Graphic Design student Kairuz Pagba has seen his creative vision become part of Chesham's future after winning a competition to design the official logo for Chesham Town Council's Cultural & Creative Charter.
The Charter, adopted in December 2025, aims to establish Chesham as the cultural capital of Buckinghamshire by celebrating its creativity, heritage and community.
The competition challenged five Buckinghamshire New University’s (BNU) Graphic Design students to create a logo that reflected the Charter's vision. They presented their ideas to a panel of judges from Chesham Town Council, including the Town Mayor, before refining their designs in response to professional feedback.
Kairuz's design was selected as the winner and awarded a £150 prize. His logo will become the official visual identity of the Charter, appearing across events, communications and promotional materials as Chesham brings its cultural ambitions to life. It will be adopted by businesses and organisations that sign up to the Charter, creating a recognisable identity for Chesham's cultural initiatives and partnerships.
Speaking on his win, Kairuz said: “I was genuinely surprised to win because there were so many strong designs, and everyone brought something different to the project. It was a great experience working on a real client brief, presenting my ideas to the panel and developing the design from their feedback. Knowing my logo will now be used across Buckinghamshire is something I'm really proud of.”
Chris Allen, Course Leader for Graphic Design at BNU, said: "The project came about through conversations with Chesham Town Council and was an ideal opportunity to embed a live client brief into our Professional Practice module. Students weren't simply designing a logo – they were learning how to interpret a client's needs, present their ideas professionally, respond to feedback and develop their work, just as they would in industry.”
"The students took the panel's feedback seriously and demonstrated how their ideas evolved through the design process. That's exactly the experience we want to give our students, and it's especially rewarding knowing the winning design will have such a visible presence across Chesham."
Speaking on the winning logo, Councillor Justine Fulford, Town Mayor of Chesham (2025/26), said: “We are delighted to congratulate Kairuz on this achievement. He provided clear rationale on his creative ideas throughout the competition, and his winning design was chosen for its bold simplicity with a nod to Chesham’s heritage. The design will sit well alongside the Chesham Town Council logo.
“We were thrilled to engage talented students from Buckinghamshire New University in this process, showcasing the next generation of designers and reinforcing Chesham’s commitment to supporting emerging artists and fostering strong educational and community partnerships.”
Chesham Town Council has also submitted a bid to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to become UK Town of Culture 2028, with the Chesham Cultural & Creative Charter forming a central part of the town's long-term cultural vision.
This project forms part of BNU's commitment to providing students with authentic industry experience through live briefs and employer partnerships, enabling them to develop the skills and confidence needed for successful creative careers.
See more about our Graphic Design course here