Visual Identity for a Community Transport Initiative

Client:

North Northamptonshire Council

Date:

2024

Deliverables:

Brand

Brief:

Design a friendly visual identity, bus concepts and marketing materials for North Northamptonshire Council’s ‘Chatty Bus’ initiative, encouraging conversations to reduce loneliness and social isolation among bus users.

Designing for Connection and Community.

We worked with North Northamptonshire Council to create a visual identity for Chatty Bus, a public transport initiative designed to reduce loneliness and social isolation among passengers. The project aims to encourage friendly conversations between bus users, particularly those who may otherwise feel isolated during their daily journeys. By sparking small moments of connection, Chatty Bus helps build stronger relationships within local communities and promotes positive mental health and well-being.

Creative Coop was commissioned to deliver a complete creative solution that would bring this idea to life. We began by exploring how to visually represent warmth, openness and connection in a way that would feel natural within the everyday context of public transport. Our goal was to develop a brand identity that was friendly, inclusive and highly accessible, appealing to a broad demographic of passengers across all ages and backgrounds. The challenge was to make the campaign feel human and inviting without losing clarity or impact in a busy transport setting.

Visual Identity, Bus Concepts and Marketing Collateral

We developed a complete visual identity system for Chatty Bus, including a custom logo, colour palette, and typographic approach. The design was carefully crafted to feel cheerful and instantly recognisable, helping the campaign stand out both in print and out in the community. The identity balances soft shapes and warm tones with clear readability, ensuring that it feels both approachable and professional.

The new branding was applied to bus livery concepts, transforming vehicles into moving ambassadors for the initiative. We also produced a suite of marketing collateral, including posters, leaflets, window stickers and digital assets to raise awareness and engage passengers. Each element was designed to reinforce the initiative’s message: that a simple conversation can make a big difference. The final result is a cohesive and welcoming campaign that helps bring communities closer together, one bus journey at a time.