This is Croydon

Tracking a year of culture in one report

The brief

Croydon’s year as London Borough of Culture 2023 was a big, bold celebration of the communities that make the borough unique. Running from April 2023 to March 2024, the programme showcased world-leading artists, emerging talent, and local creativity through a packed calendar of cultural events. From music and dance to street art and food festivals, the year was a vibrant display of Croydon’s identity and heritage.

Led by Croydon Council in partnership with the local arts sector, This Is Croydon placed inclusivity and accessibility at its heart. The London Borough of Culture initiative is funded by the Mayor of London and aims to shine a spotlight on the capital’s creative diversity.

Using the supplied visual identity, The Graphic Design House was commissioned to design a series of deliverables, including the flagship Impact Report. The publication would be presented to key funders and stakeholders at a launch event and made available online as a public-facing document.

Our challenge was to create a visually engaging report that celebrated the year’s achievements while making complex data and statistics easy to navigate. The design needed to include custom infographics and a timeline to highlight major moments from the year-long programme in a way that felt dynamic, accessible, and true to the brand’s energy.

Croydon Stands Tall Glenn Foster Photography

“Nik was an absolute superstar and got us to print on time… he’s been a huge pleasure to work with, and we are so pleased with the PDFs”

Kirsty Lothian
London Borough of Culture Senior Grants and Evaluations Officer
This is Croydon

Our approach

From developing design concepts to bringing the final report to life, we focused on creating a visually engaging publication that clearly communicated a year of cultural highlights. Hover over the flip tiles below to explore each stage of our design process.

Exploring concept routes

We began with two creative concepts that explored how best to visualise the timeline and infographics. Both routes built on the bold, colourful visual identity already in place, balancing playful design with professional clarity for funders and partners.

Timeline spread This is Croydon Impact Report

Timeline design

A key feature of the report was the timeline, for which we were given full creative freedom. The design took inspiration from the London Tube Map, showing a route that travelled through the months of the year, highlighting major events and milestones. The timeline stretched across the centre spread and extended into a gatefold, allowing it to unfold into a landscape format for greater visual impact.

Close up of Infographics within impact report

Bringing the visual identity to life

The This Is Croydon identity featured bold colours and strong photography, which we carried through into the report. We created an image-led layout that gave space for photography while keeping information clear and easy to follow.

Inside pages of This is Croydon Impact Report

Layout and structure

Across the 48-page A4 publication, we focused on creating clear section breaks and layouts that balanced text and imagery. The report incorporated infographics, photography, and short summaries to make the content accessible and visually engaging for readers.

Galapagos magazine before and after redesign

Results & next steps

The completed Impact Report presented a year of cultural activity in a format that was colourful, structured, and easy to navigate. The fold-out timeline provided a memorable centrepiece, while the overall layout supported both stakeholder presentations and public engagement.

We’ve continued to support This is Croydon in getting their messages across to funders and key stakeholders, most recently completing the design for a series of 10 case studies that captured the voices, stories and experiences behind Croydon’s year as London Borough of Culture 2023.

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