University students design new NHS research bus

Four students from Arts University Bournemouth were selected to create the new design

Four university students have designed the livery and mascot of a new NHS research bus.

Lenya Hulford-Greig, Thomas Roberts, Annika Shaill and Lucas Thompson-McClure were selected from their interior architecture and design course at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) to create the design for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) - a partner of the NHS.

Operating across Dorset, Hampshire and south Wiltshire, the buses will help deliver health and care research to underserved areas and communities, AUB said.

Ms Hulford-Greig said the project had been "a massive learning journey".

The new research bus will serve Dorset, Hampshire and south Wiltshire

Each of the students - who were in their first year when the collaboration started - took on different roles in the design and development, from creating visuals for presentations and videos to direct communication with NIHR.

One of the key elements of the project was the creation of the bus mascot, Maxwell, designed by Mr Roberts.

The character's design, based on the double helix structure of a strand of DNA, gives the bus "its own personality, identity and name", he said.

He added that it could develop into a living mascot for social media and advertising in the future.

Work on designing the 3.5-tonne vehicle took place during the summer break, AUB said, with the students adhering to strict deadlines, presenting to a board, and responding to community feedback.

The bus, named Maxwell in honour of the mascot, was unveiled at a launch event in Southampton on 2 February.

The mascot was named Maxwell - an acronym for "maximum wellbeing"

The students said the experience had taught them a lot about what future employment might look like.

"It was a massive learning journey and experience that was valuable to not only our current university projects but also for the future work placement," said Ms Hulford-Greig.

Mr Roberts said it "provided valuable insights into client collaboration", and Mr Thompson-McClure said it "highlighted the importance of considering the unique needs of small communities".

Ms Shaill added that she "really enjoyed the more integrated branding and marketing experience".