Shikatani Lacroix

Amid all of the holiday tinsel and trim decorating Toronto’s downtown Yonge Street corridor are festive banners designed by Shikatani Lacroix for the Downtown Yonge BIA.

Downtown Yonge BIA represents the most active neighbourhood in Canada in terms of pedestrian traffic and retail density. Shikatani Lacroix was hired to provide the BIA with a range of branding and design services, including the development and implementation of a strategic brand direction. It was important that the branding and design plan communicated the district’s diverse offerings while appealing to the public and furthering the area’s business environment.

Shikatani Lacroix redesigned its seasonal street light banners, including its Winter Magic signage, posters and logo.
The seasonal banner program reflects Downtown Yonge BIA’s hip, active and accessible personality. It also animates the neighbourhood and echoes the energy, diversity and vibrancy of the area.

Staffers enjoyed a day of good old fashioned American football as they cheered the Buffalo Bills on to a 23-0 win over the Washington Redskins at Rogers Centre. And no one had any trouble finding the game. The stadium, and surrounding area, was bedecked in colourful graphic banners and signage designed by Shikatani Lacroix.

Next time you’re working, shopping or dining in downtown Toronto look up at the lamp posts. Shikatani Lacroix has brightened the Yonge and Dundas corridor with colourful banners designed for Downtown Yonge BIA.

How do you reinvigorate an aging high-rise neighbourhood? That question was at the heart of a recent design charrette for the Mabelle neighbourhood in the Islington area of south Etobicoke.

York University adjunct professor Arlene Gould led the charrette with the support and participation of Toronto Councillor Peter Milczyn. More than 50 people participated in the event, including city staff, local residents and Gould’s Environmental Studies students who partook in break-out sessions with local architects, interior designers, landscape architects and graphic designers, among them Udo Schliemann of Entro Communications, urban designer Mark Inglis and Shikatani Lacroix president Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

The groups discussed ways to reinvigorate the area and create a sense of community through the use of signage, wayfinding, landscaping and public spaces. With 1,200 apartment towers in the Toronto area, the goal was to devise short-term solutions that could be scalable for other tower neighbourhoods.

Shikatani Lacroix’s wayfinding project for Downsview Park has been selected as a finalist in the Environmental category for the Design Edge Canada Regional Design Awards. The “Reggies” is a Canadian design competition that awards the best of the best in graphic design by region.

Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAIT) Global Wayfinding Program

BACKGROUND

The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade represents all of the embassies across the globe and a physical presence of the Canadian flag in the countries with trade offices. A key role in leveraging a strong presence in key markets is the role of the embassies in assisting in the emigration and trade expansion and as such, DFAIT identified a need to improve its wayfinding and building identification program. As part of this global initiative, Shikatani Lacroix was retained to assist in developing a new design standards that would work in all markets.

CHALLENGE

Although DFAIT has very rigid branding guidelines for the use of the Canadian Coat of Arms and Flag, its embassies were designed to allow each location to be a unique physical manifestation of the brand in the markets being served. As such, the new building identification and wayfinding needed to effectively complement the style and personality of each embassy design while allowing for conformity and consistency. In addition, the role of wayfinding implementation was delegated to the individual embassy which increased the need to develop a wayfinding standards manual that was both informative and easy to understand.

SOLUTION

SL developed new wayfinding standards that consisted of a rigid signing architecture for content, hierarchy of communication and iconography but allowed for the use of different materials that would better integrate with the architectural personality of the facility. The standards manual were also written in a way that would help local embassy staff clearly understand not only the “What” but more importantly the “Why” and “How” of the program. SL developed prototypes and physical examples to assist in better understanding how materials play an important role while clearly identifying the appropriate use and location for each sign.

RESULTS

The new wayfinding program is currently being rolled-out across the globe and initial responses from DFAIT and embassy personal has been very positive.

BACKGROUND

The Town of Essex in southwestern Ontario is an amalgamation of four municipalities, which boasts a diverse landscape and culture. The Town retained SL to develop an identity through the design of a new corporate logo, signage, and a marketing plan to promote the Town’s new identity and points of interest.

CHALLENGE
Our task was to produce designs that reflect the community’s make-up as well as a strategic marketing plan that will promote Essex as a destination for residence, investment and tourism.

SOLUTION
SL developed different workmark options reflecting a range of potential icons which came out of a brainstorm session. The logo that came out the winner is dynamic with modern and vibrant colours that unite the four communities. Tagline and signage were also developed to recognize the assets and destinations throughout the amalgamated Town.

RESULT
A new Town identity was developed, one that is fresh, vibrant and reflects the municipality’s unique make-up.

BACKGROUND

The City of Brampton approved an initiative to expand and modernize the Century Gardens Recreation Centre, and brought Shikatani Lacroix on board to develop a wayfinding system that would encourage community participation and create a sense of belonging.

CHALLENGE

With only six weeks to complete the project, SL needed to come up with a design that would generate excitement for the facility, and that would transform into 3-D and customized fabrication within such a short timeline. It was also important to incorporate the City’s accessibility standards, and create the right look and feel for the community centre environment.

SOLUTION

The SL team developed a simple design that features LED technology, and rear-lit, oversized directional maps to direct and inform visitors. By injecting colour and incorporating iconography, the design is eye-catching as well as functional. Colour contrast was used in addition to Braille to assist visually impaired visitors, and colour coding was also implemented to identify different zones within the facility to make it easier for visitors to navigate.

RESULT

The Century Gardens Recreation Centre grand re-opening was a success! Town officials and citizens alike agree that the new and improved recreation centre is now a more user-friendly and inviting facility for Brampton’s community groups, sports groups, residents, and their families.

BACKGROUND

As part of its King City campus property, Seneca College’s Recreation Island operates as an outdoor adventure camp in the summer months. To honor one of their Presidents, the college wanted to change the name of the property, and SL was put to the task of designing the new property entrance as well as a recognition plaque to commemorate the newly named McCutcheon Island.

CHALLENGE

With a tight timeline of only 5 weeks in which to accomplish the design, manufacturing, and installation, the SL team’s organizational skills and efficiency were of great value to the project. It was important for the design to be sustainable, and acceptable within the college’s approved design system while at the same time being integretable into the look and feel of the rural environment.

SOLUTION

In order to maximize the time and budget laid out for the project, an existing structure was used to display the new plaque, and the SL team cleverly incorporated existing signs that were refaced with reclaimed aluminum to create a grand archway as a tribute to the island’s new namesake.

RESULT

The project was complete on time and well within budget, and the overall effect is consistent with Seneca College’s established wayfinding system, while blending appropriately with the natural King City campus surroundings.

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.