Rail Industry Design Competition - Keele University
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Rail Industry Design Competition

RAIL INDUSTRY DESIGN COMPETITION

STAFFORD AREA IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAMME (SAIP)

ALLIANCE BRANDING – DESIGN SPECIFICATION

BACKGROUND

The Stafford Area Improvements Programme is a £255m package of essential improvement works between Crewe and Stafford on the West Coast Main Line Britain’s busiest mixed use railway.

However, it has been forecast that the West Coast Main Line will be at capacity within the next few years, with Stafford identified as being a key constraint, acting as a ‘bottleneck’ on this busy line.  To address this, Network Rail has developed the Stafford Area Improvements Programme (SAIP) comprising of three core elements:

  • 23 miles of linespeed improvements between Crewe and Norton Bridge
  • The resignalling and remodelling of the track layout through Stafford
  • The creation of a new flyover at Norton Bridge, helping segregate the commuter ‘stopping’ services, freight and InterCity services

The successful removal of this ‘bottleneck’ will help to satisfy future timetable requirements, whilst providing a more reliable, efficient and cost effective railway.

Due to the complex, multi disciplinary nature of the project, Network Rail has adopted an ‘alliancing’ approach to the delivery the scheme, forging a partnership with key contractors (specialists in their respective fields), working in a truly collaborative manner to successfully deliver these works.

Provisionally entitled the ‘SAIP Alliance,’ the four key members are:

  • Network Rail (client)
  • Laing O’Rourke Construction Ltd
  • Atkins Ltd
  • Volker Rail Ltd

For the duration of the programme, these four partners will work as one, unified team, sharing the same aims and objectives. As such, we require a dedicated and inclusive ‘brand,’ used to promote the programme both internally (amongst all the respective organisations) and externally and able to be used ‘standalone,’ as well as with the logos of the four respective alliance partners as and when required.

BRANDING SPECIFICATION

In support of the above, the SAIP Alliance requires the following:

  • A new, dedicated brand and name that:
    • Reflects the key characteristics of the project
    • Uses striking imagery
    • Incorporates a combination of some of the key colours from the logos of the respective alliance partners
    • Can be used stand-a-lone (e.g. on promotional materials etc), as well as with the individual logos of the four alliance partners, though as the ‘dominant’ brand and without physically altering these separate logos in anyway e.g. for use on site signage, posters etc. The individual logos of the four alliance partners can be found in Appendix A of this document.

In addition, the new brand must:

  • Have clear pantone references
  • Be adaptable and clearly visible for use in a variety of formats (as follows)
    • Letterheads
    • Press releases
    • Noticeboards
    • Site signage
    • Promotional materials e.g. pens, stickers, plastic bags, folders, mouse mats, mugs
    • Protective clothing
    • Fleeces
    • Vehicles
  • Be available as JPEG/PDF/TIF files
  • Consider the use of key works such as :
    • West Coast
    • Railway
    • Character
    • Track
    • Alliance
    • Partnership
    • Working together
    • Legacy
    • Sustainability
    • Green
    • Civils
    • Success
    • Engagement
    • Local community
    • Safety
    • History

The new brand design must be submitted in the formats specified above and MUST be accompanied by a short supporting document, outlining how the concept has been developed, the reasoning behind it and guidelines for use.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

All those taking part must comply with the following conditions of entry:

  • The competition is only open to students (undergraduates and postgraduates) studying Marketing or Media.
  • Only individual submissions will be accepted. This is not open to team efforts.
  • The individual must submit their entry in the formats referenced above, along with an electronic copy of a supporting brief, no more than two sides of A4 in length.
  • Contact details must be provided, including e-mail address and telephone number.
  • To be submitted to Keele University’s Careers & Employability Service at careers@keele.ac.uk.
  • On submission of the design, all intellectual property rights relating to the design/brand will pass to Network Rail/The Alliance.

*To ensure all entrants have a thorough appreciation and understanding of the project, the alliance, its aims and objectives (which will prove invaluable when approaching this assignment), we would ask that all interested parties attend a special presentation to be given by Alliance Manager Dominic Baldwin and members of the project team on Friday 22 February at 3.00pm in the Lecture Theatre, Darwin Building, Keele University

TIMESCALES

As with the programme itself, we have set strict deadlines for the delivery of this design project. These are as follows:

  • FRIDAY 22 FEBRUARY, 3.00PM - Presentation (as referenced above) by the Alliance in the Lecture Theatre, Darwin Building, Keele University at 3.00pm.  
  • THURSDAY 7 MARCH, 4.00PM LATEST - Design/brand submission – To be e-mailed to Keele University’s Careers & Employability Service at careers@keele.ac.uk in the format specified by no later than 16:00hrs on Thursday 7th March.
  • WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 25 MARCH – Network Rail will announce the winner – The winner and two runners up will be informed by e-mail w/c 25th March and be presented with their awards at the official launch of the programme in April 2013 (date, time and location to be confirmed.)

AWARDS

  • There will be one overall winner and two runners up, voted for by Alliance members and other key stakeholders.
  • The winner will receive an IPad, with the two runners up each receiving an IPad mini.
  • The first 10 participants will receive a £25 voucher for Amazon.