During the design process, the objective was to showcase never seen before motifs and create an outdoor gallery where every street reflected the city’s bold personality and Dundee being known as the city of discovery. Taking inspiration from the city’s heritage, culture and design influence as a UNESCO City of Design, the light motifs also incorporated the city’s history in textile production, it’s modern presence within the computer game world and giving nod to its maritime past. The directors of ARRO have been fans of Beano comics since childhood. They approached DC Thomson and Beano Studies London with the idea of incorporating some of Beano’s iconic comic characters within their designs. After discussions a partnership was soon formed, motifs produced, with cheeky messages for the local Dundonians and visitors to enjoy.
The new city centre motif designs formed part of Dundee’s Christmas 2021 campaign, visited by over 267,500 visitors and generating £2.6m for the city’s economy.
