Designhouse brands new night-time safety initiative for Westminster City Council

In creating Night Stars, Designhouse aims to have created an approachable yet distinctive brand whose volunteers will provide assistance to those in need on nights out. The agency’s work extended to naming the brand, creating a brand identity, and creating a promotional film for the initiative which is set to launch this month across five locations in the London borough.

Featuring throughout the brand’s visual language is the use of a continuous neon pink line. The design, which features in print and digital content, draws on the classic aesthetic of night-time signage while also acting as a metaphor for a person’s journey to safety at night. The bold pink will also feature on the high-viz jackets to be worn by the volunteers, allowing for easy identification.

Matthew Gilman, design director at Designhouse, says, “The name ‘Night Stars’ encapsulated the purpose of the initiative by referencing how stars are known for guiding people through the night and are a familiar presence always looking out for us. It also alludes to how the volunteers – who are stars themselves – will create a network or constellation of support and guidance across the borough. We have paired this with the strapline ‘There For You’, which focuses on the reassuring and supportive role that Night Stars will play.”

The Night Stars marque makes use of a handwritten style typography, designed to underline the sentiment of ‘a human touch’. A secondary typeface – soft, with rounded edges – tries to match itself to the approachable and friendly personality of the initiative.

While Night Stars launches this month in Soho, Leicester Square, Piccadilly, China Town and Shaftesbury Avenue, it will become a borough-wide initiative at a later date.