Photo courtesy of the German Village Society.
Historic German Village: The Brickline
Planning, Design, Content & Narrative Development for an Interpretive Sign Program (2018)
The Brickline is a sign program created to share the history of the people, places, and events that have helped shape Historic German Village in Columbus, Ohio. By working closely with the German Village Society, we were able to curate a selection of unique stories with themes ranging from German immigration, historic preservation, architecture, and influential community members.
Visitors and residents stumble upon these pieces of information and discover the rich history of their neighborhood. They also have the option of checking into the German Village Meeting Haus for information on a self-guided tour.
Phase One of the project includes 11 signs along Beck Street, a prominent street that runs through the Village. The signs are located at various landmarks creating a comprehensive overview of the different themes. Phase One of this program sets the precedent for future stories to be shared throughout the neighborhood.
Due to the variation across brick structures, each sign has unique stud locations for mounting. In order to prevent damage to the facade, the locations were verified on-site prior to installation.
Interpretive Sign Design
The signs are designed to integrate seamlessly into the neighborhood. The unique color was inspired by colors found on window boxes, doors, and shutters throughout the neighborhood. Several colors were tested prior to the final selection in order to ensure that the signs would be noticeable, yet unobtrusive.
While keeping the German Village brand in mind, the minimalist design makes it easy to distinguish the interpretive signs from historic plaques and wayfinding signs. The combination of historic imagery and contemporary design is a reflection of the Village itself - always striving to blend the old with the new.
Prototypes of each sign were created and evaluated on-site prior to installation. The final signs were printed using Direct Embed powder coating for a seamless, wrap around edge.
The program was released in May 2018 during National Preservation Month.
May is about preserving history for future generations and recognizing the places that matter.
Phase Two of The Brickline will include 15 additional stories and will be implemented in 2019.
