A rebrand for Norwich Castle is inspired by Post-it drawings from the public

As Norwich Castle gears up to reopen next year following a £13m revamp, The Click has launched a new brand for the landmark. The logo distils the castle’s structure into a clean minimal form, inspired by a range of speedy drawings whipped up by the public.

The design studio asked people to draw Norwich Castle purely from memory; participants had a pen, Post-it note and 10 seconds to visualise the landmark. “The results were hugely informative and in turn very much guided our thinking and creative execution,” says The Click.

A new cube-like symbol, resembling the familiar form of the Norman Keep, underpins the brand. The Click also created a nine-column grid system, referencing the number of merlons seen running along the castle wall. The design studio takes the simplicity of the logo further still, using the crenelation device that tops the symbol as a graphic divider across communications like signage. A grotesque-style sans serif, Franklin Gothic URW, is the new brand typeface.

Adam Ewels, design director at The Click states: “We crafted an uncompromisingly simple mark – unmistakably portraying Norwich Castle. In isolation, the core brand logo is understated and intentionally unembellished. We removed everything from the previous brand logo that wasn’t needed – distilling the visual representation of the castle to its simplest and most iconic form.”

Norwich Castle will relaunch in 2024 with a refurbished keep, new medieval gallery (designed in partnership with the British Museum), and improved visitor facilities such as digital and learning spaces.