Orbital hails a Design Conspiracy identity

An alternative taxi service, called Orbital, will launch in central London next month, with branding created by Design Conspiracy.

The private hire business has been set up by former London police officer Rod Hutton to address the problem of illegal minicabs and the associated assaults on women. The branding positions the service as a safe, clean and cheap alternative to minicabs. ‘The brand’s three core values are safer, greener and cheaper. The service is obviously targeting women, but the colours are intended to appeal to men as well,’ explains Design Conspiracy founding partner Ben Terrett.

The consultancy was brought in to work on the identity and naming of the business after meeting Hutton at the Business Startup show in 2004. As well as the logo, it has created Orbital’s car livery, stationery and guidelines for the brand.

Current licensing laws from Transport for London’s Public Carriage Office prohibit external advertisements on private hire cabs. This means that an ‘O’ ‘supergraphic’ will be used in the livery to distinguish the Orbital cars, says Terret.

Drivers of the Orbital cars will undergo criminal record checks every six months, while other minicab drivers are only required to undertake a single check.

The cars themselves are Citroën Electrique electric-powered models, which will be topped up at charging points throughout central London.