Campbell Hay revitalise London’s Islington Design District with an elegant, supportive identity

Ahead of the 2021’s London Design Festival, brand consultancy Campbell Hay were commissioned to revitalise the visual identity of Islington Design District and curate its design-led programme; with the inner city borough looking to reclaim its place as one of the English capital’s leading creative destinations. Drawing on themes of discovery and reconnection, Islington Design District aims to bring together local and international talent through a series of pop-ups, workshops and commissions hosted within landmark development Islington Square.

The result of Campbell Hay’s work is an identity that celebrates the creatives present at the events through the forms found in their work. Embracing the aforementioned themes of discovery and reconnection, subtle shapes constructed from delicate lines flow and overlap with simple typography set in classic sans serif Neue Haas Grotesk. Reminiscent of iconic industrial and furniture design, the elegant aesthetic of the silhouettes allows the creative’s work to shine; all while giving Islington Design District a memorable and distinct graphic language of its own.

Adding further distinction to the identity is Panama, a serif font from Typefaces of The Temporary State, as well as a striking shade of purple. “We looked at the visual identities created for the other districts and purple has not been used yet,” Campbell Hay’s Design Lead Wai Ming Ng tells us, “we chose a shade of purple that felt fresh and vibrant so it would stand out when used across the brand campaign.”

Looking to the future, Ng explains that the visual identity for Islington Design District will be an organic one, but “it makes sense to keep an element of consistency, whether it’s the colour or the typographic style.” Already commissioned to work on the next iteration, however, he concludes “I guess we will find out next year…”

Campbell Hay

Islington Design District