Notes on Local Government

Notes on Local Government is Jack Shaw’s Substack publication. The brief was to create a visual identity related to his research agency, Groundwork Research, while giving the publication a character of its own.

The identity takes the signpost as its starting point: a familiar part of the local landscape, with connections to place, direction and navigation. It gives a publication about local government a recognisable symbol rooted in everyday public space.

Condensed lettering keeps the full name legible within the signs. Opposing arrows and angled forms bring a sense of direction, with the two-line wordmark and freestanding signpost offering different proportions.

A three-stack version also explores the signs without the post. It is shown here as an alternative arrangement, rather than a mark used on the publication.