NEW signs could soon be pointing the way towards the Malvern Hills thanks to help from graphic design and multimedia students.

The students at the University of Worcester were asked to design clear, effective wayfinding signage to help support the Route to the Hills project.

The project run by the Route to the Hills partnership aims to highlight key sites of interest in Malvern, linking the town to the hills.

Students spent the afternoon with Manda Graham, the project coordinator for the Route to the Hills project, visiting relevant sites and helping to give a greater understanding of their design brief.

The wayfinding design brief follows ‘emotisurvey’ research work carried out by the university’s senior lecturer Andy Stevenson to help the Route to the Hills team understand the effectiveness of public space signage and facilities in Malvern.

He said: “This is a really great piece of live project work for the students to undertake which ties in nicely with the sorts of design tasks they’ll be asked to undertake once they’ve graduated.

“It could bring real benefits to both the Route to the Hills project and the town of Malvern, so we are delighted to be involved.”

The students have agreed to take on the brief as part of their learning in the field of graphic information design and will be working on ideas throughout the rest of this semester and delivering working prototypes in early May.

Councillor Barbara Williams, portfolio holder for economic development, said: “We are excited at having this opportunity to work with students and we hope that some innovative signage designs emerge from the project.

“The scheme will strengthen links between the town and the hills and help tourists and local people enjoy the heritage of the town.”

The Route to the Hills partnership is made up of six organisations: Malvern Hills District Council, Malvern Civic Society, Malvern Town Council, High Street Malvern, Great Malvern Priory Parochial Church Council and Malvern Hills Conservators.