English: In the late 1960s, London Transport appointed a collective of designers, artists and architects who designed all aspects of the Victoria Line. The distinctive designs in each platform seat recess on all of its 16 stations provided much needed colour and decoration and gave each stop its own visual identity. The results were a mixture of direct inspiration from the station name and references to historical details of the local area.

The design for Highbury & Islington is by Edward Bawden (1903–1989). The area now known as Islington was part of the larger manor or castle of Tolentone, mentioned in the Domesday Book. The manor house, represented in the station motive, was situated near the junction with Seven Sisters Road. After the manor decayed, a new manor house was built in 1271 and because it was on a hill, it was called Highbury. The manor was destroyed by the time of the ‘Peasants Revolt’ in 1381.

Bawden also designed the ceramic tiles for Victoria (tube) station and Tottenham Hale tube station.