Signage Solution Transforms Visitor Center Into Immersive Experience | Education

7/14/2021 RRD

RRD helps school leverage its signature color and rich history to engage prospective students 

CHALLENGE

On the heels of a rebranding initiative, a large university in the Southeast (U.S.) saw an opportunity in its visitor center to engage prospective students through a new, immersive brand experience.

During a trip to the Northeast, key decision makers were inspired by the way prominent museums leveraged nearly every square inch of wall space to tell unique, compelling stories. To put this inspiration into work back on campus, the university would require an innovative signage solution to not only realize, but maximize the untapped potential of the visitor center’s walls.

Color would play a critical role in the successful execution of this project — specifically, the consistent use of the university’s signature color across all signage and features. The shade was an integral part of its brand refresh, and even subtle variations were unacceptable. For example, painting the visitor center’s walls would not be a viable option due to varying substrates (porous vs. non-porous) that render differences in paint color.

To achieve a consistent and captivating outcome, the school required a partner who could create an innovative signage solution that paid close care and attention to established brand standards.  

SOLUTION

RRD set out to enhance the vast wall space of several large rooms within the visitor center. Maintaining brand consistency across the entire signage solution was as important as the signs themselves. 

To avoid unintended variations of the brand’s color palette (due to different mediums and substrates), RRD created a large-format custom printed vinyl wall covering. Essentially a “wallpaper,” this solution was produced in massive pieces with a very strong adhesive backing. The flood-coated wallpaper provided consistency for the exact color required per the brand standards. Laser-cut to the center’s unique dimensions, the wall covering achieved a stunning result. 

Another standout element of this solution included UV direct prints-to-acrylic signs, installed with standoffs. This signage option provides flexibility for updating evolving stories, developments, achievements, and rankings without the need for a costly, complex reinstallation. A simple digital run of updated acrylic squares could be shipped directly to the school; self-installation to exchange the squares was an easy solution that would maintain the consistent quality of the signage going forward.

RESULTS

The new graphics and signage are aesthetically alluring and align with the brand’s newly refreshed style guide. Campus anecdotes, inspirational messaging, and engaging photographs highlighting the university’s student life create a sense of immersion in its culture and tell its story — all through RRD’s signage solutions.

RRD met the university’s tight timeline for producing and installing all graphics across thousands of square feet of wall space for this renovation. The team pulled from a network of resources to develop customized storytelling signage in this high-traffic heart of campus.