The Challenge

Imperial College London had just unveiled a refreshed master brand, and Global Summer School (GSS) needed to align while still keeping a distinct personality.

Global Summer School welcomes more than 550 students, representing over 50 nationalities to Imperial every year. The two-week programme offers a unique opportunity to develop STEM subject knowledge, gain practical skills alongside likeminded peers, and add weight to future university applications.

As part of the world’s second-ranked university, and a leader in science and innovation, GSS needed an identity that could match Imperial’s global reputation while capturing the unique energy of a summer school. The refresh was an opportunity to move beyond a flat, monochrome look and create a brand that conveyed the excitement and ambition of two weeks at one of the world’s top universities.

The challenge was to create a brand that could connect directly to Imperial while standing confidently on its own. It needed to capture the energy, curiosity and ambition of students on the cusp of university life, while also reassuring parents and teachers of the programme’s rigour and prestige. The new identity had to balance academic excellence with the social, cultural and personal growth of a summer in London — and be flexible enough to grow across new subject streams in the future. Above all, it had to feel modern, digital-first and globally relevant for a Gen Z audience, while being clear and accessible to all.

The Solution

We built on Imperial’s refreshed master brand but injected energy, colour and flexibility to reflect the unique personality of Global Summer School and the ambitions of its students.

The retained orange was made more saturated and paired with Imperial blue, rooting the identity in the master brand while signalling a vibrant first step on a student’s journey with Imperial. Each subject stream — Physics, Engineering, Medicine and Life Sciences, and Data Science & AI — was given its own colour for wayfinding and student pride, carried through into digital assets, printed materials and merchandise like tote bags and T-shirts that helped students recognise their cohort from day one.

The globe was reimagined as a central icon, both as a nod to GSS’s international community and as a unifying device for icons representing each subject. Around it orbit cut-out images of students, London landmarks and oversized scientific objects, creating striking juxtapositions: a student taller than a skyscraper, or walking alongside an enormous conical flask. This playful use of scale captured the excitement of discovery while grounding it in the authority of Imperial — a world-leading, science-driven university ranked second globally.

Photography, cut-outs and icons were designed to work seamlessly across languages, cultures and digital platforms, making the brand instantly adaptable for a global audience. At the heart of the system sits the brand idea “Discovering the future, together” — a proposition that positions GSS not just as a two-week course, but as a launchpad into academic excellence, cultural exploration and life-changing friendships.

The result is a brand that feels modern, global and inspiring. It connects seamlessly to Imperial’s identity while giving Global Summer School the clarity, flexibility and energy to stand out as one of the world’s leading pre-university programmes.

Creative Team: Brand strategy and copywriting: Alexander Scott; Creative direction and design, Kath Simpson.

- Kick-off
- Review of existing data
  and market research
- Stakeholder workshops
- Competitor analysis
- User-centred research
- Research analysis & synthesis
- Brand positioning and proposition development
- Defining positioning, personality, and hierarchy
- Messaging and verbal identity development
- Visual identity development and refinement
- Online guidelines design and copy
- Packaged artwork and high-resolution asset files
- Microsoft templates
- Brand training videos