Oranim College: Wayfinding Signage System
Wayfinding signage for a college campus in Northern Israel. I developed a cohesive design language, sign typology, designed layouts and automated the process.
In cooperation with
All Set
Year
2022
Location
Kiryat Tivon, Israel
Scope
Signage Design, No-code Design Automation
Status
Implemented
Environment
Oranim College, a prominent institution for education and teaching, is situated adjacent to Kiryat Tivon. The college campus spans extensive outdoor areas where pedestrian pathways often intersect with asphalt vehicle roads. This overlap creates a mix of pedestrian signage overshadowed by bold traffic signs, generating visual noise that disrupts the serene and green landscape of the campus.
Before
Graphic Language and Signage Design
The graphic language for the signage system was developed in conjunction with the creation of a new brand book for the college. The goal was to create a cohesive and visually appealing signage system that enhances navigation while preserving the campus’s natural aesthetics.
Signage Elements
The signs were designed to incorporate multiple layers of information, aiming to replace text with universally recognised symbols. For example, instead of writing out "library" or "cafeteria," we used clear, intuitive icons to represent these destinations. Special destinations were assigned unique pictograms to make them easily identifiable.
To enhance readability and reduce visual clutter, we divided destination names into primary name and secondary attributes. The latter was placed in "bubbles" that appeared consistently across different signs. This approach minimised the amount of text users needed to read, allowing them to quicker grasp the sign's message.
Trilingual layout design progress
Traffic Sign Incorporation
The signage system was also designed to integrate traffic signs and messages for drivers, reducing the number of elements in the space and eliminating unnecessary visual noise. This integration helps maintain the tranquil and visually appealing environment of the college campus.
By establishing a visual hierarchy where each language occupied a specific place, I was able to ensure readability in all three languages. This involved carefully adjusting text sizes, typography, and colors. Furthermore, by using justification, I visually anchored the texts to directional arrows and icons. This approach ensured that the direction of the text alignment pointed towards the object, dictated by the directional arrow, rather than defaulting to the language alignment.
This was my first experience working with a trilingual layout, and initially, it was quite challenging. Trilingual wayfinding signage is uncommon globally, and there are few exemplary models to draw from. Even in Israel, not all signage is trilingual. This project provided a unique and demanding experience, which I successfully navigated as a designer. The result was a readable and convenient navigation system that effectively serves a diverse user base.