Paris · Visual Identity · Character Design · Illustration · Hospitality
“I Speak English” — Visual Identity & Illustration for Paris 2024 Hospitality
Logo, character design, badges and illustrated campaign visuals created for “I Speak English,” an independent Paris hospitality initiative conceived by Anne Weber and In Talent We Trust ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games.
The campaign was designed to help English-speaking international visitors identify French businesses and venues where someone could assist them in English.
The Assignment
Making a simple message immediately visible
Paris consulting firm In Talent We Trust, founded by Anne Weber, developed the “I Speak English” initiative in the context of Paris preparing to welcome international visitors during the summer of 2024.
The idea was straightforward: cafés, hotels, restaurants, shops and cultural venues with English-speaking staff could display a recognizable sign telling visitors, in effect, you can ask me for help.
My task was to turn that simple proposition into a visual identity that could work across badges, signs, posters, clothing and digital communication while remaining friendly, legible and unmistakably French.
Project Scope
Identity, character, illustration & campaign artwork
- Logo and visual identity for the “I Speak English” initiative
- Mascot and character design built around an immediately recognizable French figure
- Vector illustration for badges, signage and adaptable campaign applications
- Poster and advertising illustration drawing on French and Parisian visual references
- Art direction establishing a coherent visual language across different formats
- Print and digital applications designed for practical public-facing use
Character & Visual Language
A French character designed to communicate before the words are read
At the center of the identity is a deliberately recognizable French character: striped marinière, beret, moustache and a welcoming expression, holding British and American flags beneath the message “I Speak English — I Am French, I Can Help.”
The character needed to work at very small scale on a badge while remaining strong enough to become the recognizable face of the broader campaign. That makes this as much a mascot and identity-design problem as an illustration assignment.
The surrounding campaign imagery then expands that compact identity into a more atmospheric vision of Paris, using familiar landmarks, characters and references to classic French visual culture without losing the clarity of the original message.
Paris 2024 Context
Created around the Olympic moment — independently of the Games organization
“I Speak English” was created in response to a very particular moment: Paris preparing for the arrival of visitors from around the world during the 2024 Olympic period. The international event provided the context and the audience need behind the initiative.
The project was an independent initiative and was not an official commission from, or visual identity for, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games organization. My client for the work was the Paris consulting firm In Talent We Trust.
Free Resource
Download the “I Speak English” badge
The illustrated badge is available as a PDF for non-commercial hospitality and signage use, subject to the usage conditions below.
Usage: The downloadable artwork is offered for non-commercial hospitality and signage purposes. The source and accompanying credit should be retained.
The artwork may not be resold or presented as another creator’s work. For commercial licensing or another use, please contact me directly.
Project Details
- Client: In Talent We Trust
- Founder: Anne Weber
- Location: Paris, France
- Project: “I Speak English” hospitality initiative
- Context: Paris welcoming international visitors during the 2024 Olympic period
- Role: Visual identity, logo, character design, illustration and art direction
Related identity & illustration work
Logos, Mascots & Characters · Graphic Design & Creative Direction · Commissioned Illustration · Case Studies
Need a visual identity people understand immediately?
I develop logos, characters, campaign illustrations and visual systems for businesses, organizations and public-facing initiatives that need to communicate clearly across different formats and audiences.
