Grain Creative brands Next Gen Skills Academy and helps secure £6.5 million funding

London, UK – Next Gen Skills Academy was launched at EGX London, the UK’s biggest games show. Grain Creative developed the branding that helped secure the funding of £6.5 million by UK Commission for Employment and Skills & digital industry leaders.

The agency was invited by Amersham & Wycombe College, the initiative leader, to create the initial branding two years ago in order to get government buy in and funding. Following the support of Next Gen over the last two years Grain built on the established brand identity, designed and developed the new website and designed print materials and the digital campaign.

In order to attract partners, Grain Creative focused on how the brand reflects the visual dynamic of the digital industry and the engagement between education providers and the professional world.

Christoph Geppert, creative director of Grain Creative said: “The hexagonal symbol is both 2D and 3D, and with the use of colour and lines the logo flips between a 2D hexagon and a 3D cube. The honeycomb motif suggests a beehive of industry, education and students, while the three-dimensional aspect recalls the tension between the flat screen and the virtual spaces created by animations, games and VFX.”

“Supported by clean, contemporary typography, Grain Creative fleshed out the identity on the website, with hero images promoting the quality and variety of the UK industry,” said Mr Geppert.

The agency also provided strategic consultancy based on further education & skills training policies to meet the requirements for government funding. All branding strategies indicate how the project will help improve the skills training sector by giving 16- to 18-year-olds a new route into the games, animation and VFX industries.

Grain has not only supported the initiative with its branding work but has also been actively living the partnership between industry and education by participating in the internship programme from Amersham & Wycombe College, leading to one of the interns now working full-time with Grain.

Note to editor:
Grain Creative (www.graincreative.com) is an award-winning London-based branding agency, founded by Creative Director Christoph Geppert. It works with entrepreneurial thinkers in sectors including property, luxury and education. Specialties include brand strategy, naming, visual identity, digital and print design.

For further information, please contact: Kent Le, kent@graincreative.com or Madelyn Postman, madelyn@graincreative.com on 020 7524 7550.