Midtown Union Wayfinding

Atlanta, GA

Midtown Union is a 3.8-acre, mixed-use development that knits into the existing neighborhood fabric of Midtown Atlanta. The project includes offices, residences, a boutique hotel, parking garages, and retail. Bisected by an extension of the Arts Center Way pedestrian and retail-focused street, the development offers access to nearby attractions like the Woodruff Arts Center, High Museum of Art, and MARTA Arts Center station.

The challenge for the Experiential Graphic Design Team was to brand the new campus with signage and wayfinding that would make navigating the complex site easy; ensure a clear identity within the surrounding city grid; and serve drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. To create more manageable zones for the large project, we leveraged the minimalist black and white palette of the project branding to create two distinct districts clearly delineated by the signage colors: white with black copy for the south and black with white copy for the north.

Inside each parking garage, we expanded the color palette to include accent colors to identify each level. While the project typeface, Simplon, was used consistently throughout the project, typographic layouts were unique to each deck. The negative space in the stylized “M” brand mark was used throughout the project, becoming a typographical separation for text as well as a design element used to identify levels and create dynamic patterns for murals.

The black and white branding scheme continues as one moves from the north deck into the office interior wayfinding. In keeping with the LEED certification goals for the project, a sustainable material was picked for the signage as well as custom pictograms and arrows. We achieved Fitwel and Well certification goals by placing custom signage in areas that highlighted building features, such as the benefits of taking the stairs. Messaging uses the unexpected, yet polished brand voice, to keep the identity of the project consistent at every level.