SECOND year Graphic Design student Faria Ahktar has created a new logo for Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Darryl Preston following a ‘Live Brief’ commissioned by his office.  

A total of 20 Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) BA (Hons) Graphic Design students spent their second trimester working on a new design that would better represent the role of the Commissioner and his team.  

Faria was awarded best design at a ceremony where students display their work to local dignitaries and family members.  

Darryl said: ‘Both myself and my team were blown away by the designs – each one of the students has worked incredibly hard on the brief and produced some amazing and innovative work. 

“In the build up to the local PCC Elections, I spoke to a lot of residents about my role, and while people are starting to understand the service I and my team deliver, a new brand will help make our work more accessible to all. 

“Faria’s design perfectly encapsulates what PCCs do – holding the Chief Constable to account for an effective police service, working with partners to reduce crime, delivering early intervention and prevention initiatives which support people from getting involved in crime in the first place, and providing funding which improves support services for victims.”

The winner will see their brand across all of Cambridgeshire’s PCC digital and traditional materials such as the website – locally, regionally, and nationally. Faria received a £50 Amazon voucher for her design and all the participating students were presented with a certificate from Darryl. 

Anglia Ruskin University introduced the Live Briefs scheme in 2020, and Live Briefs are now a core element of around 150 undergraduate degree modules in subjects ranging from the creative arts, law, and finance, to computing, psychology and life sciences. 

By setting students real-world tasks, businesses and organisations such as the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner can benefit from the ideas and creativity of ARU’s student community.  

Professor Catherine Lee MBE, Interim Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences at ARU, said: “ARU’s Live Briefs scheme is a fantastic way for our students to get real-world experience, while also helping to boost their skills, confidence, and future career prospects. 

“The fact that students get the opportunity to take part in professionally relevant tasks, with real outcomes, is incredibly rewarding for them. Faria has done a fantastic job, and we can’t wait to see this new logo for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Police and Crime Commissioner being rolled out across the county in the coming months.” 

The new design is expected to go live later in the summer and the student who designed the winning logo will be invited to visit the PCC in his office at Police HQ in Hinchingbrooke, Huntingdon to see their designs become real.