Branding the city – Visual language and information design

HCC wanted to show they were responding to the vision and aspirations of their community. Giving them a sense of the progress being made. The Annual Plan, like all the resources developed, has been created with the community in mind. Its aim is to be transparent about the council’s work, how it impacts their residents, outlining what’s next, and prompting engagement. Our visual language had to feature recognisable connections to the city and the people that live within it. The illustrations and photos included are representative of the diverse range of people living in Hutt City. Landmarks such as local shops, the Council building, even the ‘Welcome to Lower Hutt’ sign were all featured in the Plan too.

The visual billboards we designed help connect the community to the exciting HCC infrastructure projects in the works, and act as an effective way to boldly and clearly alert people to work happening in their area. Detailing in-situ; what the project is, how much money is being spent, the progress residents can expect to see, and when it can expect to be finished.

For the Pūrongo ā-Tau – Annual Report and summary we had to ensure the essential information stood out. So that navigation throughout the 200 page document was clear and easy, so HCC could effectively tell their performance story. The document needed visual design to assist in communicating the wealth of information inside. Using all the tools in our belt; a mix of photography, illustration, infographic spreads, clear design, and incorporating local landmarks and regional attributes, with a consistent visual style, we created a cohesive and engaging suite of resources for HCC that they’re proud to share with their community.

Consultation on the proposed changes to the Annual Plan was live from 31 March to 30 April 2023.
HCC published the proposed changes online, along with supporting information to help their community understand the decisions they were facing. The website was viewed by 1616 people during the consultation period.
HCC also published an online survey for our community to provide feedback on their proposals. They received 124 responses to the survey, and heard from people who sent emails and came to speak to their submission in person. They also had over 1000 people view the HCC online rates calculator to see the impact of the proposed Annual Plan on their rates bill.