The challenge: The RA needed a new identity that respected its 250-year history but signaled a modern, inclusive future. Many designers might have reached for a crown, a classical pediment, or a paintbrush—obvious symbols of monarchy, architecture, or art.
Angus Hyland is a British graphic designer and partner at Pentagram, known for his refined, conceptual approach to identity and symbolism. A helpful story about him involves the creation of the logo for the in London (2018). symbol angus hyland
Hyland instead focused on a tiny, overlooked detail: the floorplan of the Academy’s main building, Burlington House. From above, its central courtyard forms a perfect, intimate square. He abstracted that square into a stark, framelike shape—. The challenge: The RA needed a new identity