Talking about Tengbom’s new identity

2016-06-21

According to Oscar Liedgren, who devised Tengbom’s new graphic profile, a company’s visual identity is constantly evolving. There’s a more detailed, interesting story to be told here, so we dig a little deeper to reveal the path of the process. Oscar Liedgren is happy to fill us in.

Oscar Liedgren
Oscar Liedgren

Not only has Tengbom assumed a new visual identity, it has adopted a new way of operating and communicating. Can you explain why the two go hand in hand?
– It’s always fascinating to look into the way in which an industry as a whole communicates – it’s a chance to chart typical approaches to branding/communication. When we started on this project we looked at between 150 and 200 architectural practices, and it quickly became clear that many shared a common visual identity, which was not unexpected. What was more striking, however, was that many of these firms chose not to say anything interesting about their projects. We therefore decided that Tengbom would take the lead in bringing its projects to life in every way, with design and language of equal importance in this regard. This led to an entirely new approach from Tengbom, and naturally, the aim is to engage a larger, broader audience, since architecture impacts on us all in some way. The challenge was finding ways to engage the reader and observer by providing more detail: What happened when we won the commission? Who was involved in the process? What types of different skills were required? Did we encounter any problems? These accounts are intended to elicit a reaction.

The company’s visual identity has undergone a change, albeit on a small scale. Why choose evolution rather than a total transformation?
– There was a great deal at Tengbom that already worked well. Companies are sometimes forced to undergo a total transformation in which everything – the organisation, name and ownership – is changed. This wasn’t the case for Tengbom. It was more about pursuing improvements in each area. This was reflected in our ambition to sharpen all the tools in the graphical toolbox rather than replacing everything and starting from scratch.

What is important to bear in mind during the process to create a branding identity?
– Getting to know and understanding an organisation is vital, and it’s just as important to know how the industry functions and communicates. That said, it’s important not to be consumed by all this insight. As an outsider, your lack of knowledge can actually be one of your most important assets. You have to ask a lot of stupid questions, like ‘Why do you do this?’, ‘Does it have to look this way?’, ‘How would it work if you did it this way?’. When you’re operating in a complex world, it’s easy to become accustomed to tried-and-trusted, long-established methods.

In what ways have Tengbom’s employees been involved?
– Developing an identity is a collaborative process, and the team at Tengbom have been heavily involved throughout. Not only have the marketing and communication departments provided input, we’ve also held a number of reviews with the board and management group. However, best of all was the workshop we arranged in which representatives from every office offered their perspectives, and truly overwhelmed us with their excellent ideas. We now have material for at least five years to come!

Tengbom has been given its own typeface, Tengbom Scandia. What’s the background to this?
– Tengbom Scandia is based on an existing typeface, which has been extended to include unique variations and properties. Being given a unique typeface is a bit like having your own handwriting. It’s also clearly connected to our logo, so the spirit of Tengbom is evoked the moment you discern the shape of the letters.

Oscar Liedgren
Oscar Liedgren shows us parts of our new typeface, Tengbom Scandia.

How do you think Tengbom will adjust to its new identity?
– Good question! It’s really now that the hard work begins. Our new profile provides a sound platform from which to continually expand and develop – it certainly isn’t restrictive and limited to a single purpose. We don’t want Tengbom to continually create the same impression, or projects to be drawn up on the same lines. Tengbom achieves so many fantastic things, and it’s my hope that the new identity will make it possible to spread the word far wider.

Oscar Liedgren Studio and copywriter Mattias Jersild have been collaborating with Tengbom on the development of the graphical profile and tonality since spring 2015.