City-wide signage: The Exeter Green Circle walk
Committed to supporting community wellbeing, sustainability and access to green spaces, Exeter City Council undertook a project to revive the Exeter Green Circle – a twelve-mile circular walking route that connects parks, nature reserves and lesser-known green spaces around the city.
The project aimed to engage both visitors and residents, encouraging discovery of green areas and leafy suburbs while promoting sustainable travel and active lifestyles. In collaboration with GWR, the campaign positioned the Green Circle as an accessible way to explore Exeter on foot, starting from key railway stations linked by the route.
Drive worked with Exeter City Council to devise and create a series of colourful and engaging maps and way-finding interpretation boards designed to help people explore the city. Playful and distinctive, the maps and signage combined bespoke illustrations of Exeter’s landmarks with points of interest, giving users a fresh perspective on the city. Illustrations were a collaboration – some by Drive and some commissioned through Devon-based illustrator Sarah Frances.
From online maps to permanent wayfinding, the designs brought clarity, creativity and a sense of adventure, helping more people connect with Exeter’s landscape and culture.
