WAYFINDING - MAKING SENSE OF A SMALL, COMPLEX SPACE
In this project, POMO was engaged to create a wayfinding strategy and a series of branded signs for a child care centre. The centre had recently undergone renovations and the floor plan had also changed a number of times throughout the years. As a result of this, there had not been an analysis of the needs of visitors to help them find their way to specific rooms and areas within the buildings.


The project involved applying a new brand (also created by POMO) to a series of wayfinding signs designed to improve location identification and navigation through the childcare centre.
PROJECT METHODOLOGY AND PROCESS
The environment in which this project was undertaken was a child care centre that had been renovated and changed a number times throughout a long period of time. The centre has a number of distinct areas of care, separated into sections for children based on age plus a number of staff rooms and administration offices. This method of expansion coupled with the need to direct people to distinct areas in a confined space configuration presented a special wayfinding challenge.
Working from plans and spending time on-site allowed us to develop a clear picture of the needs of the users and the location of key destinations. Parents accessing the centre need to be able to locate the section that is appropriate for their child, parents are often in rush and our sign response needed to present information clearly and simply and also reinforce the playful brand developed for the centres.
The signage response categorised the signs according to use which included centre identification signs, pedestrian directional signs, zone identification signs (for different zones of child care such as toddlers and kindy) and room identification signs for specific purpose rooms within those zones. Australian Standard compliant toilet signs were also required.
The signs designed catered to these specific purposes and where necessary, worked as a series to guide people to the different zones marking various rooms along the way.
The signs were fabricated out of a mix of materials depending on their location, ranging from adhesive vinyl for simple room identification signs through to folded powder coated aluminium signs for long-life outdoor use. Large aluminium composite panels were used to mark the location of the centres to visitors. Design, construction and installation was conducted by POMO to provide a seamless wayfinding response for the centres.




If you'd like to gain access to POMO's unique methodology for any project, don't hesitate to contact us today on 07 5441 6605.
