Project
UBC Development Signage Program

Client
The University of British Columbia*
UBC Office of the President
UBC Infrastructure Development

Challenge
The Office of the President recognized that with over three hundred infrastructure projects in development on the UBC campuses, a visual system was needed to better communicate with the UBC Community about what was happening. While there were many exciting new projects, upgrades and retrofits, this was not being clearly communicated. Instead of engendering campus pride, the promise of these major projects was lost to issues of construction disruption and parking challenges. Signage was irregular and the information inconsistent. Project specifications and timeframes were often unclear and UBC development partners, including the UBC Properties Trust, were not identified in a consistent manner. The Office of the President framed the project as part of the President’s Place and Promise vision with a mandate to both inform the community and to celebrate world class facilities and architecture. 

Solution
A modular system was designed using a kit-of-parts. The system included a range of hard signs and construction mesh hoardings that could be selected on a project basis. The handsome new signs were scaled to suit projects and erected at project locations. Once the design was finalized, artwork, templates and specification guidelines were shared as a resource for developers and designers in order to standardize the workflow, provide consistency and ensure quality, including fabrication and implementation. Procurement and installation coordination was also simplified through an approvals workflow.

Signage
Environmental Design
Design Program
Design Guidelines
Templates

* A Note from Arlene
This project was created during my five years as Design Manager for UBC Communications and Marketing (previously Public Affairs). During that time we pioneered and developed a series of design systems (and programs) that built a solid foundation for a unified UBC Brand. This project was designed in collaboration with my colleague Ping Ki Chan, another systems thinker.

Photograph of the development sign by Martin Dee | UBC © 2018