ORB creates a Hive of history and learning

10th February 2011. Posted by Ruth Pipkin.



Branding specialists, ORB Creative, have helped bring a new library and history centre to life following a series of brand and naming sessions. The agency developed the branding behind The Hive, working with Worcestershire County Council and The University of Worcester.

The Hive is the name for Worcester’s new flagship library and history centre, revealed in a ‘Topping Out’ ceremony last week.  ORB won a competitive tender to work alongside the project team and facilitate the branding process for the previously-named Worcester Library & History Centre (WLHC). Worcestershire County Council and The University of Worcester had already, internally, started the branding process and ORB was brought in to facilitate the final decision and steer the direction of the brand.

ORB undertook an audit of libraries and other multi-purpose public facilities nationwide, followed by a series of drawing board sessions with staff to identify the key qualities and characteristics of WLHC. These generated a number of key themes, including the industry of a collective centre for all; the community ‘buzz’ of activity; a sustainable building at one with its environment; and the overall visual appearance of a beehive.

ORB presented a series of potential names alongside options previously generated by the project team, who finally chose ‘The Hive’ as their preferred name.



Katharine Clough from Worcestershire County Council said: “From the outset, ORB understood how to help the project team represent our particular audiences and priorities and ensure we reached a conclusion that reflected the many different uses the centre will be put to. Their professionalism and the specific process in the drawing board sessions helped us express those varied interests and enabled ORB to broker a route through which everyone agreed with. Following the work put in by the team internally, appointing ORB was a cost-effective move for us and it brought their expertise to the table, which built on our project experience.

“The Hive will be a fantastic addition to the Worcester community, offering a hub of learning and education to people of all backgrounds and ages. Thanks to ORB we now have a name that demonstrates this and which allows us to communicate this effectively to all audiences between now and completion of the centre.”

Following the drawing board sessions, ORB refined the visual identity of The Hive, creating the final logo and styling.

Rob Bloxham, Managing Director at ORB Creative, said: “We were delighted to be appointed by WLHC to lead the naming strategy and our drawing board sessions helped everyone involved to articulate how they felt the centre should be represented. These sessions are a staple of the ORB branding process, as it enables us to really understand the expectations and preconceptions of a brand.”

The Hive is a £60m project and is the first joint public and university library in Europe. It is due for completion in 2012. For more information about ORB Creative and its brand specialist techniques, visit www.orbcreative.com.

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