Wayfinding is much more than just branding, more than graphic arts or illustration. In order to prepare the project properly, you must get to know the space and users really well.
This is how we started working on the wayfinding system for the Polish National Stadium in Warsaw. We started with trying to embody the staff, and everyday users of the Stadium’s surroundings and recreational areas. Each group is different and moves differently, each has its own destination and each needs to have the directions presented in a suitable manner.
The current system was a part of the architectural project and didn’t meet the Stadium’s nor the users’ expectations. The structure of information was misleading, solutions were illegible or they simply vanished into the architecture of the building.
The system which we designed supplies the missing information and reaches beyond the area of the stadium. We chose red and white as basic colours for the system in reference to the color of the building’s elevation and as having potential to embed into the building’s identity. For the convenience of moving about, we introduced a colour coding for the particular zones, which leads the users from outer parking lots all the way to their designated seat in the audience.
before:
after:
All of the functions and areas are illustrated by a complex iconographic system where the pictograms are based on an oval shape inspired by the shape of the building itself. Navy-coloured lettering enhances the visibility of the provided information and emphasizes what was most important for the client – a sense of trust and reliability. We use the Fedra font, which is not only perfect for information content, but is also modern and serious in character. Detailed information on the boards lead the viewer by the hand. The distance between the carriers is not more than several dozen metres, hence there is no area where the information is not visible. Furthermore, the maps are a synthesis of the most important information on each level of the building, they simply make moving around much easier.
The project of the wayfinding system for the Stadium was created for all groups of interest. Red-coloured boards are visible from several hundred metres. Thanks to the size of the carriers, letters and pictograms, the legibility of the boards is adapted to human scale despite the monumental size of the stadium itself.
Working with the building’s operator’s team showed us, that it is possible to develop a great system based on co-creation. The client had well-defined needs and knew the target users very well, and our mission was to provide our knowledge and design experience.
