London Borough of Harrow, council - Wealdstone “Welcome” place-making mural
The creative commission set out to design and hand paint a mural for the local area of Wealdstone, London that was reflective of the local area and community values.
The first stage of the project was the research stage. It was important for us to collect data from local community groups and also members of the public, to find out how we could produce a design which showcased the beating heart that is Wealdstone.
Our team set out to speak to front line members of the community asking important questions about not only what type of design they would like to see, but about the history and culture of the local area.
From analysis of the collected data, we set out to produce 3 design drafts. These designs all reflected the vast spectrum of information received from focus groups.
Here are some examples of the final data collected from the Wealdstone community:
We created the design drafts in a way which clearly visually communicated the ideas of the data through complimenting mediums and styles.
It was important for us to make sure the design drafts aligned with the overall branding of the area, alongside economic development and borough-wide strategies.
All 3 are shown below:
Design draft 1
Key points of interest:
Bakerloo line style train model, with destinations of Harrow and Wealdstone painted on the front.
Leafy plants at bottom to complement the proposed flower bed.
Multicultural children playing together with Wealdstone FC logo painted on football.
First 4 colours to come out of the chimney of the working Kodak factory is a subtle hint to the CMYK printing process.
Citizens of all nations, intertwined with nature, demonstrating a collective effort.
“Traditionally-modern” font style which references “old” style industrial typeface.
About:
“Design draft 1 shows “The Abundance of Wealdstone” with the community at the heart of the piece. The piece depicts a dated greyscale, yet “working” kodak factory, (spilling out life and a spectrum of geographical identity) which is represented by the many colours of vibrant paint. This is also a reference to the use of the Windsor and Newton building function. This paint is caught and then passed through all the diverse types of people within the many cultures of the community- With every one of them utilising their collective effort. This is then cast back into the sky to illustrate the circular “rhythm“ of taking, nurturing and giving back to the place which has, in it’s own way, given so much to them.”
Design draft 2
Key points of interest:
TFL station/train, Bakerloo style train.
Natural elements to reflect greater London.
Natural elements to compliment proposed flower bed in planter.
“Traditionally-modern” font style which references “old” style industrial typeface.
Wealdstone Clock tower landmark.
Showcasing 5 citizens of various nationalities.
About:
“Design draft 2 is centred around “community, culture and unity” with 5 key representatives all interacting with the “welcome” signage in their own way. The idea behind this piece was to capture Wealdstone as a “snapshot” alongside the subtle hint to the Kodak factory (with the man holding the “kodak style” camera leaning over the “welcome” text). We looked to directly capture Wealdstone’s multi-faith community and most importantly how each person’s individual identity intertwines with “Wealdstone” to create a collective whole- Thus formulating a melody. The sky represents the still and relaxing essence of the “bigger picture” of the design. The entanglement with greenery represents each individual's relationship between their own lives and the characteristics of Greater London.”
Design draft 3
Key points of interest:
Kodak factory reference.
Traditional style typography
Reference to Windsor and Newton
Train to represent transport history
Wealdstone Clock tower landmark.
The eponymous “Weald-Stone” , a sarsen stone, formerly marking the boundary between the parishes of Harrow and Harrow Weald.
About:
“Design draft 3 illustrates a bright, bold and welcoming image that will catch the eyes of passers by. The design uses a traditional serif font which is a nod to the past but represents future growth with the flowers blooming around the typography. The different colours, shades and types of flowers are also a subtle reference to the diversity within Wealdstone. The bright, natural backdrop promotes nature and a sense of calm whilst also being eye catching and complementing the flowerbed below it. The two halves of the design come together to create a mural that showcases Wealdstone’s history and businesses in a traditional but current way.”
From feedback from key groups- Design 1 was chosen to be the final design.
WeTheSeeds Creative sourced, screened and briefed applicable nationwide artists to come together to hand paint the Wealdstone “welcome” mural and was on hand to project manage throughout the entire process.
Our social media team filmed content on-site to implement the social strategy that ran alongside the creation of the mural- bringing the positive community dialog online.
“WeTheSeeds were commissioned by Harrow Council to engage, design and paint a mural on Wealdstone High Street. This involved working with the local community, through face to face surveys and meeting with local traders, to set the design principles for the mural artwork. The final artwork produced by WeTheSeeds responded to the feedback from the community and incorporated images of Wealdstone’s industrial past, including Kodak, Winsor and Newton, Wealdstone football club, links to public transport and the community’s cultural diversity. Situated at the gateway into Wealdstone’s High Street, the vibrant mural serves as a warm welcome to all who enter. WeTheSeeds have delivered a mural that has helped transform the image of Wealdstone. They understood the brief well and executed a mural that has had lovely feedback from the community, local politicians and even some TV coverage which was fantastic- It’s definitely created a buzz!”
— Harrow Council