We are guests of many institutions, offices, apartments and buildings every day. These buildings function as a kind of organization, each with its own set of rules. A system that imposes certain limitations not only on the architectural structure but also on the internal human functioning. The sophisticated visualization of the system is as important as its existence because without healthy visual communication it cannot be maintained.
Designing the graphic and formal appearance of visitor guidance systems is a major challenge for designers. Such visual ecosystems should not only convey information to users but also respond to the building’s appearance and style. In many cases, such control systems will interact not only with the physical environment but also with the intellectual content, making them compatible with the visual identity of the companies or organizations using them.
We’ve all found ourselves in situations where we simply couldn’t find our destination within the building. Most of the time, this is not the fault of the user, but a shortcoming of the wayfinding system. Just as with the design of an application or website, the built environment is to blame for any errors. But it’s important to remember that a healthy balance of overall clarity and visual identity is not easy to maintain.
We can also create a communication ecosystem, similar to the New York subway’s system, that has lost its identity yet works in all situations, but in this case, we have to give up its uniqueness and let function triumph over design. Every building has the same right to demand the necessary level of communication and a visual world, an image that reflects its uniqueness. In our current selection, we explore this elusive balance from the United States to Ukraine.
Hospital | Houston, USA
Formation llc
Daren Guillory
Jonah Gonzales
Philip LeBlanc
Vinted Office | Vilnius, Lithuania
DADADA Studio
Sashko Rogovets
Milda Siulyte
Escola Secundária Augusto Gomes | Porto, Portugal
Jorge Pontess
Art-zavod Platforma | Kyiv, Ukraine
Lera Shaposhnikova
Orchidea Agency
Artem Ivanov
Büfé #10—Cold cuts, meat products
Slippers from Szeged—reloaded
