Photo courtesy Corbin Design
Citing real-world examples from cities like Calgary and Toronto, the International Sign Association (ISA) and the Signage Foundation have launched a new manual and a series of webinars about the development of wayfinding sign systems for urban centres.
“As we’ve built relationships with city planners and local officials, they continue to ask us for resources on urban wayfinding,” explains Lori Anderson, ISA president and CEO and Signage Foundation board member. “We are happy to partner to provide the latest research in this rapidly growing field.”
Released on June 26, the Urban Wayfinding Planning & Implementation Manual was edited by Craig Berger, formerly director of education for the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD)—and a contributor to Sign Media Canada—and currently an industry consultant. He worked with a cross-disciplinary team of designers, planners, academics, fabricators and suppliers to develop the project.
The manual offers resources to help guide communities throughout the process of conceptualizing, financing, implementing and maintaining a sign system. It includes case studies about urban wayfinding programs that have been successfully implemented around the world, including those in Canadian cities (Calgary example pictured).
The book’s release was immediately followed by the first webinar on June 27. Titled ‘Urban Wayfinding: Introduction to Wayfinding Systems,’ it was presented by Berger, ISA director of strategic initiatives Sapna Budev (who has also recently worked with SEGD to impress upon architects the importance of signage in building design), University of Oklahoma associate professor and director of regional and city planning Dawn Jourdan and Edenspiekermann founder Erik Spiekermann, who discussed Legible London, a wayfinding system that has been rolled out in recent years across London, England.
Berger and Budev will continue to co-present subsequent webinars, featuring subject matter experts as special guests, on a monthly basis through November. Participants receive a free copy of the manual.
More information is available through ISA’s website at www.signs.org/wayfinding.
