Project 3 → Unarchived

I am grateful to have had my Unarchived identity selected by the University to be implemented this summer.

BRIEF

Create a distinct visual identity for the Nottingham School of Art and Design’s two archives, the Lace Archive and Fashionmap, which connects and celebrates them.

The Lace Archive consists of 175,000 items including samples, portfolios and books which demonstrate the significance of the Nottingham Lace industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Fashionmap is a rich, tactile record of Nottingham’s fashion scene from 2000-2018, as captured by Nottingham Trent University students.

CONCEPT
As part of my research for the project, I visited Cluny Lace in Illkeston, the last remaining producers of authentic Nottingham Lace. Each staff member is integral to this intricate process, and testament to its survival within a dying industry. I was keen for the archives’ identity to reflect the technicality of lacemaking and the skill it requires.

I was also inspired by various aspects of the factory and the lace it produces, which can be seen in my photographs below. The walls of the factory, for example, were painted deep green, which informed the colour palette of the archives’ identity. Another insight from my visit formed the core of the identity; a member of staff told me that lace trimming is made in sheets, with strips connected by yellow thread. When this is removed, it separates the sheet into strips. This made me think about a yellow thread as a device to connect the two NTU archives, whilst referencing the fact that they are separate components.

SOLUTION
Jacquard punch cards control the movement of Cluny’s Leavers lace machines, which were the bedrock of the Nottingham Lace industry. Their circular, punched holes act as a form of code. I created a typeface for the archives’ identity built using dots and dashes, subtly combining aspects of each archive. The dots mimic holes in Jacquard punch cards, whilst the dashes reflect stitches that hold together a garment.

I noticed that Fashion Map and Lace Archive each contain two ‘A’s. Because of this, and to connect them under the umbrella term archive, I made A the central form which the signage for the two archives stems from. Point A is also the starting point of any journey. The archives, similarly, act as point A for future projects: a rich resource to spark ideas and a starting point for research into Nottingham’s cultural heritage.

Fine lines akin to thread connect the dots between the letters, essentially mapping the negative space within each word. I isolated these geometric lines and dots from the letters, using the pattern as a wayfinding device in the space to map a path to each archive. Perspex signage for the archive windows mimics the translucent quality of lace; this allows an intrigueing glimpse into the archives, literally unarchiving them. Making the identity layered and three-dimensional in this way reflects the tactility of lace and of the archives, full of artefacts to be picked up and examined.

A small handout provides more information on the archives, creating curiosity and encouraging bookings. This unfolds like a map, and mimics the long, thin form of a Jacquard card when opened vertically. The risograph printing creates a fabric-like texture which hints at the sartorial focus of the archives.

Rose Coulson

Hortus Siccus Luthier Unarchived Useful. Beautiful. Morris. About Contact ©2025 Rose Coulson

Hortus Siccus
Luthier
Unarchived
Useful. Beautiful. Morris.

About
Contact

©2025 Rose Coulson