THE NCAT REBRAND

The NCAT rebrand is taking shape after 6 months of behind the scenes work by many dedicated people from both within the school and from our wider community. This is an exciting time for NCAT. It is a fresh start and marks the beginning of a new era for our College. 

The rebrand has been executed by Seesaw Design, whose director, Anita Ryley (McArthur) is an ex NCAT Folio Preparation student.

The brand, style of the typography and simplicity of the logo showcase a new direction for NCAT. The college allows students to reach their career destination, harness their potential while promoting an alternative teaching model.

The brand architecture has been streamlined to now only offer three elements. The college at group level is represented by a one colour logo-mark and logo-type. There are two sub groups or streams in which all courses offered by the college can sit within. All technology based courses will sit under the Technology stream, all arts courses will sit under the Arts stream. 


The Gotham Rounded font family has been chosen to complement the brand and provide a clean, modern and legible font option.This font family is also large in its varied weight and styling options. Its rounded letter forms reinforce the approachable and friendly brand that is NCAT.

"Inspired by signs on buildings, Gotham Rounded celebrates the workmanlike “draftsman’s alphabet” at a monumental scale. Similarly unadorned, but at a more intimate size, is the lettering of engineering: the marks on precision instruments, blueprints, stencils and templates. Drawn, stamped, engraved and routed, these forms are sensitively captured by the Gotham Rounded family". - Font Foundry Hoefler & Frere-Jones.

Having fun with our NCAT rebrand

Ex NCAT Folio Preparation students Elizabeth Brain, Sam Charlton & Yasmin Yusuf Les played around  with their Portfolios in a simple piece of stop motion for the rebrand of the 

NORTHERN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS & TECHNOLOGY

The College is being Rebranded by the amazing team at Seesaw Design, headed up by Anita Riley (McArthur) who made her own start in Design with us way back in 1999!

NDS >>> NCAT Folio Preparation

Welcome to NCAT Folio Preparation! This year we will commence trading under our new name to align ourselves to our college's new identity as Northern College of the Arts & Technology.


The College is currently going through a rebrand into a senior secondary college. It is now known as the Northern College of the Arts and Technology and caters for year 10-13 students seeking a specialised education in the visual arts, performing arts or technologies. We are now known as NCAT Folio Preparation and we deliver Certificate IV in Design & Visual Arts in addition to the VCAL Senior Extension-Folio Enhancement certificate.


NCAT Folio Preparation was originally launched in 1989 as Design Studies, at what was then Preston East Technical School. An iconic program, it ran initially as a TOP course. The School changed it's name in the early 90's to Northland Secondary College and the course became known as Northland Design Studies and then later it was shortened to NDS. Northland was closed for several years in the 90's and Design Studies relocated to what was then Thornbury Darebin Secondary College (Now Thornbury High School), returning to Northland when the school was reopened in 1995. 

The core staff, a passionate group, remains largely intact: Mark Russell, Tracy Paterson, Ian McKey, Sue Durham, Neil Davis, Amanda Croatto, Bei Janetzki and Jake Carabott.