Inner Circle Consulting

A Case for Cities is a national campaign and report developed by Inner Circle Consulting on behalf of a coalition of 11 fast-growing UK cities – including Cambridge, Oxford, Norwich, and Exeter. Advocating for the unrestricted expansion and right-sizing of smaller cities, the report highlights how these urban growth engines are currently held back by outdated boundaries and complex governance models defined a generation ago.

A dynamic visual language that champions a push for progress, while authentically celebrating the unique character of each participating region. The identity samples its color palettes directly from the official flags of each studied region, ensuring the design remains deeply rooted in local heritage. These colors are then translated into bespoke vertical block patterns that subtly evoke the silhouettes of rising city skylines, visually communicating urban growth and upward momentum.

This generative system of color gradients was seamlessly extended across all touchpoints, breathing life into the campaign's data visualization. By applying these vibrant, region-specific palettes to the maps and graphs within the report, we transformed dense urban planning data into a compelling, visually engaging narrative for progress.