Design as an act of governance – How institutional branding
can propel Romanian creative industries in Europe

In Romania, design and branding are often viewed as niche fields, essential tools destined almost exclusively for the private sector. While companies invest considerable budgets in their visual identity to attract customers and differentiate themselves, the public sector’s visual landscape remains, more often than not, chaotic and outdated. Although some state entities have made timid attempts to use design services, the results have often been mediocre, lacking a coherent vision. However, the need for institutional modernisation is acute from all perspectives, and design is not an aesthetic whim, but a functional necessity, a proof of professionalism, and a sign of respect for the public.

The Romanian state apparatus is a vast ecosystem, comprising dozens of ministries, hundreds of agencies, city halls, county councils, and companies with state or local capital, ranging from public transport to district heating. This entire system is constantly at odds with anachronistic legislation. A telling example is the regulation of local insignia: cities and counties are required to approve their coats of arms and visual identities in accordance with rigid heraldic rules, completely ignoring the modern concept of “city branding.” We thus remain stuck with cumbersome symbols, difficult to integrate into websites, office documents, vehicle fleets, or official communication materials. Without a coherent design, the direct result is citizen confusion and an overall image of the state that inspires only bureaucracy and inefficiency. There is, therefore, a huge, completely untapped potential that takes shape on two major levels of intervention.

The first level directly targets modernisation, visual ergonomics, and communication with citizens in the 21st century. In a modern society, interacting with the state should not be an informational ordeal. Design in public administration means an easy-to-read form, an intuitive digital portal where you can pay your taxes without frustration, or a clear map of public transport routes. To understand the gap, it is enough to look at other European capitals. Vienna uses an impeccably unified design system that communicates efficiency, Warsaw has invested heavily in a clean city branding that has firmly left behind its post-communist aesthetics, and Ljubljana has built a vibrant visual identity that reflects its ecological values. Bringing Romanian institutions to this level requires moving from improvisation to visual identity systems designed exclusively for clarity and cohesion.

The second level aims at a profound economic and cultural impact: revitalising an essential field for modern society—design. If the state were to undertake this extensive process of visual modernisation, generating public tenders that demand real quality standards, the creative industries in Romania would receive an extraordinary new breath of life. Beyond increasing domestic competitiveness, this infusion of large-scale public projects (systemic design, information architecture, urban branding) would catalyse change. It would empower Romanian agencies and studios to “step out” of the country and successfully export their services across the European Union, backed by a solid governmental portfolio. Moreover, the cultural dimension of creative industries should not be neglected. A perfect example of this is Berlin, a city that has transformed its creative scene into an economic engine and a global cultural ambassador, attracting talent, investments, and massive tourism precisely through its vitality and assumed visual identity.

In conclusion, the modernisation of state institutions cannot be limited merely to the digitalisation of processes or the renovation of buildings. The form in which the state chooses to communicate is just as important as the message itself. Through an assumed policy of rebranding and institutional design, Romania has the opportunity not only to align its administration with the functional standards of Western Europe but also to transform its creative industries from a support niche into an export product of immense cultural and economic success. It is time to recognise that good design means better governance.