Being the best

Being the Best

iQ Student Accommodation, 2026

Strategy

Naming

Creative direction

Brand development

Design

The brief from HR was simple - create a logo for a staff development programme called "Best iQer Yet". The problem was simple too - "Best iQer Yet" was rooted in our external marketing campaigns and created unintended competition instead. Who's the best iQer? Not you, not you, maybe you, definitely not you.

I flagged the issue, went straight back to the drawing board and asked myself, "what are we really asking our staff to do here?"

Extra issue? The deadline was just a few days later.

solving the brand conflict with even more simplicity

If we're selling a Best Year Yet, it only makes sense that our staff can embody being the best.

Being the Best reframed the whole thing, removed hierarchy and unified teams back towards that one simple goal: being the best for our residents, not for ourselves. No losing, no competition.

Being the Best pulled from the hub, iQ's internal learning platform, creating something that actually belonged in the right world.

Setting out the rationale

I created a little brief to rationalise the push back, helping to distinguish what was best for the brand and our people.

Providing some options

With such a short deadline, I provided a few options to prevent last minute back and forth, and thankfully ended up with the favourite being chosen.

What I did

Identified the brand conflict and pushed back on the brief before any design work could begin.

Proposed the rename to remove competition, clarify the purpose and open up the right visual identity.

Redirected the visual identity away from external marketing and into the hub's distinct look and feel.

Designed the logo when the process stalled, stepping in to deliver the full identity myself. One day, done.

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