Downtown Brooklyn
- Wayfinding & Signage Projects
In 2000, a consortium of Downtown Brooklyn business improvement associations, cultural institutions, corporations, and city officials began working together to create an effective public communications program for New York City's largest and most populous borough.
Initially contracted to provide signage design services, Two Twelve conducted initial analysis that suggested a new priority: to brand Downtown Brooklyn and improve wayfinding. Our strategic study, including interviews with residents, tourists, and business owners, resulted in a positioning statement, "Downtown Brooklyn: You Can See the World from Here," which set the tone for a new logo, online communications, wayfinding strategy, and design of a pedestrian signage system.
Our research uncovered the "mental maps" that enable people familiar with the area to navigate it, leading to a simple approach for defining the area's sub-districts, landmarks, destinations, and major circulation routes.
The project has attracted involvement and support from additional local groups, broadening its scope, impact, and usefulness. The signage is being implemented as funding allows, while the standard map and logo are being applied to a wide range of initiatives, strengthening Downtown Brooklyn's vibrant new identity.
Photos: ©2010 Lindsay Comstock
