With our vast experience of graphic design, geospatial data management, planning, and cartography; we embarked upon a concept project with a municipality in mind that we have been working closely with for the past two years. The concepts intention is to be used to promote the idea of a wayfinding and signage program.
We used this opportunity to deep dive into every element of a wayfinding and signage plan. From creating a thorough Information Content System to the design of signs and maps, we built a thorough concept that reflect the existing graphic design elements we created for the Black Diamond - Turner Valley Inter-municipal Economic Development Committee.
We decided to do some reading, take inspiration and learn from the best in the business. We are already design, mapping, and user flow experts, but needed an additional level of planning and project management. This was exciting for us to develop and throughout this project creating elements that plugged into the system of information was very rewarding. We realized this was the glue that brought all of our skills together, and it’s exciting for us as we love to create systems of information and this was simply a formalization of that!
One of the biggest hurdles we faced was early on in the project. This project was meant to test our skills and do a concept of an ideal project we would like to accomplish in the near future. We quickly found out that we could no longer use our design and cartography skills to get us the whole way through, we needed to evolve our understanding of the place and what it means to navigate through. This required us to enhance our knowledge of user navigation and psychology. We needed to become better and think about the big picture, not just the little details. This was a humbling and exciting moment for us, one that we will remember.
This project took a big effort. We had no idea how much work and decision making was needed. This was a great initiative that we took it on as it prepared us for what is to come. We now have the toolbox needed to complete a large wayfinding and signage project. These skills, combined with our creativity, will create some of the most unique and beautiful maps, signs, and designs across the globe.
