An Post Institute: Education, for the common good

Since launching its Green Light strategy in 2018, An Post set ambitious targets to deliver new capabilities for the organisation and its people. This paved the way for the launch of a new learning and development programme within the organisation. A place and space where future leaders feel supported and empowered; demonstrating An Post’s commitment to developing its educational, management and leadership pipeline. Understanding An Post’s vision and goals we partnered with them to help bring the vision for this formative entity to life and ensure that every staff member feels inspired to progress and embark on their own learning journey.

Our goal for the An Post Institute was to create a strategy and brand that fostered a culture of continuous learning and growth. The new identity needed to sit comfortably within the An Post family of sub-brands, while also establishing its own sense of individuality and creative freedom. A consistent An Post structure was utilised for the logo, which was then mixed with a fresh new colour palette and graphic language – using imaginative 3D worlds of possibility and a dazzle-ships inspired pattern reflecting the idea of ingenuity and functionality in harmony. This combination struck the right balance and allowed the system to reflect An Post’s future ambitions while also aligning with the master brand. Through an in-depth audit, we shaped the initiative across channels, addressing key challenges to ensure a successful launch and long-term progression of the programme. A review of the name – formerly ‘Green Institute’ – led to the creation of the ‘An Post Institute’, which restored clarity to the initiative’s core purpose, and consistency to the family of sub-brands. Supported by a robust design system and significant course improvements, the identity embodied An Post’s values of growth, wellbeing, and personal fulfilment, elevating the initiative’s status for staff and potential talent.

In addition to the brand identity and system, we created a physical campus and learning hub within the An Post HQ – at the EXO. The space was established to provide a tangible presence and symbolic marker within the building which represented the importance of the initiative’s role within the organisation. This educational hub was reimagined as a flexible space, capable of performing various functions depending on what was needed. It was designed to operate as a classroom, library, venue for facilitating talks and lectures, as well as a study zone and collaboration area. The brand rollout also included the design of extensive collateral across digital platforms and physical channels, ensuring the micro and macro success of the brand for everyone involved. Since launching, An Post Institute has won the Best Leadership Development Initiative award at the 2024 Learning & Development Institute, Excellence in Learning Awards and is continuing to expand education opportunities across the organisation.