OUR WORK / Civic movement

Forward Durban

Civic Brand System & Digital Platform Development

Forward Durban is a civic-led movement focused on reshaping the economic narrative of Durban through collaboration, sector activation, and strategic communication. Bringing together business leaders, professionals, and community stakeholders, the initiative aims to restore confidence, highlight opportunity, and drive measurable momentum across key sectors of the city’s economy.

Explore the Story

Client / organisation: ASP ZA
Connected capabilities: Brand · Website · Mobilisation
Project context: Brand and platform launch

Our involvement ANTI.Social Collective collaborated on the brand, platform and communication architecture. Lynette also served as Media Sector Action Team Leader.

THE CONTEXT

A shared story for a city moving forward.

Forward Durban was launched as a city-level civic and economic movement aimed at restoring business confidence and reframing the narrative around Durban’s future.

At a time when public discourse was dominated by negativity, the initiative sought to unite business leaders, professionals, and sector representatives; create structured action teams across industries; provide a centralised digital platform for coordination and communication; and shift perception from decline to possibility.

ANTI.Social Collective collaborated in building the brand, the platform, and the communication architecture from the ground up.

In parallel, Lynette Lombaard serves as the Sector Action Team Leader for Media, supporting both strategic messaging and coordinated communications.

THE STRATEGIC CHALLENGE

The challenge

This was not simply a logo design project.

The brand needed to feel institutional but never bureaucratic; optimistic but not naive; professional but accessible.

A unifying identity that felt civic, credible, and optimistic
A brand system capable of scaling across sectors and campaigns
A digital hub to coordinate multi-stakeholder engagement
Messaging that could balance realism with hope
Visual assets strong enough to carry public-facing campaigns

THE STORY / 01

Strategic approach

We approached Forward Durban as a movement architecture, not just a visual identity.

The strategy positioned Forward Durban as a platform for coordination, credibility, and constructive action.

Defining the narrative framework: Changing the Narrative
Anchoring the brand visually in Durban’s geography: coastline, skyline, and palm silhouettes
Creating a modular identity system adaptable across print, digital, and campaign materials
Designing a website that functions as both information hub and mobilisation tool
Aligning sector action teams under one coherent ecosystem

A platform for coordination, credibility, and constructive action.

Forward Durban identity guide: logo applications, wordmarks, supporting elements and colour palette.

Forward Durban circular emblem with the Changing the Narrative script.

THE STORY / 02

Brand & identity system

We developed the full brand identity, including primary logo and stacked variants, a secondary wordmark system, and brand guideline documentation.

The circular emblem was intentionally designed to convey unity and inclusivity, anchor the city visually within the mark, and balance civic credibility with coastal vibrancy.

The “Changing the Narrative” script layer introduces human energy against a structured typographic base, symbolising movement layered over stability.

Colour palette reflecting Durban’s oceanic and coastal identity
Supporting graphic elements and motion-capable overlays
Typography system combining corporate structure with campaign layering

Forward Durban campaign image treatment celebrating local culture.

Forward Durban brand treatment applied to Durban City Hall and civic landmarks.

THE STORY / 03

Digital platform development

The website was built from scratch as a central coordination platform.

It functions as a public-facing information hub, a structured introduction to sector action teams, a campaign rollout base, a credibility layer for media engagement, and a foundation for ongoing civic mobilisation.

The platform was designed not just for launch, but for ongoing activation.

Clear navigation between movement purpose and sector teams
Structured content hierarchy for long-term scalability
Event integration capability
Campaign-ready visual blocks
Flexible CMS structure for rapid updates

The complete Forward Durban website design and content structure.

THE STORY / 04

Campaign & media execution

Beyond identity and web development, the engagement extended into active communication deployment.

The system allowed Forward Durban to launch publicly with cohesion, maintain visual consistency across platforms, activate social channels quickly, and present as organised and credible from day one.

Campaign visuals, including launch competitions and engagement drives
Social media rollout frameworks
Poster and event collateral
Structured messaging frameworks for public sessions
Media alignment strategy

Forward Durban campaign backdrop combining skyline illustration, wordmark and supporting graphics.

Forward Durban cultural campaign treatment using local beadwork imagery.

FROM STRATEGY TO EXECUTION

Strategic & structural development

The engagement connected the movement’s strategy, identity, digital platform and ongoing communication structure.

Brand strategy: narrative architecture, positioning, and movement identity development
Visual identity systems: logo design, colour systems, typography frameworks, and a scalable brand toolkit
Website architecture & development: platform structure, UX hierarchy, and scalable CMS design
Campaign development: launch materials, competition design, and engagement assets
Strategic advisory & media leadership: Sector Action Team leadership for Media, messaging alignment, and communication structure

WHAT THE WORK ENABLED