Luton Family Hubs
There for Luton’s familiesBuilding a trustworthy brand for Luton Family Hubs was crucial. The brand needed to feel accessible, instil confidence and ultimately encourage families to take-up the services on offer.
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It takes a village
Studies show that family hubs have a positive impact on families, whether that’s increasing access to support services, developing parenting skills and social connections, or generally improving overall family wellbeing. Luton Family Hubs is one of the first hubs being set up under a new wave of hubs across English towns and cities.
These hubs offer holistic and comprehensive place-based services integrating family services planning and delivery up to age 19, extending to 25 for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The economic benefits of the hubs speak for themselves, too. One study found for every £1 invested in family support services, the cost saving to the state is around £2.60.
No wrong door
The idea of the ‘hub’ as a single entry point is key. Using an integrated approach reduces the number of times families have to tell their story. This was an important consideration for the brand. Our challenge was to devise a brand that was more than the sum of its parts. It needed a clearly recognisable, distinctive, and positive visual identity that would resonate not just with families, but with local providers such as GPs and community midwives, and children’s services, community groups, and mental health and education partners.
We worked with Filigree, our community engagement partner, and Solutions Research, our research partner. We led community research activities with families across Luton. And we met with public health organisations carrying out interviews and workshops. Together, we co-designed what Luton Family Hubs’ brand might look and sound like.
Give me an “H”
We used the Brand Key model to develop the main brand elements. This inspired a brand identity based around the letter H for hub. The H offers flexibility and familiarity. It is formed of brightly coloured circles that represent the diversity of Luton’s communities and the network of hubs across Luton.
Accessibility and inclusiveness are fundamental. A bright, optimistic colour palette contrasting against the dark blue name appealed to families in research. The free-to-use Google font Poppins met accessibility needs and is a warm, friendly font that works well online and in print – still an important medium for many families.
A starter photo library and a recoloured templated set of icons was produced to be appealing, fun and cost-effective. An illustration style was also agreed for future implementation.
