Politie, polizei, carabini...Search for partners

The discussion about unity and/or diversity within Europe will no doubt remain a subject for discussion for the leaders in Brussels. So far there are only a few visual means that connect the European countries. Think for instance of our number plates and European money. Police forces in Europe though all have their own visual identity, even if they have the same mission: order and safety.

Every country seeks to create a balance between accessibility and authority, for example by opting for a sporty baseball cap or a stern hat, and between modernity and tradition, which especially appears from the frequent use of heraldic coats of arms. In addition, recognisability plays an important role in the visual identity of the police corpses. The Dutch police are recognisable through the logo of an exploding grenade on top of a book of law, while English Bobbies wear a remarkably shaped helmet and Italian carabinieri have red stripes on their trousers. You’d rather go around the block once more when you encounter teh Guardia Civil in Spain, while you’d be happy to ask directions from a Danish cop wearing a light-blue shirt. How we experience the visual identity of the police is tied in with our cultural background.

Istanbul Design Week 2012 workshop: search for partners

Would it be possible to create óne visual identity for all police forces in Europe without loosing their own national identity? And what car will the European police drive; a bold German car, a fast Itallian car, a comfortable French one or an Asian car? Dutch and Turkish design and fashion students will create 6 uniforms and 6 car stripings. The results will be presented during the Istanbul Design Week in 2012. These uniforms and cars will be the starting point for the 3th debate on the visual identity (and behaviour) of the wishability of an European police force.

This project is an initiative of foundation Design Den Haag and is part of the theme Design and Government. The aim is to realize the project with Istanbul Design Week. We  are in proces to find co-partners and the needed funding.

For more information about the project go to:

www.designdenhaag.eu

http://www.designdenhaag.eu/en/node/3129

http://www.designdenhaag.eu/police-uniforms