Founded in 1986, Newport is a waterfront community located along the Hudson River in Jersey City. Its planned complex stretches for 1.5 miles and contains all of the amenities of an urban district: residential, office, shopping, dining, entertainment and cultural buildings, along with public parks and outdoor spaces. Our task was to create a cohesive wayfinding system that established a sense of community for residents while drawing visitors wandering the city’s waterfront to use Newport’s retail offerings.

Given the expansive nature of the Newport community, many of the buildings were constructed over time and during different decades. The signage was outdated and clunky and did not reflect the re-branding that Newport had just undergone. Our wayfinding system had to create a cohesive feeling that would unite the entire neighborhood.

Inspired by Newport’s waterfront landscape, we used perforated panels, striped pole caps, and exposed “rigging” to make lighter, airier sign forms that hint at nautical details. The brand’s aqua and navy colors are the standard palette, while a green accent is introduced to highlight the parks and public plazas that serve as the wayfinding landmarks. The result is a timeless design that captures the essence of the Newport lifestyle and brand.

As we examined the neighborhood to build our strategy, we noticed that the public plazas, retail centers, and parks were situated in a way that could easily be used as wayfinding landmarks. By making these destinations the highest tier in our wayfinding hierarchy, we could effectively organize information on signage while highlighting the most important offerings in Newport. We further improved the public spaces by developing a system of city-mandated regulatory signs that provided helpful information in a friendly, welcoming, but still authoritative manner.