As one of the most historic cities in the United States, Richmond’s wayfinding signage was one that was layered and generational, which produced confusion in residents and visitors with incongruous and inconsistent navigational information. Curated and designed to embody the city’s history as well as carry the streetscape’s navigability into the future, Two Twelve developed a new and comprehensive wayfinding program which unifies the disparate areas in the city’s downtown area and The Boulevard through a common and contemporary visual language, creating a highly accessible system for both vehicles and pedestrians. 

Two Twelve’s initial concept of focusing on city zones evolved into a color-coordinated design family, each representing a subsequent area. The challenge that followed was to highlight the locations’ individual identities beyond color. With local photographer Ansel Olsen, we established a photographic style to further heighten Richmond’s sense of history and provide memorable cues within each sign – using a specific approach and tonality to ensure a modern vernacular. The result is a unified wayfinding program that respects the history of the city while remaining timeless.

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