BP&O
BP&O Plus

Sydlexia: Making Sense Of Dyslexia by BBDO Dubai

Opinion by Richard Baird Posted 5 May 2017

Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai

Sydney Dyslexia intends to challenge the misconception that dyslexia is a learning disability, and instead, move the conversation forward, to more appropriately address it as a learning difference. Sydlexia is an innovative and pioneering platform, created by Sydney Dyslexia, to help aid this change, and offers new techniques and training methods to help facilitate “dyslexia correction”.

Dyslexia is the most common learning disorder. It affects 1 in 10 people worldwide. It is indifferent, and its challenges are felt by those from all walks of life. Sydlexia worked with BBDO Dubai on brand identity and its first campaign with the intention of engaging a diverse group of people.

Taking their cues from the universal notion of dyslexia as a learning difference that breaks up and rearranges letters and words, BBDO finds a convivial, modern and universal expression that draws a lot of visual and cognitive equity from simple typographical play, the fracturing of words and the process of their reconstruction.

Logotype for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai

Logotype is a smart and succinct articulation of a common association with dyslexia, the moving of letters. It finds commonality in Sydney (location) and dyslexia (cause), a swapping gesture and a smile. There is a neat visual economy, intelligence and perhaps a little well-used happenstance here. This is explored and expanded upon across some of the organisation’s collateral, swapping letters and writing cheerful copy across mugs, business cards and tote bags, and will be added to this post as they become available.

Logotype avoids trivialising the difficulties of dyslexia in type choice, but is optimistic and inclusive in its concept, and finds a pleasant balance between modern expression, communicative intention and a desire to engage and challenge.

Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai

The balance of modern typographical expression and play inherent to logotype is also explored in Sydlexia’s first campaign, Making Sense Of Dyslexia, a series of posters, flyers and newspaper placements that feature shattered words and invites engagement in their reconstruction through folding.

Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai

This is a great example of minimalist design practice. Drawing the most from the least. Large format posters deliver impact from a distance with memorable character firmly rooted in the challenges of the cause, follows this with detail up-close, and makes a connection with other assets such as smaller posters, flyers and newspaper placements that can be folded to complete words and create origami animals, and with website with a simple and compelling call to action.

There are some neat details in here, in particular, the way partial letters create the nose and toes of the rabbit, and how the tittle of an i forms the eye of the dog and squirrel.

Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai

The austerity of typographical form is tempered by the softness of pastel colours. Both of which where chosen to facilite easy reading, with colour establishing continuity with brand, and type providing differentiation. There is a universality to the work, initially in its more grown up modernist graphic expression, and in the way that it should connect with a younger group through interaction.

Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai

Where we expect to see coherence, in the street or within the context of a newspaper, the work immediately challenges with incoherence. It is visually arresting and invites engagement, and a website visit, to make sense of the work, which feels intelligently connected to the activities of Sydlexia and clear in its intention to drive people towards more insight.

Design: BBDO Dubai. Opinion: Richard Baird.

Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai Brand identity and print campaign, posters and adverts for Sydney Dyslexia's innovative new programme Sydlexia by BBDO Dubai