Bronze Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design · 2025
Hwg Campus Lu Wayfinding System
- A' Design Award 2025 Bronze Winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
- Awarded April 15, 2025
- CLIENT: Teamgeissert
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 13,377
- Verification code E487A6472D · Verify this award
About Hwg Campus Lu Wayfinding System
The aim was to create a system with its own identity and originality. The signage and information system therefore has a clear design language and picks up on architectural elements of the new building. A colour concept facilitates orientation. It welcomes and informs students outside (car park, campus), guides them to the entrances and inside the buildings to the desired departments and facilities. The focus is on legibility, accessibility and recognition. A solution was developed that does not follow short-lived trends, but is durable in form and materiality.
Geissert Thomas's Hwg Campus Lu Wayfinding System exemplifies contemporary environmental graphic design's synthesis of functional communication and institutional identity expression, positioning itself within the rigorous traditions of Swiss-influenced information design that prioritize systematic organization, typographic clarity, and restrained chromatic vocabulary to achieve maximum communicative efficiency in complex architectural environments. The wayfinding totem demonstrates sophisticated formal achievement through its tripartite compositional structure, establishing clear visual hierarchy through scale modulation, color zoning, and typographic differentiation that guides users through layered information with intuitive ease, the commanding circular blue identifier occupying the gravitational center functions simultaneously as branding device and attention anchor, its geometric letterform construction with integrated diagonal pattern suggesting both institutional solidity and dynamic forward movement, while the carefully calibrated sans-serif typography ensures optimal legibility across the varied viewing distances encountered in campus navigation contexts, from close inspection of specific departmental listings to distant recognition of primary destination categories. The chromatic strategy reveals particular sophistication in its restraint, deploying a limited palette of saturated process blue against neutral anthracite grey and warm beige to create both visual impact and systematic color-coding potential, the blue functioning as the primary identifier hue that likely extends throughout the broader wayfinding system to ensure consistent user recognition and brand coherence across multiple touchpoints. The material execution demonstrates professional understanding of exterior application requirements, the smooth powder-coated metal finish providing both visual refinement and practical durability against weathering while maintaining chromatic saturation and surface integrity, the crisp geometric edges and precise panel registration evidencing careful fabrication and installation that honors the design intent without compromise. Thematically, the system addresses the fundamental human need for spatial orientation and confident navigation through unfamiliar environments, transforming potential confusion into clarity through thoughtful information architecture that respects user cognitive load while providing comprehensive destination coverage, the bilingual text passages acknowledging linguistic diversity and ensuring inclusive access to wayfinding information. The work participates in the broader design discourse surrounding public space accessibility, user-centered information design, and the role of environmental graphics in shaping institutional character and user experience, suggesting affinities to the wayfinding systems of leading transportation hubs, healthcare campuses, and educational institutions that have elevated directional signage from purely utilitarian infrastructure to opportunities for brand expression and design excellence. One might consider how such systematic clarity in physical wayfinding creates not merely functional navigation but psychological comfort, transforming architectural complexity into comprehensible territory and enabling users to move through space with confidence and autonomy, the wayfinding system thus serving not only practical orientation but the deeper human need for environmental legibility and spatial belonging.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The aim in designing the new wayfinding system was to create a calm atmosphere and a balanced overall view without creating visual clutter. The choice of typography and icons, as well as the lighting and colour scheme, make it easier for international students to find their way around. The most important means, besides the use of the open Roboto typeface, is the introduction of high-contrast colours. Our focus was on functional and psychological aspects such as good visibility, readability and accessibility.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Various dimensions according to the neccessities on-site
- Tags
- modern, contemporary, reluctant, minimal, plain, timeless
- Production Technology
- The signage system uses aluminium frames with a concrete base and aluminium panels with contemporary lettering. The logo was milled into the glass fibre reinforced concrete panels. The building numbers are decoupaged and highlighted in different colours. The numbers are illuminated at night.
- Design Challenge
- Processing and finishing the various materials was the biggest challenge. Laser cut aluminium, powder coated with high performance film, backlit coloured acrylic glass and engraved concrete panels were combined to form a single unit.
- Project Duration
- The design process started in 2015 and the implementation of the signage elements was in 2024.
The site is the campus of the University of Business and Society in Ludwigshafen, Germany. - Operation Flow
- The high contrast between the font colour and the background makes the information easy to read. Accessible information boards with tactile lettering have been developed for people with visual impairments.
- Research
- A signage system was designed to blend in with the surroundings without being overlooked. For this reason, colours and materials from the architecture and outdoor facilities were taken up, recombined and developed into an independent product.
- Inspiration
- The aim was to create a system with its own identity and originality. Characterised by a modern, contemporary look with modern, classic typography. The calm appearance is intended to promote safety, confidence and deceleration among students. Contrasting modern design and a clear hierarchy of information characterise this new system. The orientation system is easy to use and makes a positive contribution to the quality of service on the campus.
- Image Credits
- TEAMGEISSERT
Colors of Hwg Campus Lu Wayfinding System
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Grand Interview about Hwg Campus Lu Wayfinding System
The idea was to bring together the design elements essential for communication and the architectural elements in one large framework. The frame combines all the elements that are important for orientation and is also a recognizable element.
The color concept is based on the blue façade color of the new building. It is important that the contrast between the anthracite background and the chosen colors is also optimal for people with visual impairments.
The robustness and durability of the materials were decisive factors in the selection process. Concrete panels, which are usually used as façade panels, stove-enamelled aluminum elements and solid-colored acrylic glass were used. It was important to choose materials with a matt surface in order to avoid reflections and ensure optimum legibility.
A bilingual system (German/English) was developed for the university. The use of pictograms ensures international comprehensibility. These visual symbols convey information without language barriers.
It is important to develop solutions that do not follow short-lived trends and appear outdated by the time they are implemented. The result of our work is a no-frills design that is reduced to the essentials and has its own identity.
There is a tactile overview plan both in the outdoor area (campus plan) and on the first floor of the new building (overview plan). This is connected to the tactile guidance system from the site boundary. This gives students an overview of the entire campus and the facilities in the new building. The information is written in Braille and pyramid writing. The same applies to the door signs and handrail lettering. The entire planning was coordinated with a representative for people with disabilities.
Optimal legibility is the top priority for a signage system. Roboto is a neo-grotesque sans-serif font family developed by Google. Roboto is a variable font family that offers a comfortable and smooth reading experience. It is minimalist and highly functional and suitable for a wide range of optical sizes thanks to the extensive selection of weights and widths.
The backlit elements were laser-cut from aluminum panels and backed with acrylic glass panels in various colors. The illumination is provided by LEDs. Due to the dark aura, the backlit information can be optimally recognized.
Even though navigation using smartphones continues to advance, our system for the HWG campus is an important part of finding your way around. The physical landmarks create trust and security.
The guidance system is important for visitors and newly arrived students every semester. It should convey a feeling of trust and security. It should take seekers by the hand, guide them, accompany them and make the space tangible until they reach their destination. This creates identification and identity.