Charlotte  Parkins

Client : Imperial College London

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management • design lead

Creative concepts for the ground floor windows of the new Uren Hub building and 88 Wood Lane located on opposite sides of a pedestrian walkway, at the new Imperial College London campus in White City.

The window vinyls were primarily needed to cover the empty areas of the new building, which are intended to be used as a Cafe but are currently empty due to the pandemic. We used the designs to create a sense of place, developing a style and tone of voice for White City which can be used across the campus. We wanted to convey all of the amazing scientific work being undertaken and taught on the campus but also look to the future and the potential discoveries that could be made by staff and students.

White City houses a mixture of subjects and research labs with work being undertaken on a variety of subjects, some of which is in the initial stages with patents pending. We did not, therefore, want to depict the actual research and teaching being undertaken on campus but instead show an idea of further discoveries and create a positive, aspirational style that would inspire people. The final creative idea chosen focused on the idea of stock photos showing generic present-day science and then blueprints showing fictitious futuristic inventions/discoveries. The photos and illustrations were connected by a short aspiration phrase, helping to suggest future development.

As the use of the ground floor of the building is slightly uncertain, we developed the design to work in sections so that parts could be removed or added, if needed. We have recently added a further two sections at the green end of the windows to cover a newly opened entrance to the building.

The design and tone of voice have been continued on two newly installed Parklets, one of which is located in front of the Uren building and the other in front of the current building site for the School of Public Health. The Parklets used a set of three words, mostly using alteration, which inspire and suggest future development and learning. The three words fit on the three side panels of each Parklet and are then repeated on the end panels with the black and white photography from the vinyls.

The work has been well received and there have been enquiries made to the College’s estates team asking why we don’t have similar graphics at the other campuses. We are also currently developing the style for use inside the Uren Hub in the lift areas as well as proposing the use of the graphics on the cabins used in the building site for the School of Public Health, also in the White City campus.

Photographs: Thomas Angus, Imperial College London

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

Creation of award winning materials to launch the Westminster Night Hub and Soho Angels, a new initiative in the West End to offer vulnerable people help and support on a night out.

The project began as branding for the Westminster Night Hub and recruitment for volunteers to work at the hub. We wanted to promote safe nights out in the West End at the same time as promoting the Night Hub for people who were in trouble and needed support. We therefore came up with the campaign tag line of ‘End the Night Right’ which promoted safe nights out, helped promote use of the Hub if needed and by prefixing it with ’helping people’ it could be used to attract volunteers. For the volunteers we highlighted the benefits of working at the Hub whilst helping people end the night right such as making friends and having fun. To advertise the services the hub offered we concentrated on the small things that make a big difference to a night out which the hub offered such as a bottle of water, charge for your phone or a pair of flip flops to wear instead of your high heels. To unify the materials we used neon signs which was also in keeping with the location of the scheme in Soho.

During the concept stage we met with potential stakeholders, the LGBGT foundation and Smirnoff, who had been working with a similar initiative in Manchester called the Village Angels. They wanted to partner on the initiative and all really liked the tag line and campaign style so we developed a neon look and feel for The Soho Angels, the new name for the initiative.

As we developed the campaign we decided it would be beneficial to use images of people in situ in the West End as this better explained the offering and made the service more human. As the there were no real photographs available I suggested commissioning a cinema 4D artist to create visuals of the West End with neon signs suggesting the main services the hub offered. The materials were used across licensed premises in the area and at the Hub as well as on two posters created for TFL to use in West End stations.

During the whole project I worked closely with the project team advising on strategy and project plans as well as the creative direction. The campaign and initiative were very successful and Westco Design won a Creative Moments Award for Public Sector campaign of the year 2019 and was awarded Gold in the Hermes Creative Awards 2020.

Client : Westminster City Council and Society of London Theatre

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

Creative direction for West End LIVE 2018, the largest free theatre event in the world, which is held annually across two days in Trafalgar Square. Due to a change in stakeholders we were able to completely restyle West End LIVE, moving away from the black background and proposing some radical concepts to the Event Director. Working closely with the project team we were able to decide upon a concept which used strong typography and theatrical terms to turn Trafalgar Square into a theatre. To retain a connection to previous events we kept the typography style similar to 2017 with sans serif, outlined text and hatched lines as the infill. Due to my experience with creating graphics for West End LIVE I was aware of the limitations and restrictions and therefore proposed we moved away from using a separate logo and instead created a type style which was used across the event as well as for the name. This made the branding more flexible and ensured that wherever we used the event name it looked the same. It also gave a consistency to all the graphics and enabled us to use the website and hashtag more as they were in the branding whilst also pushing the digital side of the project.

For the promotional campaign I proposed a teaser campaign to be used on escalator posters on the tube, reducing the information down and using bright colours with the tag line ‘The stage is set’ along with the date, location and social media hashtag. These posters were installed a week before the larger more informative posters to create intrigue and excitement.

The branding my team created initially worked on two background colours, teal for print and yellow for digital but while developing the site dressings we realised the need to include a darker background to work as a frame for the stage so that the graphics did not distract from the performers. This also helped draw attention to the stage and make the square feel like a theatre as it stood out from the rest of the graphics.

Working closely with the project team we proposed a strong social media campaign to work with the branding, producing theatrical quotes and quizzes as well as animations of countdowns and important information. This worked well to promote the new website we created for West End LIVE, designing three stages of the home page which concentrated on the performers, with a version for pre-event, week before the event with the schedule and post-event. We were also able to add a shop for people to buy merchandise and a gallery to showcase the photos from previous events.

Building on my experience from previous events and my strong relationship with the Event Director, I was able to run and creatively direct the project to produce the strongest event to date. The graphics were so successful that they were reused with only minor changes for West End LIVE 2019.

Client : Active Westminster / Westminster City Council

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

I proposed and ran a complete rebrand of Active Westminster to coincide with the launch of their new Active Strategy which they had commissioned us to design. We were able to base the rebrand on the strategy which explained how an active life can benefit residents both physically and mentally as well as showcasing the council’s plans to make it easier than ever to be active.

To launch the new brand and the strategy we came up with the campaign concept of ‘Activate’ as this worked well to encourage people to change as well as suggesting change by the council. Working closely with the department I suggested re-writing the strategy to include the term ‘Activate’ to create a cohesive brand and the document title changed to reflect this.

In addition to the rebrand, launch campaign and creation of guidelines, I negotiated additional budget to expand on the brand we had designed and create a library of elements that would be able to be reused on various materials. We created a suite of illustrations showing people going from inactive to active as well as a typeface based on the logo to be used on titles and in illustrations such as on hoardings. We were also able to create a set of animated logos for use on social media and at events held by the department.

Client : Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Involvement : account and project management • design lead

Working as lead designer within the communications team for the Grenfell Fire Response Team – a joint venture between various public sector organisations to assist RBKC after the terrible incident at Grenfell Tower. As well as creating a simple style for the design, I managed the workflow and the logistics of having the right design cover needed to assist the communications team around the clock through the first few weeks.

The work, although not demanding in a design sense, was challenging due to constantly changing requirements and deadlines which needed my team to think on their feet and second guess the needs of the communications team as well as take on responsibilities such as writing leaflets, assisting with marketing strategy and helping set up systems. During this time I was also Acting Creative Director of the Westco Design Team and had to therefore ensure business as usual for our clients as well as managing and protecting my designers both in the Westco office and in the Grenfell Fire Response Team.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

Concepts and design of animated Christmas cards for use by the Chief Executive of Westminster City Council. The Christmas cards were sent out to external contacts as an email from the Chief Exec with links to the animation, hosted on the councils website, as well as internally taking over the intranet on one day in December.

For the 2016 card I proposed, wrote and directed an adaptation of ’Twas the night before Christmas’ with the lion from the front of Westminster City Hall coming to life as new lions had recently been installed to celebrate 50 years of the council. Presenting the idea directly to the Chief Executive I was able to sell the magic of the story and my team were able to create the animation without any changes from the client.

As I had established a good working relationship, the following year we were able to build on the concept and continue the story of the Lion. I again wrote an adaptation of the poem, promoting the opening of newly refurbished Marylebone Town Hall which luckily also features lions.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : account and project management • design lead

Concept and implementation of a campaign to launch the council’s corporate narrative for the new Leader in 2017. Working with-in the existing corporate narrative brand, ‘City for All’, I wanted to create a style that would relate to previous years whilst standing apart as the Leader of Council had changed. The leader wanted to celebrate the borough whilst empowering residents to do their part to make it a better place to live.

Working closely with the main marketing executive, we came up with the concept of speaking to residents and businesses and asking them what they loved within the borough, finishing all comms with #MyWestminster #My(their area). This helped show the diversity of the residents and the areas within Westminster whilst enabling us to showcase services and highlight people who were working within the borough to effect change.

Working closely with the strategy team to understand the corporate narrative, we realised there was also need to design a visual way to explain the priorities and programmes and show that they were all part of building a City for All. I therefore came up with the idea of embellishing an existing abstract city scape illustration of Westminster and working in separate elements for each priority and programme. This could work alongside the images of real people and gave us a look and feel for general comms where photographs would be too specific. The illustration could be broken down and added to depending on the need, making it flexible and enable it’s use on various comms across City for All.

The concept and ethos behind the #MyWestminster campaign was so successful that the term was adopted by various programmes across the Leaders plan including the #MyWestminster fund and #MyWestminster Day and is still in use today.

Client : Westminster City Council and Society of London Theatre

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

Creative direction for West End LIVE 2017, the largest free theatre event in the world, which is held annually across two days in Trafalgar Square. Due to a change in sponsorship we had to completely redesign the look and feel, moving away from the MasterCard colours we had used for six years and removing that sponsor from the event logo. The main stakeholder for the event wanted to retain the black background so we proposed using neon colours and a retro feel, bringing some vibrancy to the event graphics.

The concept I proposed used abstract outlines of hexagons as light flares with a half tone effect for the infill so that they weren’t too imposing and didn’t distract from the logo. To ensure consistency I created the hexagons as linked illustrator files for the site dressing and these were used at the same percentage as the artwork was created, following a simple spreadsheet, so that when all site dressing was printed the lines for the hexagons were all the same. I also ensured the line thickness beneath the text matched the thickness of the hexagon lines. We altered and reused the flat plan of the site dressing graphics, again finding it beneficial in seeing how all the designs worked together.

Although the stakeholders directly involved in the sign off had reduced, the process was harder to manage as we were not tied by specific guidelines or corporate colours. I worked closely with the Event Director to ensure we achieved sign off on the concept and the subsequent designs and maintained a smooth workflow.

We also proposed a redesign of the website, suggesting a countdown to the event on the home page. Unfortunately we were within a contract with an external website company and were unable to create the design in-house but we were able to install the countdown and lay the foundations for Westco to produce the Website for 2018.

Whilst creatively directing and managing this project I was also in charge of the entire team as interim Creative Director as well as working for the final week as lead designer for the Grenfell Fire Response Team.

Client : Sutton Council

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

During a project to create a look and feel for one of the council departments I proposed the need for a refresh of the overall Sutton Council Brand and creation of templates to be used internally. After running a brand workshop to ascertain the vision and mission for the brand the main points we ascertained were forward looking, fair, reliable and open and transparent. We also compared the Sutton brand to other council logos and decided that although it needed a refresh the basic elements could be retained, which would assist with the vision of reliability as it would be familiar. We had proposed to refresh the brand rather than redesign it so that existing materials did not need to be replaced straight away and could be done slowly to reduce unnecessary council spend. However whilst working on the project the stakeholders wanted to compare a redesigned logo to a refreshed logo to assist in their decision making. We therefore designed four new logos for Sutton and showed how they worked in single colour as well as with the council logos for the surrounding boroughs. We continued to work on refreshing the existing brand, looking at how we could simply the elements and create a more balanced relationship between the text and the emblem. Working closely with the Head of Communications I was able to recommend moving forward with the refreshed logo which was in line with my original proposal. We developed the logo further and created a landscape version as well as the original portrait logo to make the brand more flexible and easier to use digitally. Also by using the landscape version on the new templates we were able to increase the size of the council name without using too much space and use a white border around the content to allow for internal printing and space for partnership logos. Using an external contractor we were able to commission the creation of Google templates, as this was the system used though out the council, so that internal staff could easily create materials which were on brand. I also directed the creation of clear simple guidelines which outlined the refreshed logo as well as the updated colour palette and how to use this to adhere to accessibility rules, this helped staff and partnership organisations use the new branding correctly and reinforce a strong brand.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : project management • design lead

Concept and implementation for hoardings to surround the redevelopment of Leicester Square in late 2011 until April 2012, including a festive message which could be easily replaced. The project was initially a mock-up for a stakeholders meeting to show how hoardings could look before a complete briefing however the concept I proposed was approved and we were commissioned to develop the design.

My concept was to utilise the hoardings as an exhibition space to show the past, present and future of Leicester Square, thereby celebrating the history and the redevelopment at the same time. Working closely with the Westminster Archives Library we were able to use the extensive catalogue of photographs (1900’s) and illustrations (1800’s) of Leicester Square through the ages.

The design worked in a sequence so that the general information and festive messages were broken up by the large images and it could work across the different lengths of hoarding. This also ensured the festive messages could be replaced easily in January and additional images added as the hoarding lengths changed.

Due to the site regularly changing shape and size there was also a need for heras fencing to be used alongside hoarding, I therefore created fencing panel graphics that simplified the design to work within the technical constraints of the mesh material whilst reducing the sequence down to three panels to make it easier for the contractors to use.

Client : Sir Simon Milton Foundation

Involvement : account and project management • design lead

Branding design for the new Sir Simon Milton UTC which opened in 2017 to teach 14 to 19 years olds to become the next generation of engineers, technicians and innovators. We were approached by some of the board members who were unhappy with another agency’s proposed designs and asked for alternative concepts to show at an upcoming board meeting. My design was based on simple geometric shapes to reflect the building blocks of design as well as suggest the set squares and protractors, whilst reinforcing the importance of the late Sir Simon Milton whom the UTC is named after. The board chose to proceed with my design and so I developed the logo and created simple guidelines including a suggested look and feel, as another agency was commissioned to implement the design.

Some of the board members subsequently changed and commissioned another agency to redesign the logo as they believed there were issues with my design. As I had a strong relationship with the Sir Simon Milton Foundation’s Chief Executive, I was informed of the problems and was able to produce a presentation justifying my design and explaining how the issues the board members had were unfounded. The presentation was well received and my initial logo, with a few design tweaks is still in use today by the UTC.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

A design refresh for the resident’s magazine ‘The Westminster Reporter’ which is delivered free to all households in the borough. We proposed three concepts, one of which was based on the City for All corporate narrative which had launched a month before. I felt it would be beneficial to link the magazine with the corporate narrative as it was the main tool for communicating with residents and a considerable amount of the articles pertained to City for All. As part of the pitch we campaigned to change the content from predominately short articles to longer pieces with large images to engage the reader, also making the magazine design led with articles edited down rather than forcing copy in by reducing image size. To reinforce the corporate narrative, we created a templated flat plan which proposed a change in the flow of the magazine with articles following the five themes within City for All. Working closely with the marketing team I was able to encourage them to use the City for All style and convince them of the benefits of the content changes.

After six issues we made a few design changes based on feedback from residents in the annual City survey – the emphasis on the front cover changed from ‘Westminster’ to ‘Reporter’ and a serif typeface replaced the sans serif body copy typeface, Open Sans, which had been used to tie in with City for All.

Client : Westminster City Council, Society of London Theatre and MasterCard

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

Event graphics for West End LIVE 2016 in association with MasterCard, the largest free theatre show in the world, which is held annually across two days in Trafalgar Square. Working closely with the Event Director and Head of Production, together we improved on the previous year’s successful event. Additional graphics and banners were proposed as well as changes to the north terrace structure to include a seating area for competition winners. To understand how the new banners would fit and help create a cohesive design across all the site dressing I created a flat plan to scale of all materials so that the entire site could be seen on one A3 page. This also helped ensure all materials were created to the correct size and aided in installation on-site. It was also useful in the presentation packs to explain to stakeholders where the new banners would be situated and how all the designs worked together.

Working with the same talented junior designer as in 2015, we chose to keep the existing design as it had worked so well in the square but controversially proposed adding more colour to supplement the MasterCard colours. I argued that making the confetti more colourful actually helped the MasterCard logo stand out rather than being lost into the design. They agreed to our suggestion and so white and teal were added to the colour palette for 2016.

We were also asked to create a design for the refreshments space and decided to make it feel like a garden area within the square and my team created an Art Deco style illustration. I was again fortunate to work with a good team and this meant I was able to use my knowledge and experience of West End LIVE and concentrate on the strategy, project management and creative direction for the event.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : creative direction • project management

Concepts for a new campaign run in conjunction with TAP London to change the way people donate to homeless charities in Westminster by giving money at contactless points across the borough. The developed concept of bringing warmth to the West End was intended as an animation of a real homeless person in Westminster which went from dark and unhappy to light and happy as a donor tapped on the contactless point to give money. As the campaign was planned to run in November and December the idea of bringing warmth had a double meaning of happiness and actual warmth by helping them have a place to sleep. The campaign did not run as the council chose instead to support the Mayor’s rough sleeping campaign which ran across London at the same time.

Client : Sutton Council

Involvement : account and project management • design lead • photography

Branding and launch materials for the newly refurbished Honeywood Museum and the wider Sutton Heritage Brand. Westco was approached by Honeywood Museum to create promotional materials for the re-opening and at the same time the council commissioned us to create branding for the heritage department. We suggested combining the projects and using the re-opening of Honeywood Museum to launch the new look and feel for Sutton Heritage.

Due to budget restrictions we were unable to use contractors and so I spent two days photographing the three sites as combined research and photographs for use in final designs. The branding for each of the three Grade II listed sites needed to celebrate it’s own unique style whilst working as a set of logos and in an overall Heritage logo. By concentrating on small elements and detailed shots of each site, I was able to create a unified look for the three heritage sites.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : project management • design lead

Design for materials to promote the internal corporate narrative and work with staff to shape the way the council works. We were commissioned to redesign a route map which had been created by senior staff to explain the various strands within the organisation and create a pack to accompany it for managers to work through with staff to explain the council’s need for change. We had already worked on materials to explain other changes within the organisation, such as a launch of Office 365 and a move out of the current offices, by creating the Westminster Way characters. To create a cohesive look and feel for the internal comms team for all of the transformation I felt it was important to tie the characters into the route map. I worked closely with the marketing team to make everything unified whilst still clearly communicating the changes and the internal narrative.

It also became apparent that we needed to explain to staff how the internal ‘Westminster Way’ brand worked with the external corporate narrative ‘City for All’. I came up with a tag line and style for all internal comms to clarify how the two elements worked together – The Westminster Way enabling us to deliver a City for All.

The transformations, including the route map activity packs, were the main subject for the staff conference in 2016 which used the internal branding we had created. To add some light relief to the conference we created animations featuring the Westminster Way characters parodying popular adverts, these communicated the changes happening across the council in a fun way whilst reinforcing the Westminster Way characters and the internal brand.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

Design of launch materials for the 2018 corporate narrative, building on the successful 2017 campaign whilst giving the materials a new look to demonstrate achievements and new initiatives for the year. Continuing the #MyWestminster campaign of focusing on real people, we were able to concentrate on case studies of successful schemes from 2017 City for All and the people involved. We used longer case studies within the launch booklet whilst maintaining the #MyWestminster on other materials such as the Council tax booklet. To highlight the photos and case studies I had the concept of a landscape booklet with images on alternate leaves at a reduced width and text on the larger pages. Also, by placing the titles for each section vertically they were revealed before turning the image page and thereby entice the reader to continue.

As 2018’s narrative was concentrating even more on the people within the borough we wanted to emphasise this in the illustrations as well and so we removed the colour from the buildings and had lots of colourful people instead. As part of the launch project there was also a need to include the campaign name in the ‘supported by’ council logo and create very simple guidelines for use for the projects sponsored by the #MyWestminster fund.

Client : Westminster City Council, Society of London Theatre and MasterCard

Involvement : account and project management • design lead

Event graphics for West End LIVE 2015 in association with MasterCard, the largest free theatre show in the world, which is held annually across two days in Trafalgar Square. Retaining the logo from 2014 and building upon the Art Deco style we created a branding that reflected the energy of the event whilst also being simple and flexible to work across a variety of event materials, from site dressing to promotional posters used throughout London Underground.

Working closely with a talented junior member of the team throughout the project we were able to create a strong project team which enabled me to concentrate more on the strategy and logistics. Having worked with the Event Director previously, I had a great working relationship which allowed me to make aesthetic changes which were politically difficult such as using simple text instead of logos in more places and changing the content on materials.

Working closely with the production company, Underbelly, we were able to ensure all the materials including the additions that had been made to improve the event, were produced to the correct spec and on time. To assist with a smooth sign off process I instituted presentation packs to send to stakeholders which grouped relevant materials together and made it clear and easy for sign off. I worked out a clear timeline for all materials which allowed for feedback and development although the designs were normally signed off with minimal changes. I was also instrumental in changing the work flow for the brochure creating a spreadsheet for the content which came in from over 25 shows, various exhibitors, sponsors and stakeholders and making the InDesign document reflect this to streamline the process.

Client : Southwark Council

Involvement : account and project management • design lead

Creation of a refreshed look and feel, simple guidelines and easy to use Word and InDesign templates to simultaneously create a strong easily recognisable brand across the borough whilst reducing council spend on external designers. Working closely with the client on the project, I was able to convince them to expand the brief to include a refresh of the logo as well as the look and feel, creating a modernised logo that improves legibility and makes it more suitable for use digitally.

As the main objective was the creation of templates to be used by council staff, the look and feel I designed is flexible and simple to use in Word with white borders for printing internally as well as options for designers to use in InDesign with full bleed. The new look and feel emphasises the brand by placing the logo clearly in a white strip at the bottom of materials whilst allowing for the inclusion of partner logos as the council increasingly works with other organisations to provide local services. The guidelines and templates are clear and simple to use with inbuilt macros, colour and type styles to help maintain brand consistency.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : creative direction (2017/8) • project management • design lead (2013/14)

Design for festive messages to be displayed on digital screens on the protective hoarding surrounding Eros statue in December and early January. The festive messages were displayed between paid advertising and simply wished people Happy Christmas from the council.

For 2013 I created images of the skyline at night in the brand colours for the West End Marketing Agency which Westminster were part of. To reduce project spend the design was adapted and changed slightly for 2013 to make the skyline into a present.

In 2017 I creatively directed the project and we decided to better use the digital capabilities and make the messages move slightly. We had the concept of bringing Christmas to Westminster and so created illustrations which transformed from standard scenes to Christmas adaptations.

In 2018 we were working on the End the Night Right campaign for the Westminster Night Hub and I proposed using the screens for a more practical message to tie in with this campaign. To echo the campaign materials, we created simple neon Christmas shapes with each one relating to an ‘End the Night Right’ message such as a snowman and ‘Look out for your friends’. To reduce movement, to adhere to the technical specification of the hoardings, we kept the images visible at all times and used four of the eight screens for text, changing between helpful messages to a festive campaign tag line – Enjoy this festive season and End the Night Right.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

Concept and implementation of standardised look and feel on all materials, including hoardings, for all new housing developments across the borough. The housing department had historically had it’s own look and feel, especially for the transformation of five key sites in Westminster however I proposed bringing the style in line with the wider council so that residents were instantly aware of the council’s involvement as the main stakeholder. As housing is one of the main programmes within the 2017 City for All corporate narrative I proposed using the City for All style for all housing comms. This helped highlight the programme within City for All and inform residents about the new Leader’s housing priorities.

The illustrative style was used on hoardings and adapted to become location specific for use on newsletters, on the housing pages within the council website and in housing offices. I created a master version of the housing hoardings which could be easily adapted to include local messaging and changed to fit any length, which greatly reduced the time and cost of future hoarding projects. This was beneficial as the hoarding sizes were often not confirmed until the sites were already being built and so graphics were needed quickly.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : project management • design lead

Branding and launch materials for the newly developed Leicester Square, reopened in May 2012. We proposed three concepts for the branding, each of which had elements the client liked and after careful consultation with the project team we were able to combine some of these – taking the square illustrations from the first, the shape of the square from the second and the name and colours from the third. The developed rebrand used the name ‘The Premiere Square’, playing on the double meaning of premier importance (without the e) and the square being the main location for premieres in London.

The branding celebrated the many offerings of the area such as cinemas, theatres, restaurants, hotels and a great place to meet. These were reinforced under the logo with a colour assigned to each, as well as in illustrations used across the campaign. The design was intended to be used in the square as an overall brand for the area however some of the stakeholders at a higher level were not properly engaged during the development and therefore unfortunately did not buy into the concept going forwards.

Client : Westminster City Council, Society of London Theatre and MasterCard

Involvement : account and project management • design lead

Branding and event graphics for West End LIVE 2014 in association with MasterCard, the largest free theatre show in the world, which is held annually across two days in Trafalgar Square. MasterCard renewed their headline sponsorship for a further three years and requested a rebrand for the event with a lock-in-logo which could be used for the next three years. As it was also the tenth year of the event we wanted to create a celebratory logo and a campaign that focused on the number ten. The logo needed to be powerful whilst also being flexible to work with different campaigns of the coming years. We proposed three logos and the successful design was one that I had based upon Art Deco designs, reminiscent of many West End theatre buildings, suggesting grandeur and elegance. I developed the logo to work in portrait and landscape to make it as flexible as possible for use on site dressing and also produced clear guidelines outlining the safe area as well as the relationship and size ratio of the MasterCard logo and the two producer’s logos.

Working closely with the Event Director and production company at all times during the project, I ensured all materials were produced on spec, in line with the guidelines and on time for sign off with all stakeholders. By creating clear specification documents for performers and sponsors it ensured we received the correct assets for use in the brochure, online and on stage. I was also instrumental in changing the escalator posters for the London Underground to no longer contain the list of performers and instead show simple information which was more suitable for reading quickly as you pass. Having a strong working relationship with the event director meant I was also able to make strategic suggestions and changes such as the removal of the two producer’s logos from the stage banner and instead replacing them with the organisation names simply written above the event title.

We were also commissioned to create graphics for the Spiegeltent in Leicester Square which was an addition to the event in it’s tenth year, creating a theatre exhibition and more intimate performance area. I created a design to work in line with the new branding whilst retaining it’s own identity.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : account and project management • design lead

Design for a branded and informative gift to be given to attendees of the Westminster sessions at the Conservative party Conference in 2016. The gift needed to contain important information about Westminster policies whilst also having some longevity as something people would use. I designed a notebook which echoed the style of Moleskine® notebooks – using perfect binding, an elastic bookmark and single colour printing in the Westminster Blue to make the notebook simple and elegant. To encourage people to read the content and use the notebook, we limited the information to two spreads at the beginning and two and a half spreads at the end of the book plus the endpapers. In addition, throughout the book on every third spread, there was a simple fact demonstrating successes across Westminster and the council logo. The notebooks were very popular at the conference and we subsequently had a second set reprinted for additional events and staff.

Client : London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Involvement : creative direction • account and project management

Creation of a brand for the local rugby festival, the TRY IT Festival, held in Richmond to coincide with the borough hosting the Rugby World Cup. The branding needed to stand apart from the World Cup materials as well as be able to incorporate multiple sponsor brands and the Council logo.

I worked closely with the Richmond events team as the main client liaison for the project including the pitch of the names and the presentation of the design work. I was also instrumental in the creation of the guidelines for use of the festival and council branding, to be sent out to all companies putting on events within the TRY IT festival.

Client : Westminster City Council

Involvement : project management • design lead

Design of hoarding to surround the Shakespeare statue in Leicester Square whilst additional maintenance work was carried out after the completion of the redevelopment of Leicester Square in 2012. As the area had been under construction for over a year we had the concept to reduce the impact of the hoardings by making most of them mirrors and thereby reflecting the newly redeveloped square. We wanted to celebrate and draw attention to the subject of the statue and so we used quotes from a few of Shakespeare’s plays, placing these on colourful squares around the mirrored hoarding. We also used some of the square panels to explain the work being undertaken behind the hoardings.

As the statue is quite tall there was also a need for a mesh panels to be erected above the hoarding. To try and again limit the impact of having hoarding in a newly redeveloped and opened square I proposed using photographs of the four angles of the statue so that visitors could see an idea of what was behind. Unfortunately work was already underway and so we were unable to take new photos and had to use existing shots, to make these work we made all the photographs duotone to ensure they worked as a set and to hide any technical imperfections.

Client : Westminster City Council, Society of London Theatre and MasterCard

Involvement : project management • joint design lead

Event graphics for West End LIVE 2013 in association with MasterCard, the largest free theatre show in the world, which is held annually across two days in Trafalgar Square. Working with another senior designer, we designed all promotional materials and site dressing and I was solely responsible for the 72 page brochure. The event is produced by Westminster City Council and The Society of London Theatre but requires extensive sponsorship as it is a free to attend. From 2011 MasterCard became the headline sponsor and were therefore involved with signing off the look and feel. Careful project management was required to ensure all pieces went through the correct sign off period in time for production. It was also important to track the various assets provided by the shows and exhibitors performing at the event as well as the logos and adverts from the sponsors. I created and monitored spreadsheets to track the assets and make sure we had everything needed to meet production deadlines.