Policoro City Brand Proposal
Role
- UX/UI Designer
- Researching
- Wireframing
- Interaction Design
- Visual Design
- User testing
- Brand Design
Tools
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Figma
- Zeplin
Team
- One designer (me)
Duration
- From: May 2018
- To: July 2019
overview
The Policoro city brand proposal project was initially born from a desire to learn more about the history of my city, the roots that unite us and the events that led the ancient Herakleia to become the modern Policoro. Later, from the need to make develop a critical sense, an idea of community and to make known the important history that characterized the life of ancient Herakleia and the current Policoro (and, why not, to “support” our city with other realities also design level).
The project, in the initial phase and in continuous expansion and deepening, aims to review and revisit “in a modern key” those that are the current logo and applications of the Municipality of Policoro, making a stylistic and functional implementation of the existing brand .
LAND OF CULTURES
The city of Policoro is known to most, unfortunately, only as a young city with a limited history.
But the history of the Ionian community has its roots in ancient Greece and exactly around 680 BC, a period in which the city was initially built by the Greeks from Colofone (in Asia Minor). In the sixth century BC it was destroyed by the coalitioned Achaean colonies of Metaponto, Crotone and Sibari.
In 432 BC the city was rebuilt and took the name of Herakleia. The Tables of Heraclea, preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, date back to this historical period, very ancient bronze tables with texts in Greek concerning the public and constitutional organization of the city, on the back of these tables the Lex Iulia Municipalis (law promulgated by Julius Caesar in 45 BC).
But the history of the Ionian community has its roots in ancient Greece and exactly around 680 BC, a period in which the city was initially built by the Greeks from Colofone (in Asia Minor). In the sixth century BC it was destroyed by the coalitioned Achaean colonies of Metaponto, Crotone and Sibari.
In 432 BC the city was rebuilt and took the name of Herakleia. The Tables of Heraclea, preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, date back to this historical period, very ancient bronze tables with texts in Greek concerning the public and constitutional organization of the city, on the back of these tables the Lex Iulia Municipalis (law promulgated by Julius Caesar in 45 BC).
During the Middle Ages, the city gradually depopulated, as did all the coastal territory, Heraclea was lost and a small village called Policoro (which in Greek means “large place”) remained on a hill, where the population of neighboring villages found refuge. threatened by numerous invasions and raids.
Subsequently the village was transformed into a baronial fief and the city developed around the baronial palace used as a residence for the hunting parties of the feudal lords, given the presence of a very extensive wood which belonged, among other noble families, to the Berlingieri family, from which takes its name.
Only after 1950, thanks to the reclamation of the territory that had become swampy and unhealthy over the centuries and to the agrarian reform that divided and redistributed land ownership and guaranteed rapid development and repopulation, did Policoro achieve municipal autonomy, attracting entire families, from all over the region.
(source: www.policoro.gov.it)
Subsequently the village was transformed into a baronial fief and the city developed around the baronial palace used as a residence for the hunting parties of the feudal lords, given the presence of a very extensive wood which belonged, among other noble families, to the Berlingieri family, from which takes its name.
Only after 1950, thanks to the reclamation of the territory that had become swampy and unhealthy over the centuries and to the agrarian reform that divided and redistributed land ownership and guaranteed rapid development and repopulation, did Policoro achieve municipal autonomy, attracting entire families, from all over the region.
(source: www.policoro.gov.it)
visual identity
For a city with a noble past, you need a visual identity that guarantees it an equally important future.
The visual system includes the salient features of the city of Policoro, combining them neatly to give an image of the city that is fresh, traditional and modern at the same time.
In the creation of the visual system, therefore, different semantic areas related to the city of Policoro were addressed: its origins, its monuments, its natural attractions, its history and its tradition.
The visual system includes the salient features of the city of Policoro, combining them neatly to give an image of the city that is fresh, traditional and modern at the same time.
In the creation of the visual system, therefore, different semantic areas related to the city of Policoro were addressed: its origins, its monuments, its natural attractions, its history and its tradition.
Logo
The logo merge all the salient elements of the city of Policoro. Reworking the shape of the original coat of arms and the wall crown that surmounts it, the coat of arms includes the reference to ancient Greece (ancient Herakleia and the Greek cross), to the battle of Heraclea (and to the victory of Pyrrhus), to the oriented nature reserve Bosco Pantano, the sea and the sun typical of our tourist area.
payoff
The payoff (ie the verbal element that accompanies the logo of a company or product) “Terra di Culture” is taken up, therefore, from the historical intertwining of cultures since the dawn of the Ionian town. Since ancient Greece, the territory of Policoro (and of ancient Greek Herakleia and ancient Roman Heraclea) has been the subject of “cultural exchanges” and “alternations” of peoples and cultures.
moodboard
The moodboard (that is, a set of images used by designers and planners to present a project) has been extrapolated from the peculiarities that make Policoro a unique city; starting from the natural assets present in the territory (for example the Bosco Pantano nature reserve), passing through the cultural assets such as the archaeological finds bequeathed by the ancient peoples who inhabited this area (and largely kept at the National Archaeological Museum of Siritide ), John Leech’s illustration of Pirro’s arrival in Italy, up to the “red gold” of the Candonga strawberry.
landmarks
The visual system also includes the landmarks (ie points of interest or reference points), which constitute icons representative of the most famous and important monuments, personalities and events of the city. The landmarks, which also form a dedicated pattern, are constantly developing and will help tourists to immediately identify the monument they will visit. All the landmarks are conceived within a square grid.
All landmarks are also compatible with the colors of the moodboard and can be paired with naming and payoff (as shown in the examples).
THE BATTLE OF HERACLEA
The project also features a reference to the ancient site of the battle of Eraclea.
It was 280 BC. and the troops of the Roman Republic led by the consul Publio Valerio Levino and those of the Greek coalition that united Epirus, Taras (Taranto), Thurii, Metaponto and Eraclea, under the command of King Pyrrhus of Epirus, clashed in the ancient territory of the city of Heraclea.
At the beginning of the third century BC, Rome was trying to expand its influence on the Italian peninsula and aimed at conquering the Magna Graecia polis. Pyrrhus rushed to the defense of Taranto with 25,500 men and 20 war elephants and it was the pachyderms, animals unknown to the Romans, to prove decisive for the victory. The battle was the first clash between the Hellenistic and Roman worlds. From a political point of view, the Greek-Epirot victory proved immediately profitable for the coalition, since after this clash many polis of Magna Graecia asked the king of Epirus for protection.
It was 280 BC. and the troops of the Roman Republic led by the consul Publio Valerio Levino and those of the Greek coalition that united Epirus, Taras (Taranto), Thurii, Metaponto and Eraclea, under the command of King Pyrrhus of Epirus, clashed in the ancient territory of the city of Heraclea.
At the beginning of the third century BC, Rome was trying to expand its influence on the Italian peninsula and aimed at conquering the Magna Graecia polis. Pyrrhus rushed to the defense of Taranto with 25,500 men and 20 war elephants and it was the pachyderms, animals unknown to the Romans, to prove decisive for the victory. The battle was the first clash between the Hellenistic and Roman worlds. From a political point of view, the Greek-Epirot victory proved immediately profitable for the coalition, since after this clash many polis of Magna Graecia asked the king of Epirus for protection.
THE LEGEND
The victories of Eraclea and Ascoli Satriano cost Pirro extremely high losses. It is said that right after the victory of Eraclea Pirro he exclaimed: “Another victory like this and I’m going back to Epirus without a soldier!”.
Both battles cost the victor so high losses that they proved unbridgeable, condemning him to lose the pyrrhic wars and making the military campaign in Italy bankrupt.
From this circumstance comes the expression “Pyrrhic victory”, used in many languages, that is, “a battle won at too high a price for the winner”.
From this circumstance comes the expression “Pyrrhic victory”, used in many languages, that is, “a battle won at too high a price for the winner”.
pattern
branding
ROAD SIGNS
UX/UI Design
The “Terra di Culture” app will facilitate your stay and your life in Policoro. Book restaurants, umbrellas in the bathing establishments, bed and breakfasts, hotels and guided tours at the city museum from the comfort of your home. Contact the tourist and cultural operators of our city to stay informed about events and manifestations of cultural interest. Contact the tourist guides to live new experiences and learn more about the history that has characterized our territory. Register, select the “Open Policoro” section and participate in discussions to improve the reality of Policoro, or create a new topic or send an official report directly to the Municipality of Policoro.
Save time and invest it in visiting, living and enjoying our beautiful city to the fullest!
Save time and invest it in visiting, living and enjoying our beautiful city to the fullest!
social networks
website restyling
Besides the creation of Instagram and Facebook pages it has made it necessary to redesign obsolete, messy and unsafe website of the City of Policoro. All following the UI Design guidelines proposed by the ministry for public administration websites. With its new simple and schematic layout it will be impossible to go wrong. Let us guide you towards an unforgettable experience in the city of Policoro!
