Check it out!

Finally, the cat’s out of the bag and we can tell you all about our recent work with the Croydon BID. After months under lock and key the new consumer-facing brand, Check Out Croydon, has been set free.

If you frequent Croydon you may have noticed the Street Ambassadors wandering around (in their pink uniforms they’re quite hard to miss!), however you won’t have seen the Check Out Croydon website as it’s set for a soft launch this month, and aims to make it easy for visitors to find their way around everything that the town has to offer.

The eagle eyed among you may have noticed that the Check Out Croydon name has been around since we first refreshed the Croydon BID brand and launched its new customer loyalty card. However, with the introduction of the Street Ambassadors and the requirement for a public facing website it was decided to build on the brand.

We used the strong magenta colour not only for its eye-catching nature, but also to tie it to Croydon BID’s Perception and Image pledge, which features the same colour. The original Check Out Logo has been simplified, giving it a more contemporary look but also making it easier to reproduce for the uniforms.

The website promotes various events, offers and businesses in the town centre. The split screen map and list view helps the user to browse around the town for inspiration, filtering it down to more specific options if needed and even being able to see what’s closest to them.

Built in Drupal, the website uses nifty bits of programming to combine bespoke map styling with the information Google Maps has available. Which is how users are able to locate themselves as well as see various businesses on the map.

From a digital guide around the town to a real life one, the Street Ambassadors are on hand to promote the website, and help visitors and business alike. Their uniforms were designed by yours truly and are completely bespoke. The designs followed a briefing from the Croydon BID in which they challenged us to create a less formal uniform compared with the standard three-piece suits and bowler hats the Welcome People Ambassadors wear elsewhere. We rose to the challenge and so far the uniforms have been well received.

The Ambassadors can currently be seen in and around the town centre, however the website is currently in the testing phase, and due to be launched soon, but get ready to check it out soon!