Artwiz Ltd

SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING

Case Study

The project

A proud recipient of a Golden Pony Award and recognised as Europe’s Leading Leisure Resort at the 2019 World Travel Awards, Dreamwood theme park nestled within the Mriya Resort & Spa in Yalta, Crimea, unfolds across five distinct themed zones: Forest, Air, Sea, Mountain, and Tree of Adventure. The park’s rich and verdant environment mirrors the ancient landscape of the region. Towering trees are interspersed with uniquely shaped trees, colossal plants, winding vines, and vibrant flowers, creating an enchanting realm that embraces the rides and attractions. Guests explore the park via ground-level pathways and an elevated walkway that gracefully traverses the centre, reminiscent of a leaf’s central vein.

Client

Mriya Resort & Spa

Date

2018

Rides

Roller coaster by ART Engineering, Mack Rides Twist ‘n’ Splash, Zierer Kontiki, Zierer Family Freefall Rower), ABC Jeep ride with VR, ART flower carousel, suspended monorail from ABC Rides, Tree of Adventure with a wide range of activities, 5D theatre and escape room, toddler play area, cafe and restrooms, water playground, rope challenge trail, treehouses, hedge maze, forest play area, gold wash, adventure golf, critter show

My role

As a themed signage and way-finding Designer, I partner closely with clients to thoroughly understand their signage requirements. Afterwards, I developed imaginative design concepts that align with a specific theme or overarching concept, aiming to cultivate a distinctive and captivating atmosphere that elevates the overall customer experience. My work involves crafting comprehensive signage solutions, encompassing directional signs, maps, information boards, and intuitive visual cues.

Concept and inspiration: Given the park resort’s focus on thrilling rides and an enchanting forest environment, the signage designs mirrored these elements. The site’s stunning natural landscape and coastal backdrop inspired the use of organic colours and materials that echoed the hues found in nature.

Deliverable: my final delivery was a 281 pages package.

Concept design, detail design and art direction

For this project, I developed several Cyrillic typefaces, carefully selected colour palettes, and designed a bespoke set of ornaments, flourishes, and icons that harmonised with the attractions’ designs while ensuring excellent legibility and clarity. Following this, I produced coloured renderings, detailed technical drawings, including sections and art direction notes, specifying colours, materials, finishes, and providing relevant visual references.

Way-finding – Directional signs

Directional signage forms a cornerstone of effective way-finding.

My design approach for these signs prioritised clear and efficient navigation, guiding individuals seamlessly to their destinations with minimal ambiguity. To achieve this, I employed a strategic combination of text, arrows, and relevant symbols and icons. Furthermore, I tailored the aesthetic of each set of directional signs to harmonise with the unique theme of its respective zone, ensuring they integrated seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. To facilitate smooth execution, I presented my concepts through detailed renderings and comprehensive visual references.

Directories

Directory signs provide a comprehensive overview of the park’s various points of interest and their relative locations. They work in conjunction with directional signs to create a comprehensive and user-friendly way-finding system.

Due to cost constraints requiring a consistent structure across all directories, I incorporated themed elements and decorative flourishes specific to each zone, ensuring visual distinction and thematic coherence.

Graphic Design

Directory signs are essential for orienting visitors and presenting an overview of the park resort’s various zones, attractions, and facilities. To ensure clarity and ease of understanding, I developed typical sample layouts and a consistent iconography system.

Park map design: Alex Korting

Regulatory signs

Theme park regulatory signs clearly communicate the park’s rules, restrictions, safety guidelines, and legal obligations that guests must follow. Crucially, they serve to protect the safety and well-being of everyone, safeguard park property, and foster a positive and well-organised atmosphere. Essentially, they visually convey the “rules of the park.”

A key challenge is harmonising the essential clarity of regulatory information with the park’s overarching aesthetic. When theming the regulatory signs, my aim was to design signs that are not only informative but also seamlessly integrated into the themed environment and the attractions.