The Brief

City of Birmingham Schools (COBS) commissioned us to design a cohesive set of icons that represent their core values, ensuring alignment with their existing branding – including fonts, colours, and overall visual style. The aim was to create welcoming, informative entrances across all campuses that clearly communicate key messages around safeguarding, attendance, punctuality, and healthy eating.

The Process

Two Thirds Design visited each school campus to collaborate closely with leadership teams and better understand the school’s brand and ethos. We facilitated a brainstorming session with headteachers from all campuses to explore the meaning behind each core value. These insights were translated into a set of custom-designed icons that reflect what these values mean to students – not just in their everyday school life, but also in relation to their future goals and personal development, with a focus on fostering a growth mindset.

The graphics were designed to be versatile, working seamlessly across digital platforms, printed materials, and physical displays. In addition to the core values icons, we were also asked to develop visual materials to support:

• Reading engagement across primary and secondary sites

• Healthy eating and nutrition awareness

• Positive behaviour and self-regulation

The Result

The final icon set and supporting brand assets created a unified visual identity that reinforces the school’s values across all touchpoints. These were implemented consistently across all campuses through a wide range of engaging displays, signage, and environment-enhancing features, including:

• Dibond Core Values Displays installed across all 7 campuses

• Zones of Regulation Boards in every school to support emotional literacy and self-regulation

• Healthy Eating Displays in all canteens, illustrating food groups and encouraging balanced daily choices

• Subject Signage across all 7 campuses – including English, Maths, Science, Humanities, and Art

• Specialist Signage for the Key Stage 4 campus, covering Art, Craft & Design, Food & Nutrition, Hair & Beauty, and directional signage for the gym, library, and canteen

• British Values Displays to promote and embed fundamental British values throughout the school environment

• Updatable Safeguarding, Attendance, and Punctuality Boards installed in each campus reception area, providing a clear, regularly refreshed point of communication for staff, students, and visitors

• Two Calming External Chill-Out Areas, designed to offer students a quiet outdoor space for emotional regulation and reflection during break times

• An Imaginative Reflection Room Ceiling, created to inspire calm, curiosity, and mindfulness – transforming the space into a peaceful environment for quiet thought or one-on-one support

This project not only strengthened the City of Birmingham Schools’ visual identity across all campuses, but also ensured that their core values and key wellbeing messages are visible, celebrated, and meaningfully integrated into the daily experience of every student and staff member.