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It is the pride and honor of every designer to have the opportunity to work on something that is truly profound. Such opportunities, like designing the Jüdisches Museum, Berlin or the Tube Map for London’s Underground, seldom grace the life of a designer. But, the opportunity to design a country, is one that almost never happens.

That is, until Dutch designer Daniel van der Velden was commissioned in 2003, to design money, passports and stamps for the abandoned water fortress off the British coast, proclaimed to be the independent micro-nation of The Principality of Sealand.

As disputed and controversial as this nation status may be, the project to conceive Sealand’s visual identity was not without complexity. Part and parcel to ‘The Sealand Identity Project’ and the uniqueness of this man-made, self-proclaimed nation, was the internet, as global archive.

In a press release in 2003, Van der Velden is quoted as saying:

The consequences of the internet’s daily usage, its universal vastness and its potential to blur the boundaries between the ‘real’ and the ‘fictional’, will be key operators in the design methods employed.nettimes.org

a little history

Before we get into the complexities in designing for this particular identity project, let me give you a little history about the “country.”

During WWII, the United Kingdom decided to establish a number of military bases along the borders of the English territorial waters, to defend against German air raids. They were home to 150-300 personnel, plenty of radar gizmos and a healthy cache of anti-aircraft cannons.

After the war ended, the troops were pulled out and these water fortresses were dismantled. That is, all except for the royal fortress Roughs Tower, which was situated in international waters, of the North Sea.

In 1966, Paddy Roy Bates, a former English major, moved onto the water fortress to establish a pirate radio station. Later that year, formally 1967, Bates proclaimed the base his own state and took the title of Prince. In 1968, following defensive action taken by Sealand, towards approaching British vessels, the British courts found they could not exert any jurisdiction over Roy of Sealand, since it was outside of British national territory, and thus, provided the first formal recognition of the Principality of Sealand.

on Branding a Country

Getting back to the point, the task of branding a country is a rewarding challenge few of us designers could ever hope for. Developing the identity for the Principality of Sealand, with all of it’s absurdities is compelling on an entirely separate level. Though the proclamation of nation status, is no doubt a serious one for Prince Roy of Sealand, I have a hard time regarding this at face value. The nature of this particular nation, seems to make it more akin to great works of conceptual art, than other nations. In this way, the objectives for developing an identity, seem entirely unique.

Lets first take a look at the Principality of Sealand crest.

This is, undoubtedly, an integral part of the overall branding and identity package.

It is the nation-state equivalent to the corporate logo. The historical, seafaring influence in the Sealand crest is apparent. The serpent-lion creatures, flanking the traditional, coat of arms shield, have been long standing symbols of sea vessels. The armor helmet, fisted arrows and Latin slogan, are also common features in this sort of identity.

What sets this crest apart from others, is not it’s subject matter, but in fact the manner in which it has been rendered. Unlike the formal stuffiness or fear inducing qualities we have come to expect from a code of arms, the Sealand crest makes strides in the opposite direction.

In fact, I would go as far as to say, I would be much more likely to expect this guy (pictured left), an illustration for a childrens’ coloring book, to be on the page adjacent to the Sealand crest, than an official document of any kind.

The distinct coloring book quality of the crest, creates an atmosphere that makes a person want to giggle (and maybe even request an official Lord or Lady title, with the Principality of Sealand).

All in all, it kind of makes you feel warm and fuzzy

I couldn’t help but immediately think of Ze Frank’s Red Alert piece, about designing for Homeland Security.

In this same very spirit, Van der Velden has managed to encapsulate the vibrancy and friendly (aside from the occassional anti-aircraft blast) spirit of Sealand. His cynically happy interpretation extended from the national crest, to the official postage stamps and into every facet of Sealander life.

How can you not be a fan. Fine work Mr. Van der Velden. Very fine work. It makes me want to be a citizen. In 2007 Sealand went up for sale. Too bad I missed the boat (or country, as the case may be). This would have been a fine piece to add to the collection.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 4:24 pm and is filed under graphic design, interactive art, design critique, design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.