Challenge:
The NSW Department of Education School Sport Unit embarked on a mission: to unify its three educational sectors under a single banner and identity–NSW All Schools. This new visual identity isn’t just a symbol; it transforms into a brand echoing with pride, aspiration, and excellence.
These NSW teams then represent the state of NSW at School Sport Australia national championships across the country for:
- Government Schools (the NSW Combined High Schools Sporting Association)
- Independent Schools (the NSW Combined Independent Schools Sports School)
- Catholic School (Catholic Schools NSW Sports Services).
The previous NSW All Schools logo (below) has become dated and does not represent a unification of the three sectors under a brand that all students and staff can be proud of.
Solution:
At its core, the logo prominently features a Waratah, embodying strength, resilience, and courage - qualities observed in their athletes daily. Three petals, each representing an educational sector and their unique strengths, seamlessly interlace in unity.
Above the Waratah, four dots form the Southern Cross – Australia’s oldest symbol, signifying NSW’s determination to make a mark nationally. Just as the Southern Cross comprises the constellation’s most visible stars, it reflects the state’s brightest sporting ‘stars.’
The red, navy, and sky-blue colours emphasise each sector’s primary uniform colours and reinforces their shared identity. Furthermore, the Waratah, often likened to a ‘Flame’ and a ‘Blazing torch,’ signifies their athletes’ resolute determination to lead the way for the next generation.
In essence, the NSW All Schools Logo is a testament to unity in diversity, a collective commitment to excellence, resilience, and a shared ambition to shine nationally. It embodies our collective strength, courage, and unity-a reflection of the unwavering spirit of our athletes.
Outcome:
A new brand that is unifying and modern yet traditional, and is scalable so it can be included on collateral and embroidered on apparel. It will instil pride and inspire young students to work towards representation in NSW All Schools teams and is representative of the state of NSW and all School students within the state. The artwork was created for multiple digital, media and print platforms, as well as included on various lines of apparel.
"Reece and Cass from Sport Design Australia were absolutely fantastic to work with. They were given a challenging brief, being asked to develop a logo and brand package for the NSW All Schools program that would unite three distinct organisations, each with its own history and traditions. They absolutely nailed it!
SDA was super responsive, going above and beyond to provide multiple solutions to our feedback and ultimately refined their proposal to nail the brief of developing a logo that would be unifying, modern, yet contemporary and instil pride in our athletes. I would definitely use SDA again in future and would recommend any sporting organisations to reach out, as their knowledge of the unique requirements of sport is second to none.”
Kieran Donohue - NSW Department of Education - NSW Sport Project Lead
