Angèle Meisters project manager Carry Timmermans designer Dirk Dehing dpp operator Lodewijk Creyghton designer Margot Partouns-Sondeijker office manager Mike Mols operations manager Paul Gadet designer Suus Graus communication manager Titia Martens designer

Initials

Rotterdam

KU SWS

Keiko Uijttenboogaard advisor Stephan Saaltink type director

Initials

Brussels

Marcel Speller managing director

Initials

Cologne

Erich Sommer managing director

237

Amsterdam

Page

Initials

Nederland www.totalidentity.nl

Deutschland www.totalidentity.de

Amsterdam TOTAL IDENTITY Postbus 12480 1100 AL Amsterdam ZO Paalbergweg 42 1105 BV Amsterdam ZO Telefoon (020) 750 95 00 Fax (020) 750 95 01 info@totalidentity.nl

Köln TOTAL DESIGN Moltkestrasse 28 D-50674 Köln Telefon +49 221 34 89 29 70 Fax +49 221 34 89 29 73 info@totaldesign.de

Den Haag TOTAL DESIGN Postbus 221 2501 CE Den Haag Zeestraat 94a 2518 AD Den Haag Telefoon (070) 311 05 30 Fax (070) 311 05 31 info@tddh.totaldesign.nl Maastricht TOTAL DESIGN Postbus 1580 6201 BN Maastricht Stationsplein 27 6221 BT Maastricht Telefoon (043) 325 25 44 Fax (043) 325 45 90 info@tdm.totaldesign.nl Rotterdam TOTAL IDENTITY Postbus 1500 3000 BM Rotterdam Weena-Zuid 132 3012 NC Rotterdam Telefoon (010) 413 41 10 Fax (010) 213 17 77 info@totalidentity.nl TOTAL ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN PO Box 12480 1100 AL Amsterdam ZO The Netherlands Paalbergweg 42 1105 BV Amsterdam ZO Phone +31 20 750 95 00 Fax +31 20 750 95 01 info.ted@totalidentity.nl www.totaldesign.nl/ted

Belgique|België www.totalidentity.be Bruxelles|Brussel TOTAL IDENTITY Avenue Louise 149/34 B-1050 Bruxelles Téléphone +32 2 535 97 50 Fax +32 2 535 74 99 info@totalidentity.be International www.totalidentity.nl TOTAL IDENTITY INTERNATIONAL PO Box 12480 1100 AL Amsterdam ZO The Netherlands Paalbergweg 42 1105 BV Amsterdam ZO Phone +31 20 750 95 00 Fax +31 20 750 95 01 info.tii@totalidentity.nl

TOTAL IDENTITY