St John’s College is one of the largest and most prestigious Colleges at the University of Cambridge.
Founded in 1511 by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII, it has since built a global reputation for academic excellence, rich tradition, and a vibrant student community.
The College is part of Cambridge University and upholds the highest standards across all its subjects — yet the branded materials, notably the website, were not representing the College well for those new to it.
SomeOne were asked to help the organisation better match how the College showed up strategically — to help potential students get a better idea of what life at St John’s is like — as well as current students more efficiently navigate information.
To create tomorrow we first had to understand yesterday. Our process was rooted in research, consultation, and close collaboration. We began with an in-depth site visit and a series of detailed conversations with the client team to fully understand the institution’s heritage and vision.
We were granted access to the College archives, uncovering rarely seen original materials and historical references that we were mindful to respect throughout the design process.
Walking the grounds we took note of the unique carvings, typographic details, and architectural intricacies of St John’s College. We were impressed by how contemporary and open parts of the College felt — an unexpected modernity that introduced a sense of warmth and collegiate spirit that helped shape the tone of our creative approach.
We quickly realised that there was an opportunity to challenge the status quo. While St John’s is not alone in working at the highest levels of academia, it would be one of a rarified few if it was able to project one sector wide elusive aspect: an idea.
We were delighted to work with one core thought for St John’s…
The list of luminaries that studied, taught and have passed through the gates of St John’s is legendary. Each thought leader shares a common trait. They all developed, worked with or pioneered a big idea, a concept that endured and went on to change the way we see the world.
St John’s can genuinely claim to be the ‘home of big ideas’ — this idea ran through our work and we looked to amplify it through every branded touchpoint.
This important work newly defines a brand 500 years in the making. The progressive ideas born within the gates of St John’s are now made more evident than ever through an exciting and sector-challenging strategic system designed to work everywhere for everyone, all of the time.
Drawing from our research, we partnered with illustrator Anthony Millard, whose precision and craft were instrumental in refining the key elements of the crest. To ensure the identity remained effective across a wide range of applications, we developed both detailed and simplified versions, allowing the crest to maintain clarity, character, and integrity at any scale and on any platform. The result is a visual identity grounded in authenticity, shaped by history, and carefully optimised for the future.
Heraldry is detailed, nuanced and loaded with meaning to those who understand its codified complexities. To everyone else it’s a signal of history that can act as a useful anchor to visual branding schemes.
Alongside more familiar Eagles and Lions, there’s two creatures that might be new to you. Yales. These mythical creatures feature elephant tails, antelope bodies, goat heads, and — as if that was not enough — swivelling horns, to enable a robust defence from attack at any angle.
We looked to redraw every aspect, including the Yales to make the crest optimal in its deployment across all channels.
Re-crafting and optimising the crest was a must, but establishing a more cinematic and inviting tone was key to appealing to today’s audience. Impactful video, expansive typography and a new bespoke monogram reframes the St John’s brand, transforming how the College is portrayed.
The home of big ideas consists of both physical and now digital spaces. With the new design thinking, we looked to create a device that brought the two together.
Signature architecture lies at the heart of St John’s College. The iconic square spaces found here are central to the College’s success. Central locations within the walls of the College where students, Fellows, staff and visitors meet — sometimes planned, often by chance, are where the colliding of viewpoints, fascinations and passions make for exciting and inspiring exchanges. We experienced this first-hand on a visit where we were inspecting heraldic applications and found ourselves in conversation with students and staff about the various idiosyncratic aspects of the branding!
Inspired by this enduring spirit, we created a bespoke monogram drawn from the floor plan of Second Court. This became the foundation for a flexible design grid, to be used used across both print and digital applications. The result is a visual system that connects past and present, bricks and pixels, tradition and bold new ideas.
The new design system, is extensive and works with one primary intention, to help people unfamiliar with the College to better understand what sets it apart from others.
The new design thinking enables everything to work together while remaining appropriate for separate subjects and channels.
The new strategic, visual and verbal identity needed to translate coherently and recognisably across all digital touch points. Building trust and helping people immediately associate the message with the brand, no matter where they encounter it.
The design system continues its bold thinking by refusing to conform to the norms. A striking and confident Black & White colour scheme amplifies the work, allowing full-colour imagery to take centre stage. The black and white palette brings clarity, confidence, and a distinctive tone to St John’s — helping to position the College as both forward-thinking and proudly individual.
The Court Grid frames and highlights current students, their experiences, ideas, and reasons to consider St John’s as a place of study. It works as an animated opener for conversations in all subjects connected by a single ‘expansive’ animated theme.
With the global appeal of Cambridge as a centre of academic excellence, there is no denying that many students first experience will come from online sources. The new branding looks to help manage the College reputation in more intelligent ways.
This isn’t about redesigning a coat of arms. It’s about articulating what a historic College offers a generation raised on AI, activism, and algorithms.
Typography played a central role in the rebrand, making the choice of typeface a critical decision. Our selection was inspired by the etched lettering, court markings, and historical typography found throughout the College grounds. GT Ultra proved the perfect match. It’s refined, contemporary character sits comfortably alongside the College’s historic inscriptions and signage. Blending calligraphic forms with structured precision, it bridges the worlds of serif and sans, reflecting the College’s heritage while introducing a fresh, confident energy. The alternate glyphs, in particular, subtly echo the traditional letter and number markings seen across the College, adding an extra layer of connection to place.
Inspired by aspects of the College such as court markings, signage and archival texts, the identity is a beautiful blend of historical and contemporary influences, which not only honours an enviable legacy but also redefines a new chapter of St John’s.
We created an editorial style as crafted, considered, and intelligent as the College itself. The layouts are clean and thoughtfully composed, with a zine-like aesthetic that introduces a confident and contemporary attitude. Designed to adapt seamlessly across a wide range of publications, the new print aesthetic feels like something students would want to read, and also proudly display on their coffee table.
Flexibility sits at the heart of the new identity. Built to adapt, the system embraces a wide range of applications without ever losing its clarity or character.
At its core is a versatile set of assets and a confident black and white palette, ensuring the identity holds strong across everything from official stationery and T-shirts to hospitality materials and digital platforms.
Digital channels come in all shapes and sizes, from Instagram reels to mobile specific websites to 4K screens. This branding scheme is made to be responsive and versatile. Scalable logos, flexible grid systems, and assets that retain impact whether on a smartwatch or a widescreen monitor.
The result is a bold, contemporary identity that speaks to external audiences while resonating with a younger generation eager to feel connected, seen, and proud to belong.
A radical reconsideration of the College website takes all the branding aspects from visual to verbal and helps the brand show up to audiences old and new in a clearer, smarter and infinitely more engaging way.
It’s no surprise the College features in so many films and storylines. Taking to the skies via drone photography elevates the College by making online branded experiences more cinematic, rather than simply informative.
In a digital environment full of noise, this branding needed to do more than look good, it looks to provoke curiosity, create emotional resonance, and invite participation. We developed motion graphics, interactive elements, storytelling, visuals that invite users to click, swipe, or share.
The educative sector faces many challenges, however we were struck by how formulaic many institutions have become. Research uncovered a desire for the College to be more confident, clear and inspirational in the way it depicted itself.
In this new work we challenged the status quo.
Black & White simplicity over coloured complexity.
Student focus rather than empty rooms.
A brand made to move not remain shackled.
And most notable of all, a College happy to stand up and be counted for its approach: To continue to be a home for the next big idea.
Branding an institution like St John’s is like rebranding fire. You didn’t invent it. You can’t own it. But you need to show how it still matters, how it still burns. What sets this work apart is a commitment to a core idea and single-minded belief to make things compelling for new audiences.
Huge thanks to The Master, Head of Communications, Digital Experience Officer and the entire team at St John’s College.
Simon Manchipp — Founding Partner
Andy Goode — Design Director
James Bell — Senior Designer
Megan Pepall — Account Manager
Illustrator — Anthony Millard
Website Partners — Crafted