How can development truly reflect the communities it sits within? At Origin Consult, we believe one answer lies in inviting local people to directly shape how projects are represented and experienced.
This summer, we were commissioned by Hadley Property Group to design and deliver a creative engagement programme with young people in Brentford. The brief was simple but powerful: capture how local perspectives could inform the hoarding design for one of Hadley’s upcoming developments.
We partnered with eight young people, aged 13–16, and gave each of them a film camera with one guiding question: What does Brentford mean to you?
Over the course of a week, they photographed the people, places, and everyday details that make their neighbourhood unique; from green spaces and favourite hangouts to hidden corners and community landmarks. The results were diverse, personal, and reflective of the many ways Brentford is experienced by its youth.
We then brought the group together for a creative workshop to share their images, exchange ideas, and reflect collectively. With plenty of pizza to fuel the discussion, the session sparked conversations about what they love most about Brentford, what feels important to represent, and the stories they want others to see.
These insights and images have now been shared with the hoarding design team, who will translate them into the visual identity of the site. In this way, the hoardings won’t just act as a boundary, but as a community-rooted narrative-seen and shaped through the eyes of Brentford’s young people.
We’re proud to have delivered this project in partnership with Hadley and look forward to seeing the finished hoardings unveiled in the coming months.