The Caritas Association Rhein-Kreis Neuss e.V. commissioned me as a designer for a special project: the neighborhood initiative “Aging in Büttgen.” A large number of residents in Büttgen are over 60 years old, which brings the topic of aging at home and the growing importance of the district, the neighborhood, and local community structures increasingly into focus.
The project is an open process in which older citizens, in particular, can participate and contribute their own ideas, perspectives, and wishes.
Social networks — more infrastructure for older citizens
The neighborhood initiative “Aging in Büttgen” is supported and funded by the Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege NRW, the Diocesan Caritas Association for the Archdiocese of Cologne, and the Sparkassenstiftung Kaarst-Büttgen. The Caritas Association Rhein-Kreis Neuss e.V., as the organization responsible for the initiative, acts as an impulse giver and professional partner — however, the true initiators are the older residents of the Kaarst-Büttgen neighborhood.
The heart of the initiative is the neighborhood café “Büttger Treff,” which was established in the premises of the Protestant parish on Novesiastraße, right in the center of Büttgen.
As we are living longer, demographics are changing, and more attention must be given to the living situation of older people. When Caritas approached us and made use of our expertise in logo design, we were delighted by the trust placed in us for such an important and meaningful project.
The city of Kaarst created the foundation for the innovative Büttgen neighborhood project with the development of the “Social Plan for Aging.” Büttgen is one of Kaarst’s five districts and is clearly recognizable on the map as an area defined by roads and fields. Many residents have lived here for many years and wish to remain in their homes for as long as possible as they age.
The Büttgen neighborhood initiative supports this goal by strengthening social connections within the community, providing information and guidance, and enabling a wide range of cultural and social activities.
As part of my role as a logo designer, we created a visual identity that is both recognizable and friendly. The logo was intended to convey hope and perspective while expressing the essence and purpose of the project in a clear and simple way.
Tailored core message: Brand designer for the neighborhood initiative in Büttgen
As a brand designer, my task was to create and develop a core message that describes the initiative and draws attention to it. The logo consists of a green line that outlines the map of Büttgen, providing residents with an immediate sense of recognition. Since this is an exciting and innovative project, the logo was designed to appear friendly and prominently feature green — the color of hope. For the neighborhood initiative, having a logo that the people of Büttgen could identify with was of utmost importance.
Based on the project information and the initiative’s goals, we developed the graphic and distilled the core message into a clear, concise visual statement. The resulting design now represents the “Aging in Büttgen” project and has established itself as a recognizable symbol. With its tailored design, typography, and the graphical depiction of the district using a green line, the logo stands out across exterior signage, window graphics, handouts, and posters — creating a direct visual link to the Caritas neighborhood initiative.
The Büttgen neighborhood initiative sets a strong example and, together with many older residents, helps ensure that seniors in Büttgen can remain in their homes for as long as possible while staying engaged in their community.
