When you enter a space—such as an office building, subway station, or trade show booth—you want a clear idea of where to go, what to do, and how to feel. Environmental graphic design addresses all these concerns, but how? We answer this question below, as well as provide several examples and best practices.
What is environmental graphic design?
Environmental graphic design (EGD) is the use of graphic elements such as typography, color, imagery, and textures to curate and enhance the experience people have within a space. (Tweet this!) Each graphic element plays a different part in curating people’s experiences:
- Color can change the mood of the space, making it energetic, somber, playful, and so on. It can also help categorize, contextualize, highlight, or otherwise differentiate a space, or portions of a space.
- Typography communicates information through text for the purpose of wayfinding, labeling, identifying, marketing, selling, etc.
- Imagery also communicates information, only through graphics instead of text. It also evokes emotion.
- Texture adds an extra dimension to the space. The sensory element of touch adds depth—both literally and metaphorically. It can evoke emotion as well, and help people more clearly connect with the space. For example, if you wanted people to feel like they were in nature, you might include tree bark on the wall or on standalone objects.
The visual cues provided through EGD help connect people to places in two key ways:
- Environmental graphics inform people on how to navigate a physical space, a process called wayfinding. For example, airports use varied signage to let visitors know where to go for gates, baggage claim, and other important areas. Similarly, street signage helps drivers know where to exit on freeways for specific streets, and when to stop at intersections.
- Visual cues impart information about a place to make it more familiar, a concept referred to as communicating identity. They may serve as verification that people are where they need to be, for example a retail store or a place such as a train station. Graphics used in a children’s museum will differ from those in a museum for adults—the former will likely employ brighter colors for a more energetic feel versus muted colors for the latter. Visual cues may also be a form of branding, communicating identity using logos and related imagery to make a connection between the brand, the space, and the person.
Environmental Graphic Design Vs. Branded Environments
Branded Environments are popular in the trade show space, but they shouldn’t be confused with environmental graphic design, which is only a single aspect of Branded Environments, albeit a critical one. Branded Environments include everything that goes into creating a space: physical architecture, how a space is planned, emotional cues, and more. Environmental graphic design helps augment a Branded Environment.
Environmental Graphic Design Best Practices
Now that you understand what EGV is, here are a few best practices to optimize your use of it.
Wayfinding
- Don’t overwhelm people with information. People can only absorb so much information at one time, so be mindful of what you choose to call out in graphics. For example, everyone at an airport terminal doesn’t need to know how to get to every gate at every juncture—so you’ll see signs that have a range of gates for a given direction, such as “Gates C1–C10” with an arrow pointing left.
- Highlight decision points. When someone needs to decide on a direction or action to take, such as at a fork in the road, it’s important that signage be present to direct them.
- Contextualize different areas of a space. It’s key to differentiate sections of a space through elements like color, especially if the space is large. For example, an airport typically uses varied colors to denote different terminals. Similarly, conferences often use varied colors to identify different tracks.
Environmental Graphics
- Pay attention to text placement. Consider where people will be looking when you’re placing things in a space. For example, don’t place text low on a graphic that’s at eye level or below because people won’t read it. Similarly, if you’re hanging a sign high up, make sure the text is large enough to be read from a distance.
- Be careful with color. Since color has a significant impact on the feel of a space, be sure to select colors that promote or evoke the feeling or mood you want to convey. For example, red is often synonymous with energetic; blue is more about feeling safe; yellow evokes happiness; and green promotes nature and healthiness.
- Consider the light source. Light can change how people perceive and experience color. For example, incandescent light has a warmer hue, whereas fluorescent light is colder.
- Incorporate texture. It’s easy to forget about texture and keep everything flat, especially when physical materials can add costs. However, texture can have a palpable effect on how people feel and interact with the space, and even the people around them.
- Less is more. Don’t go overboard with visual cues—they will lose their impact and may even confuse people. Even individual graphics should be fairly simple. Consider your main message or the needs people will have in the space, and design your environmental graphics accordingly.
