Sync the City:
A very unofficial branding exploration
Four pitches that reimagine Norwich’s premiere hackathon
Described as “Dragon’s Den meets The Apprentice”, Sync the City is an annual 54-hour tech startup event hosted in the Fine City of Norwich.
I’ve loved Sync and what it represents since I first attended it in 2017.
With that in mind, I wanted to pitch four radically different styles and explore how they change the feel of the event.
Please note: This project was done entirely for fun and is not in conjunction with the wonderful STC team.
Pitch #1: The Wave
Opposing waves combine to make a subtle Sync “S” monogram
Focusing on the “Sync” of Sync the City, The Wave design imagines tidal or radio waves that move in different directions but come together to make something great –much like the ten or so strangers that make up a team at Sync.
Free-flowing ideas
For the branding, The Wave combines a simple black and white colour palette with moments of intentional busyness.
The Wave patterns can flow, wrap and travel across physical and digital surfaces –and can even be rendered in pixels– to really capture the tech-first nature of the event.
Pitch #2: The Dialogue Bubble
A two-sided speech bubble celebrates communication
Two speech bubbles come together to create a chunky S monogram in negative space. It can also be seen as two expanding arrows –as in the animation.
The icon centres around growth and collaboration. This is balanced by a strong, stacked sans-serif wordmark.
Grow, Grow, Grow!
The Dialogue Bubble brand is rounded out with concentric patterns, bright colours, and a real sense of dynamism.
The palette of pink and purple gives a super modern, digital-first feel to the brand.
Meanwhile, the introduction of a serifed title font helps the brand break out of the tech norms.
Pitch #3: The Canary
Celebrating Sync The City’s hometown
There is probably no symbol more aligned with Norwich than the canary. While originally brought over by Dutch refugees, Norwich’s canary is best known from the city’s (sometimes) Premier League team.
This new icon intends to stand out from its footballing cousin with a simplified “S” shape body and a chirpy demeanor.
A Norwich Character
The Canary celebrates the contribution of strangers to the Norwich way of life. Pitch #3 builds on the positive vibes of the canary with a title font that’s full of personality and a fun yellow-lime gradient.
The icon itself can be used as a mascot that offers words of support across the sleep-deprived hackathon!
Pitch #4: Big Blok
A big, bold, blocky logo for those who like to build
Big Blok does what Sync The CIty does best; it gives you the building blocks and lets you crack on!
Reminiscent of architectural floor plans and city blo[c]ks, Big Blok reminds us that Sync is first and foremost, a physical, tangible event.
As well as its big and bold typographic format, pitch #4 is notable for focusing on the “Sync” of STC.
Big Blue
For the larger brand, Big Blok uses a blue that is part architectural, part digital.
The SYNC icon can be tiled and stacked to make impactful patterns, while the accompanying extra-wide typeface maintains the “bigger is better'“ maxim.
In Summary: Reimagining a Norwich Institution
It’s been a joy to look back at what makes Sync The City such a special event and to capture that essence in radically different ways.
I took part in Sync 2017, and (to all of our surprise) our ragtag team would go on to win the judges’ prize. The company we pitched would go on to shape the next seven years of my life, so it holds a special place for me.
If you enjoyed this experiment and would like to discuss your own branding or design needs, please get in touch! You can email hello@mattrumbelow.com or call me on 07931812693.
Above: Me and team at STC 2017