City of Waterloo Wayfinding
Going for a LOOP
The City of Waterloo commissioned Shikatani Lacroix to brand and develop a wayfinding program for a three-kilometre trail that links various key historical and public landmarks as part of a pedestrian path. The path tends to zigzag through the city and as such, junction points became very critical in ensuring visitors aren’t confused.
The path covers a wide area and required a strong architectural / signing 3D design element to unify the program’s components. There is visual clutter within the downtown core (traffic signs, parking signs, event banners on light poles, retailer signs), and the new wayfinding system cuts through this clutter without seeming promotional. Some of the landmarks are not clearly visible from the pathway, and SL’s solutions included reminder signs to help bridge the different areas. SL divided the path into three routes and provided colour coding for each to simplify navigation. As part of the program, SL developed a banner-style signing system using aluminum-painted panels to clearly define paths.