Stockholm School of Economics launches new visual identity
At the start of the new academic term, the Stockholm School of Economics is launching a new visual identity. Rooted in the school’s architecture, culture and approach to education, a visual language has been developed that more clearly reflects the institution that SSE is today.
For more than a century, the Stockholm School of Economics has evolved in close interaction with the society around it. Research and research-based education form the foundation, but the educational mission also rests on a strong belief in broader learning, curiosity and the ability to understand the world from multiple perspectives.
The visual identity builds on this history and these values. The ambition has not been to create a new story about SSE, but to give a clearer and more coherent expression to the culture and environment that already define the School.
"Knowledge begins with facts, but it does not end there. A broader conception of education means developing our ability to understand people, contexts and the world in which we live and work. Art and culture open up perspectives that science alone cannot give us. The visual identity is an expression of that same conviction. It gives form to an environment in which knowledge, curiosity and reflection are given room to grow," says Lars Strannegård, President of the Stockholm School of Economics.
A space for thought
The central concept can be summed up as a space for thought. The Stockholm School of Economics is not only an educational institution, but also a physical and intellectual environment where research, education, culture, business, and society meet. A place where ideas can be tested, perspectives challenged and our understanding of the world deepened.
The same idea shapes the visual expression. The identity does not place a new layer on top of SSE, but draws its visual language from what is already here.
The architecture of the School’s main building and the tradition of Swedish Grace have been important points of departure. The specially developed typeface SSE Adelia has its roots in the letterforms found on the stone plaque in the School’s atrium. The primary green takes inspiration from the copper dome of the library and its naturally aged patina. Illustrations, forms and textures similarly draw on details from the School’s buildings and from the academic life within them.
"Our starting point was to understand what already makes this place and institution distinctive and translate that into a visual language. The architecture, materials, art, people and intellectual life have all been part of the work. When the identity works at its best, it does not feel new for the sake of being new. It feels like the Stockholm School of Economics," says Jonas Weschke, Creative Lead at the Stockholm School of Economics.
The identity has been developed by the Stockholm School of Economics in close collaboration with the brand and design agency IW Agency. The work has encompassed the entire visual system, from logotype, typography and colour to illustration, image style and digital applications.
The visual identity is now being introduced progressively across the Stockholm School of Economics’ digital and physical channels.
