City & Hackney Recovery College offers free educational courses to support mental health, wellbeing, and personal growth. Open to residents of City and Hackney, the college provides a range of courses co-produced and co-delivered by professionals and people with lived experience. Topics include managing mental health, building confidence, and developing life skills. The aim is to empower individuals through learning, promote recovery, and help people connect with others in a supportive, inclusive environment focused on hope and self-development.
I was given the task of creating a brand for the City & Hackney Recovery College that truly reflected its ethos. As someone with lived experience of mental health challenges, I deeply connected with the college's mission and wanted to ensure that the community it serves felt included in the process. I proposed running a competition for patients on wards and people using similar services, asking them to share what "recovery" meant to them — through drawings, paintings, poems, or any creative form.
Submissions from patients and people using similar services in the City & Hackney area
The response was incredible, with so many thoughtful and inspiring submissions that shaped the brand’s direction. From these, we selected five concepts to develop further. The final winning idea was based on the image of outreach — someone being supported as they climb a metaphorical mountain. I found this idea powerful and designed an abstract version, using a hand in negative space to symbolise both a helping hand and the safe, supportive environment the college offers — a space for growth, healing, and recovery.
Wanting everyone who contributed to feel valued, I decided that the front cover of the very first Recovery College brochure would feature a collage of the submitted artwork, as a way to say thank you and recognise the incredible effort and creativity of those involved.
Front cover of the City & Hackney Recovery College’s first ever prospectus. A collage of the patients submissions to the question “What does recovery mean to you?”
City & Hackney Recovery College logo ident which is used at the beginning of educational videos during the pandemic.
Prospectus designs featuring a variety of front covers, including all essential information for students — such as timetables, course descriptions, and guidance on how to apply for courses.
