Westminster students were challenged to create a frame banner design for The HiLight, a luxury apartment complex in Battersea, London. The challenge ran in partnership with the building contractor Ghelamco and PR company Bridging London, giving students the chance to engage with real industry clients and showcase their creativity on a high-profile project.
The designs were showcased in an exhibition on Harrow Campus, which was a collaborative event involving Safiya Ahmed, Lecturer in the School of Media and Communications, and students from the Graphic Design BA Honours, Animation BA Honours, Illustration BA Honours and Interactive Media Practice MA courses.
Titled The HiLight Project, the teams began their work back in September. The project has been run in partnership with associated PR company Bridging London and Ghelamco, a leading European real estate investor and one of the largest commercial property developers, operating in the office, residential, retail, logistics and leisure markets.
Approximately 50 students in teams of three to four designed 13 banners following one of three themes: regeneration, Battersea’s cultural heritage or sustainability.
This collaboration offered Westminster students a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity by designing a visually impactful banner, enhancing the visibility of The HiLight and showing the strength of the partnership. This was also an opportunity for students to engage with a real industry, work collaboratively with new people and teams, learn new skills, pitch their ideas to clients and present their work in a month-long public exhibition.
The competing designs were judged by Ghelamco and Bridging London and displayed in an exhibition between 9 December 2024 and 9 January 2025. The winning design will soon be announced and displayed at The HiLight complex in Battersea in spring 2025 during the last six months of construction.
Emma Dodson, Course Leader for the Illustration BA Honours course, said: “Collaborating with Ghelamco on The HiLight building project has been an inspiring opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity and address vital societal issues. Each design proposal reflects a bold vision, engaging with themes such as mental health, racial inequality, sustainability and community connection - topics that resonate deeply with today’s challenges.
“This project exemplifies the transformative power of visual communication to not only enhance public spaces but also provoke thought and foster meaningful dialogue. Our students have demonstrated remarkable innovation and professionalism, bridging art and purpose to create impactful, socially conscious designs that align with Ghelamco’s vision for the Battersea community.
“Many thanks to Ghelamco for this valuable live challenge and the energetic staff team for supporting the students so well.”
Benjamin Powell, Work Based and Placement Learning Project Manager from the University's Careers and Employability Team, said: “This has been a unique experience for our students to engage with industry, working with a real client to produce a design for commercial use. The students created original and innovative designs, which were not only used for the exhibition and to showcase to the employer, but also as part of their assessment for their work-based learning modules. I really commend the students for their commitment to this project and would encourage them to include these designs in their portfolios and CV’s going forward.”
This project directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education and 17: Partnerships for Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about the Art, Design and Visual Culture courses at Westminster.
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