Introduction
This project for Mansfield College, University of Oxford began with a series of extensive photography shoots to capture Mansfield's unique and elusive character - a balance of unpretentious beauty, homely informality and irreverent magic. From this foundation, I created a new 'alternative' prospectus and a selection of new printed materials and merchandise. The photography-led brand was complemented by a large-scale illustration, ‘The Mappa Mansi’ to capture the subtle whimsy of Mansfield. The project aimed to streamline and unify Mansfield's Access and Outreach materials, and to forge a smart, youthful, and engaging design presence for prospective students.
Outcome
"Tom Barnett designed a new Mansfield College prospectus and accompanying materials for us. It is a very beautiful design, with great attention to detail. Tom used many of his own gorgeous photographs in the design and the centrepiece is an astonishingly detailed and cleverly executed map of the College, a fantastic piece of art as well as a centrepiece for the prospectus. The prospectus is very popular with our prospective candidates, and stands out among Oxford’s promotional materials as striking and original."
Lucinda Rumsey
Senior Tutor
Mansfield College, University of Oxford
Senior Tutor
Mansfield College, University of Oxford
Mansfield Merch
Having a strong and welcoming visual presence at higher education and careers fairs around the country is central to the success of Mansfield College's outreach programme. For all too many students, Oxford is epitomised by an aloof, elitist aesthetic; a visual symbol more at home on a pocket-square than on a crew-neck tee. Drawing on my own experience as a hopeful Oxford applicant from a suburban, West Midlands background, I wanted to create a brand image that would set applicants at ease. Whilst prosepctive students at careers fairs may be greeted with a pristine prosepctus and a vaguely supercilluous smile by other Oxbridge colleges , Mansfield offers whimsical, hand-drawn postcards and posters, and a range of distinctive and wearable Mansfield College apparel, including t-shirts, sweats and tote bags.
Photography
Mansfield College proudly boasts the highest proportion of state school students of any college at the University, and through its prolific access and outreach work with schools and sixth forms, it actively seeks to deconstruct the many fears, myths and misconceptions about studying at Oxford. The challenge was to capture the beauty of an Oxford college, whilst also presenting it as an environment that students could easily imagine themselves settling in to.
