The design was created as part of a project involving five graphic design students from Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) who developed logo concepts for the Chesham Charter, a community arts scheme led by Chesham Town Council to celebrate the town’s heritage, creativity, and community spirit.
Students took part in a professional pitching process, with their designs presented during a second-round session on April 24.
Louise Hayday, Chesham town clerk, said: “The revised work demonstrated clear progress, with stronger attention to usability, identity and adaptability.”
Each student returned with refined logos and visual examples showing how their designs could be applied across signage, window decals, and promotional materials.
Ms Hayday said the final decision would be a difficult one for the panel.
The panel will now consider all the designs before selecting a winner in the coming weeks.
The selected logo will be rolled out across Chesham and adopted by organisations and businesses signed up to the Charter.
Chris Allen, graphics course leader at BNU, said the project began following discussions with the council and was quickly identified as an ideal fit for a professional practice module in the course.
Mr Allen said: “We put it out to students as a live brief and embedded it into teaching, so it aligned with learning how to present to clients and work on real projects.
“It’s quite a big deal – the winning design will be used across the town and by partner businesses, so it’s fantastic exposure and real-world experience for them.”
He praised the students’ professional attitude and growth throughout the process.
Mr Allen said: “They took the panel’s first-round feedback really seriously and approached it in a very professional way, showing how their ideas developed, which is exactly how it works in industry.
“You don’t just present a logo – you take the client through the thinking behind it.”
He said that although presenting can be daunting for some creatives, the students handled it well.
The branding project supports Chesham’s wider cultural ambitions as outlined in the Chesham Cultural Plan, a community-driven roadmap to champion local creativity.
Chesham has also submitted a bid to become the UK Town of Culture 2028, with £3 million going to the winning town.
