Wayfinding: Connecting people with nature

Jedco were commissioned to design a bespoke signage family to help people navigate the large and complex array of parks within the city of Toronto.

It was vital that the signage designs were appropriate for the natural environment and the specific context of Toronto. A wide range of initial design concepts were developed, these were presented in stakeholder workshops to locals for feedback.

A unique patterned panel was developed that was based on patterns found in nature. This grid of holes also doubled as a method to fix the wayfinding graphics panels, giving maximum flexibility to present the right level of information at each site.

The patterns on the panels were designed to mimic the varying visual coverage of nature, seen in trees and plants.

The holes also doubled as fixing points for the mapping panels.

The designs were constructed of aluminium extrusions and interlocking panels, to create a modular system that could be easily and cost effectively scaled to create a range of signs of different sizes for different points within the parks.

The materials and finishes were selected to be long-lasting and durable, but also sympathetic to the natural environment.

Jedco produced photo-realistic images which helped the city authorities and local population to visualise how the final signs would appear. We then developed complete engineering drawings and specifications, and oversaw prototype production and reviewed the final products on behalf of our client.