When the Matthew Boulton College of Further Education moved to its new Eastside location in the heart of Birmingham in 2005, it became the lynchpin of the city's vibrant Millennium Point learning quarter.  As part of a pro-active campaign to further promote the college's activities, it was decided to decorate the walls of the new public walkway that runs through Millennium Point linking the college with other facilities within the area, by using images representative of the wide variety of courses on offer. Rather than using the obvious campus shots, the college decided to produce something a little more creative and thus invited its technology students to produce design ideas for the project. The result was a selection of quirky and highly imaginative artwork, which is as original as it is eye catching.

Action Graphics, a Birmingham-based sign company, who offer a full range of signmaking services and is also the college's preferred sign supplier, was commissioned to reproduce the designs onto suitable substrates and install them.  Action Graphic's Mike Bolton explains that the students' original digital concept was taken and reproduced to suit each location, size and substrate requirement.

For advice on the best mounting substrates to use, Action Graphics sought the advice of Mike Powell at the Birmingham Branch of Robert Horne Sign & Display, the company's supplier of choice. Mike suggested that a combination of plain and mirror finish Dibond would provide the perfect surface for print application.  For extra emphasis, it was also decided to include some specially lit wall sections and for this feature, Mike felt that Repsol, a cast acrylic sheet, which offers excellent light diffusion properties when internally illuminated, would be the ideal choice.  

Mike Bolton reports that the finished effect adds life and interest to the whole area, as well as providing a ringing endorsement of the college's obvious ability to nurture its students' fledgling design skills.   He said:  "All in all it was a fine piece of team work, combining the students' design flair, with Action Graphics digital and signage skills and Robert Horne's advice and materials.  I think it's provided the college with a modern and artistic environment, which complements its technical departments and fashion labs.