UNITED WAY  | ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN

Working with United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s leadership, we designed a system of signage, wayfinding, environmental branding, and donor recognition.

United Way of Greater Cincinnati opened a brand new Convening Center designed by GBBN. Our studio worked with the center’s designers and UWGC’s leadership to tell UWGC’s compelling story throughout its new center. We urged the client to let us think of Signage, Wayfinding, Environmental Branding, and Donor Recognition as one system. We worked hard to integrate these statements into the architecture, and let the user’s natural approach to and through the building guide them through the story.

To achieve this cohesive system, the unique needs for the signage, wayfinding, environmental branding and donor recognition all had to be carefully evaluated. We started by first developing visual, emotional and verbal statements. Then, we carefully arranged the statements to naturally guide users through the building, telling United Way’s story as they progressed. The messaging details United Way’s local history, its aims and achievements, its donors and its impact on the community.

A super mural anchors the entrance of the building. Visually delivering United Way’s core message, the mural also highlights the more specific mission and value statements.

We also integrated these emotional statements into the architecture. For instance, large images terminate pathways and pull you through the halls. While, bright colors cue you to the most important wayfinding directories and destinations. Transient spaces offer singularly emotional graphics, while moments of pause offer more bits of story to digest. Together, each element creates a cohesive environmental branding system.

Electronic donor boards are easy to update via a cloud-based digital signage system.

Conference Rooms feature group-specific, color-coded privacy bands and names.

Large murals and modular displays anchor each floor’s lobby.

 White Design Studio is a multidisciplinary design firm located in Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio. We specialize in the design, production, and installation of integrated branding solutions. Our solutions orchestrate corporate identity, marketing, storytelling, environmental, photography, video, print and interactive elements. At White Design Studio, we believe the best way to communicate your brand’s story is through branded environments and experiences. We work with manufacturers, service providers, non-profits, architects and developers, agencies, distributors, governments and municipalities, and museums. First, we identify the work that a campaign, space, or interactive needs to do. We can then model a vision of what success looks like, and design to meet that vision. We are passionate about helping clients communicate their value through well-crafted storytelling, a consistent 2D, 3D, and digital design approach and expert production techniques.

Strategy: White Design Studio is your strategically-focused design source. Our marketing communications are custom-tailored to meet our customers’ objectives. Our creative solutions take many forms, but all are designed for maximum effectiveness. Each solution delivers key brand messaging to a wide variety of audiences.

Branded Environments: Sometimes called Environmental Graphic Design or Experiential Graphic Design, White Design Studio designs and creates strategic, compelling and memorable experiences. Our solutions deliver key messaging, branded specifically for each target audience. Workplace, Corporate Briefing Centers, Showrooms and Lobbies, Museum Displays and Exhibits, Retail Showrooms and Store Design are all great examples of White Design’s sweet spot of design, fabrication and installation capabilities.

Directional Signs / Wayfinding: Our complete interior and exterior directional signage systems are intuitive, design and material appropriate. Each design is complementary to architecture, interiors and other branding elements where they coexist. First, we create a hierarchical messaging system, then we match that system to location opportunity maps. Then, we apply concept designs to all of the individual components. Finally, we fabricate and install our solutions.

Interactive: We combine unique technologies and fabrication techniques to create impactful interactive solutions for conveying our customer’s messaging objectives. Our installations deliver critical information to all of your audiences in a way that is entertaining and memorable. RFID, Projection Mapping, Touch, Proximity Detection and the use of Motion Activated Devices are just a few of the tools we use to deliver your message. White Design Studio’s goal is to make the technology invisible so nothing comes between your audience and your message.

White Design Studio operates most efficiently in the design sweet-spot between environments, identity, and communications. Comfortable stretching any direction, we are at ease designing for one element. But, we are at our best when we can combine each element to develop a fully integrated brand and messaging system. We collaborate with industry-leading professionals on large-scale projects, but can also comfortably operate as your single-source design partner. We partner with Developers, Architects, Engineers, Facility Managers, Creative Directors, Marketing Departments Advertising Agencies and other Design Studios.