Northern Group

Colony

Creating a fluid identity for Manchester’s fastest growing workspace provider

In 2018, Colony launched as a single-venue co-working space with the ambition of offering Manchester’s creatives a new way to work – somewhere with soul. The solution for such early-stage ambition was to create an identity that could grow alongside every member, giving the brand space to ebb and flow with the ever-evolving habits of work and workspaces.

Our strategic work with the client and their audiences led us to develop the concept of ‘Cellular Growth’ – a visual representation of the very acts of work, collaboration and development. At the heart of the identity was a constant: a shape we coined the ‘Petri Dish’. This became a vehicle that allowed other areas of the brand to flex as Colony’s offer evolved and expanded.

Indoor scene with a beige sofa, large potted monstera plant, and a wall-mounted neon-inspired art piece creating shadows on a dark textured wall.
The word 'COLONY' is written in white, stylized block letters on a black background.
Large outdoor billboard advertising coworking spaces with the slogan 'Workspaces that work', featuring images of a person working on a laptop, stylish interior spaces, and abstract art. The text includes details about amenities like floating desks, dedicated desks, furnished studios, events, and meetings, with the website colony.co.work.
A woman sits on a desk with one leg extended balancing a chair and the other resting on the same chair. She is wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans, and beige Converse sneakers. She is sat in a modern office with dark curtains in the background.
An open laptop on a table displaying a website about flexible working, with text 'Introducing truly flexible working' and images of smiling woman and office decor.
Looking through a glass window into a modern office space with a blue neon sign, bookshelves, seating area, and people walking by
Office chairs with tote bags hanging on the back, one with the word 'COLONY' the other with a geometrical logo, positioned in front of a large window with natural light.
A newspaper titled 'POST' lying on a textured surface with shadows cast across it. The front page features a headline 'Business as usual?' along with a photograph of a woman sitting on a chair near a window, dressed casually.

Building on the success of their first venue, Colony quickly expanded across the city, reaching 8 venues in just 6 years. With each new venue, we further refined the brand, expanding on the original concept and developing new takes for each unique offer, led by location and build environment.

Animation alternating patterns of a multi-faceted geometrical shape on a black background, with the text 'Colony' Jactin House beneath it.
A black marble surface with a small plant, two circular abstract sculptures, a straight black object, and a row of black cans with white logos.
Directional signs on a concrete wall indicating restrooms, print and scan screens, and dedicated desks in a building.
A spherical, black LED display with blue, white, and purple illuminated circles, mounted on a window with a blurred city street visible outside.
Nighttime view of the exterior of co- space Colony, with large glass windows revealing people inside socialising and dining, and a man walking by outside.
Two white plastic coasters with an '18' design on a dark wooden table next to a green succulent plant in a dark pot.
Close-up of a black geometric-shaped display with a digital purple and white logo, sitting on a wooden floor near office chairs.
A large poster display on a brick wall featuring modern, digital-themed artwork and text promoting Colony, an innovative workspace or design brand, with sections highlighting transformation, workspaces, and events.
The exterior of a building with a large glass window and the word 'COLONY' on the wall next to it.
Six circular abstract digital art designs with the text 'COLONY' and the names of their six locations beneath each circle, including 'JACTIN HOUSE, PICCADILLY, THE ASTLEY, SILK STREET, FLINT GLASS WORKS, and FABRICA'

Whilst each location has its own spin on the Colony master aesthetic, there was still a need to create consistency and clarity in their internal wayfinding solutions. This led us to create a clear and concise design system that could be tailored to match each location and be applied simply but effectively.

Spatial design and Wayfinding system

A poster showing numbers and data in colourful blocks over dark background.
Signboard displaying the text 'One Silk Street', various icons, and accessibility symbols, with a shadow cast across part of it.
Green neon cactus sign on a glass door or window.
A modern wooden office desk with six chairs, decorated with vases and potted plants, illuminated by sunlight streaming through large windows.
Modern interior hallway with black walls, a light-colored concrete wall with a large number 8, and vertical white light strips on the black wall.
A print with white background and black icons and text, leaning against a red brick wall, with the word 'COLONY' at the top.
A print with a pattern of white large circles over dark background, against a reflective concrete floor surface.
Black 3D letters on a wooden wall that read 'C3'.
Sign indicating the location of lifts and stairs, mounted on a wooden slatted wall.
Empty beige armchair with metal frame in a modern office, next to a decorative wall with geometric patterns, near a meeting area with black chairs and large windows.
Glass door with sign reading 'Meeting Room Four'.
A directory sign on a concrete wall showing directions to meeting and offices. The sign has icons indicating amenities like coffee, Wi-Fi, and restrooms.

Further Case Studies

A hand removing a canned beverage labeled 'Blackjack' from a cardboard box of similar cans labeled 'BLACKJACK BREW CO'.
Yellow background with a black logo and the word 'Apollo' written on it.
Printed materials, including booklets and cards, with black, white, and purple designs, related to Workforce Reporting Consortium and titled 'Phase One Standardized Fundamentals'.

Workforce Reporting Consortium
Creating a new standard of benchmarking human capital