LDCN

The Irish Local Development Network (ILDN) represents 49 Local Development Companies working across social inclusion, rural development, employment support, climate action and community well-being. Despite the scale of this impact, its previous identity was fragmented and outdated, failing to reflect its role as a national voice for grassroots development.

The challenge was to create a stronger, clearer brand that unifies members under a shared vision, strengthens advocacy and positions the organisation as a progressive leader in building inclusive, sustainable communities. Our goals were to modernise the identity, clarify its national role and develop a flexible system that works across digital, print and community settings, supported by a tagline that communicates its ambition: Collective Vision, Fairer Society.

We reimagined the Irish Local Development Network as the Local Development Companies Network (LDCN), a name that shifts the focus directly onto its members and the collective strength of their work.

Through nationwide workshops with member representatives, we co-created a brand that is:

Supportive and Collaborative: reflecting solidarity and shared expertise.

Visionary and Innovative: signalling leadership in tackling climate action and rural regeneration.

Trustworthy and Inclusive: rooted in integrity, transparency and community connection.

At the heart of the new identity is the LDCN logo. Its bold letterforms are built from soft, rounded shapes that balance strength with approachability, embodying both confidence and the human warmth of the network. Clean, confident typography supports clarity, while a flexible graphic system inspired by networks and connections reinforces the idea of working together. The colour palette balances approachability with authority, vibrant enough to reflect community energy yet professional enough to carry weight at national policy level. Photography plays a crucial role, favouring candid, human and in-the-moment imagery that captures genuine connection and emotion rather than staged formality.

The tagline, Collective Vision, Fairer Society, serves as both rallying cry and promise, uniting members and reinforcing the mission of equality, inclusion and empowerment. Comprehensive brand guidelines support consistent rollout, while digital-first assets such as motion graphics, infographics and video ensure advocacy is engaging and accessible.

The rebrand has repositioned LDCN as a confident, connected and future-focused network. Its clearer identity has strengthened its national voice, unified members under a shared identity, elevated visibility with a professional, credible presence and equipped the organisation with a versatile toolkit for digital, print and events.

Most importantly, the brand amplifies the voice of communities themselves. By communicating the scale of LDCN’s collective work, it now reflects the transformative role Local Development Companies play in shaping a fairer, more sustainable future for Ireland.