Since being introduced to the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Ingénieurs des Techniques de l’Automobile (FISITA) in the summer of 2006, we have prepared a wide range of marketing and information collateral, across a range of media, developed around their existing identity.

Ian Dickie, FISITA’s CEO (1996–2013), outlines what they needed from a design consultancy: ‘As our organisation grew, we knew we needed an agency to develop a cohesive visual identity for FISITA. But we couldn’t justify starting with a full-scale branding exercise. Hands-on started us with some core marketing materials which they have since skilfully developed with us over time to create a strong, unified and professional house style. The design principles they’ve given us have proved flexible enough to be easily applied to an expanding range of print and electronic materials, some of which we could not have anticipated needing when we started out.’

Working with a very focused client on such a wide range of material – from information leaflets and exhibition panels, corporate collateral such as a folder, PowerPoint template, flag and banners, to an indentifier for an international student competition – provided an opportunity to improve the way the existing corporate identity is applied. The results include: a more coherent overall appearance; a robust but flexible design system, within which new designs can be generated more quickly, and therefore more cost-effectively; and rationalisation of the corporate colour palette (contributing to a reduction in print production costs).

Ian continues: ‘We have a small staff and we’re working on lots of things at once, so we often need projects completed at unreasonably short notice. Hands-on impress me because they will deliver to tight deadlines without compromising on the originality or integrity of the design.’

Working with Ian and his staff at the London office, where most of the collateral is conceived and local control easier, is straight-forward. However, the inconsistent use of the FISITA identity by the various member societies around the world had led to a breakdown in the way the identity was presented, and therefore perceived. To address this problem, and cater for the diversity of the world-wide target audience, concise, visually-based guidelines were devised and issued worldwide.

Working with FISITA is usually challenging but always rewarding. We feel we are a part of their team, and that makes the occasional time-based constraints very much easier to deal with successfully. And to-date this relationship has resulted in very satisfying work for us.