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Introduction to the Edmonton Valley Zoo

Zoo Logos & Visual Identity

Signage & Wayfinding System

Regulatory Signage

ReferencesDesign 593 A1 2012Instructor: Sue Colberg

Project 1: SignageEdmonton Valley Zoo

Robin Good Susie ScottErin GreenoughNate Johnson

Table of Contents

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Page 9

Page 15

Page 25

Page 28

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fig. 0.1 Proposed Entrance Signage to The Edmonton Valley Zoo

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Intr

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This is a proposal to update the current identity and signage system in place at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. The Edmonton Valley Zoo is a facility for casual exploration. The main goal of a visitor is to have the full experience, and view every exhibit. Because the entirety of the zoo can be viewed in any order, the path they take progresses organically with influences from preferences about viewing order, the need to visit a service or ammenity, and detouring congested pedestrian traffic.

Context

The zoo is an outdoor facility, operated all year. It is open to the public every day of the year (except for Christmas Day) during daylight hours. All signage must withstand the varying mild and extreme weather of Edmonton, while maintaining legibility. As it is open to the public, The Edmonton Valley Zoo needs to be functional for a wide audience. This audience is primarily English-speaking and includes males and females, youth and the elderly, and non-disabled and disabled. This audience may visit as individuals, as families or as groups.

The Facility

The Edmonton Valley Zoo is in a transitional period as it updates not only its exhibits, but its identity. As the facility houses many animals, the transition must be accomplished at a slow pace to allow for the animals to adjust. The slow turnover has led to opposing aesthetics and temporary and permanent changes to its layout. The new logos, visual identity, and signage system is based off of the updated aesthetic and the current layout, and creates a unified signage system that will ease visits during and after the transition.

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fig. 1.1 The Edmonton Valley Zoo during the Summertime

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Orientation signage at the Edmonton Valley Zoo has two main levels of information: the exhibits, and the services/ammenities. The current system combines them on the same orientation signs, on the same heirarchy level (except for emergency information).

Our proposed orientation signs will continue the combined system, but divide the sets of information into separate heirarchy levels. This will cater to the different influences on a visitor’s chosen path. A visitor can casually follow the heirarchy level for the exhibits until the need to visit a service/ammenity arises, and then they can find the information about services/ammenities on the same signs and follow it.

The Signage

Regulatory signage at the Edmonton Valley Zoo has two different audiences: staff and visitors. It must establish and maintain boundaries between the areas accessible to the two groups. This functions to keep visitors and animals safe from harm, and isolates the internal functioning of the staff. This proposal includes a more unified identity and signage system appropriate for the Edmonton Valley Zoo and its visitors.

fig. 1.2 Existing Wayfinding Signage

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The Existing Zoo Logo & Identity

With the Zoo being in a transition period, it is tough to say how the visual identity cur-rently used will be adapting to the future site. Currently, there appears to be three different visual identities used - the geometric animal logos, the signage for the new arctic zone, and the green and brown signage. Our challenge was to update these logos and create a sig-nage system that would maintain consistency with the logos, while also maintaining consis-tency with the newer, sleek and modern feel of the new additions to the Zoo.

The Edmonton Valley Zoo recently launched an updated system of logos. These logos clev-erly incorporate the letter O’s in the word ZOO into animal faces. There are numerous logos designed with different colours and different kinds of animals. Using these logos inter-changeably is great for showing the diversity of the animals within the zoo. Although the idea of these animal faces is great for kids, the actual logos seem a bit un-settling and too abstract with their very round eyes. The co-lours chosen for the logos also do not fit well together as a system.

fig. 2.1 Existing Logos

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fig 2.2 Existing Wayfinding Signage fig. 2.3 Informational Signage in New Arctic Zone Zoo

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fig. 2.6 New Zone Area Logos

arctic jungle

sky meadow

fig. 2.4 New General Logos

fig. 2.5 New General Logo Grayscale Version

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The existing logo system gave a lot of opportu-nity to introduce categorization with the logos. The new logos divide the zoo into four main categories of animals - arctic, meadow, jungle, and sky. Four categories of animals works well as it provides the visitors with enough information to refer to the animal they are interested in seeing without giving too many options, creating a memorable experience with the logos. Bright colours were used between each logo to create an obvious divide between each category. The bright colours are also more fun for the children visitors, and can be applied throughout the zoo signage well as they will stand out in all weather situations. In order for the four logos to maintain integrity to one system, only main four colours were used to create all logos, with each logo using only two main colours each.

Updating the faces of the animals was import-ant to create a more fun and friendly impres-sion for the zoo. Each animal face chosen belongs to the category of that logo and also works well with the colour of that category. This helps differentiate between the catego-ries, and helps solidify correlation between logo and category in the user mind.

The typeface of the logo was updated to VAG Rundschrift D, a rounded sans serif. Why we chose this typeface for our logo and identity system can be found in the section “New Sig-nage and Wayfinding System”.

The New Zoo Logos & Identity

fig. 2.7 New Visual Identity Colours in CMYK and Pantone

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The four logos can be used interchangeably in all applications outside of the zoo.

Within the zones of the zoo, only the logo of that category must be used.

Logo Application - Do’s and Don’ts

arcticjungle

jungle

fig. 2.8 Do’s and Don’ts for New Zoo Logo

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The same colours are used in the signage system as used in the logos. This creates a consistency between the logos and the way-finding system. Categories also aid the viewer in using the system, especially when looking for a specific animal, attraction, or service within the zoo. As users often have difficult remembering more than six colours and categories, the entire zoo has been divided as so: Ice Blue - ArcticOrange - JungleRed - MeadowSky Blue - SkyGreen - AttractionsNeutral/Grey - Services

Signage and Wayfinding System The Animal Categories

The animal categories contain all of the animals within the zoo. However, because a visit to the zoo is an exploratory experience, not every animal is featured on the signage. Instead, only the most popular animals are found on the signs (a more comprehensive system of all of the animals featured in the zoo is found on the map). Each animal on the signage is also paired with a silhouette. This creates quicker recognition for the user, and also makes the signage us-able to a visitor who may not be able to read, such as a child. The silhouettes are designed to be realistic interpretations of the animal, while still having rounded edges so they remain fun and friendly and stay true to the overall new visual system.

fig. 3.1 Animal Silhouettes and Colours

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The Attractions Category

The attractions category is kept on the same level as the animal categories as they provide a similar experience to visitors to the zoo. Additionally, some attractions feature zoo an-imals, such as The Saito Centre. Other attrac-tions at the zoo include the train, the carousel, the children’s zoo, and the learning lair. Each attraction is paired with a pictograph that alludes to the experience of that attraction. So not to be confused with the animal categories, each pictograph includes a roof-like symbol. Therefore, the attractions still appear to be on the same level as the animals, but still have some degree of separation.

The Services Category

Services in the zoo include washrooms, con-cession, designated smoking area, parks, first aid, and more. So not to be confused with the animals or the attractions, services are on a different level of hierarchy on the signs. This also makes the services easier to recognize if the user were to be looking for a specific ser-vice, rather than an animal or attraction. The services are represented through picto-graphs in an off-white colour on the dark grey post, instead of on a coloured arrow. This creates separation from the other categories while still maintaining the same visual system. The only exception is a red colour used in the first aid pictograph.

fig. 3.2 Attractions Icons fig. 3.3 Service Icons Sign

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Sign Placement & Construction Animals and attractions are featured on a long arrow that extends off the plinth of the sign. The text and silhouette/pictograph is cut through this material, showing the material of the plinth behind. This creates an aesthetic that suits the sleek and contemporary feel of the future zoo buildings, while still feeling fun and friendly to suit the new visual system by using rounded edges and geometric shapes. Standing at 6.5 ft tall, the sign is legible from a distance but reads comfortable at eye level from a shorter distance as well. The signs are not placed in areas where visitors are to walk around the sign, so children should not be in-teracting physically with the signage. However, just in case, the arrows will not be lower than 3.5 ft from the ground on each sign to provide a safe clearance for small children.

Although the signage will only be functional from one side, the back of the sign will still be visually interesting in case a viewer is to see it from behind. The arrow wrapping around the back of the sign creates an interesting and aesthetic design.

fig. 3.6 Wayfinding Signage Placement

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fig. 3.5 New Wayfinding Signage Construction Sign

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fig. 3.7 New Wayfinding Signage In-Situ

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Materials

The material used to create the Edmonton Val-ley Zoo signage is powder-coated aluminum. Aluminum is a long term, weather resistant option that can be manipulated as needed to provide the needed aesthetic. Waterjet cutting can create the cut-out silhouettes on the arrows with high accuracy and without compromising the aluminum. Powder-coating can achieve the aesthetic needed, but also is the environmentally friendly solution. It is less hazardous and easier to control than conven-tional liquid coatings, and coating overspray can be recycled; thus, it is possible to achieve nearly 100% utilization of the coating.

Typography

The typeface chosen was VAG Rundschrift D, a rounded sans serif. It meets common stan-dards for letterforms used in wayfinding like differentiated letterforms, appropriate stroke weight, and exaggerated letterform elements like counters (see fig. 3.8). While meeting stan-dards of functionality, it has a playful personal-ity that caters to the younger audience of the Edmonton Valley Zoo while still pairing well with the sophisticated use of materials.

fig. 3.8 Letterform Legibibility

fig. 3.9 VAG Rundschrift D

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Map

The map of the zoo uses the same colours and categories as the signage. This maintains con-sistency and also helps the user find a specific animal on the map, as they can search for a specific colour rather than only through words and names. In case the user is not yet familiar with the colour coding in the zoo, a legend is also provided. Silhouettes and attraction pictographs are not used on the map due to a loss of legibility at a small print size. Instead, names are used for animals, and numbers for attractions. This also helps keep the map less cluttered. A legend is provided along with the numbers. Pictographs are used for services so they are easily recognizable on the map and feel separate from the animals and attractions. A legend is provided on the map for these picto-graphs as well.

fig. 3.10 New Zoo Map Directory In-Situ

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Big Horn Sheep

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Future Site Opening 2013

Grevy’s Zebra

Animal EnrichmentGarden

Birds of�Prey

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fig. 3.11 New Zoo Map Sign

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fig. 3.12 Apllication of New Identity to Building Signage

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Regu

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Regulatory signs carry the same aesthetic as the service/amenity section on the orientation signs through consistency of materials, ma-terial construction, and typography. Colour is adapted depending on whether the regulatory sign is descriptive or restrictive (which corre-sponds to the level of danger upon breaching the area). The descriptive regulatory signs use the same dark grey, as they designate an area with a low level of immediacy, such as “Animal Hospital”. Sense of urgency within the dark grey signage is also depicted by uppercase and lowercase letterforms. Restrictive regulatory signs use red instead of grey to designate an area with a high level of immediacy, like “DO NOT ENTER”. This differentiation ensures that the messages that must not be ignored stand out above the rest, functioning to keep visitors and animals safe and internal operations uninterrupted.

Regulatory Signage

fig. 3.1 New Regulatory Signage Construction

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fig. 4.2 and 4.3 New Regulatory Signage In-Situ Regu

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References

‎”Edmonton Valley Zoo: City of Edmonton.” City of Edmonton. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2012. <http://www.edmonton.ca/at-tractions_recreation/attractions/edmon-ton-valley-zoo.aspx>.

Herrmann, Ralf. “The Design of a Signage Typeface.” I love Typography (ILT). N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2012. <http://ilovetypography.com/2012/04/19/the-design-of-a-signage-typeface/>.

Tambako. Other Profile Pic of Elena Walking. N.d. Tigers, Chlosterli. Flickr. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.