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Have you ever wondered how traffic engineers know how tall to make the letters on a freeway sign so that you still won’t miss the exit? Or how far away a person walking in a downtown street will see the entrance to that awesome new sushi restaurant? Or why you can see the Las Vegas strip signs from a mile away?  These are questions we know keep you up late at night pondering the wonders of signage and letter heights.

RSM principals Harry Mark and Martin Schwartz have just returned from a two week trip to China, having visited six cities and meeting on five exciting on going graphics projects.  The meetings consisted of project presentations, coordination meetings, signage mock-up reviews, and marketing meetings, along with a bit of free time to take in the exciting sites of China.

Nanjing Taiwan Trade Mart: Construction of the project is progressing at super sonic speeds, with opening scheduled for mid September 2010. Harry and Martin were on site to review signage mock-ups and coordinate with the local sign fabricator to ensure the design intent is carried through all of the details of this comprehensive identity and wayfinding program.

Yantai One: Concept design presentations of the branding, logo, and wayfinding family were enthusiastically received by the group of stakeholders in this dynamic growing city in northern China.  Coordination with a local sign fabricator at this early stage was arranged to facilitate a seamless integration of the graphics with the architecture and marketing initiatives.

One City: The city of Ma’an Shan in central China is the site for this family focused urban retail and entertainment center.  The RSM designed graphics family was carefully crafted to work well within tight budget constraints and unique cultural and language parameters.

Check back soon for more project updates from China….

Rising in the rapidly growing city of Nanjing, China, this complex mixed-use project required a very simple, clean, and flexible wayfinding and identity approach.  To link the many different components of the project (multiple high rise office towers, hotel, conference center, six story retail base, and entertainment facilities), RSM has designed a family of signs that will not only work to identify and enhance each unique district, but also unify the entire large development.

The sign family has been designed for maximum flexibility and clarity.  The signage uses a system of custom pictograms and icons to identify the many uses and create a clear messaging system, with a dual language system complementing this simple approach.  The material palette adds clarity to the system as well with different complementary materials being used to enhance each of the district’s characterstics.

The graphics family of signs is rapidly moving forward into schematics and design development and the RSM team continues to hone and refine the designs, while coordinating with the US and China based consultant team.

The designers at RSM wanted to share with you a few ADA signage guidelines that we know will be helpful in your next project. Did you know that signage plaques using correct ADA standards must have…

• Letters that are all uppercase and be sans serif

• Letters measured vertically from the baseline that are 5/8″ minimum and 2″ maximum in height

• Raised letters with a minimum of 1/32″ depth and accompanied with Grade 2 Braille

• Letters that are selected from fonts where the width of the uppercase “O” is 55% minimum and 110% maximum of the height of the letter “I”

• Pictograms that have a field height of 6″ minimum

Working with the City of Rancho Cucamonga, RSM is enhancing the existing cultural plaza and public parking experience by designing a fun and energetic graphics program to engage the visitor and bring them to the many amenities of this Cultural Center – the events plaza, public library, theater, and conference facility.

The team at RSM designed a concept wayfinding program using over scaled silhouettes of local citizens becomes a fun way to engage the local community.  The designs serve many purposes:  sculptural elements are added to enliven the plaza, functional wayfinding to guide the visitor to the many uses, and a fund raising opportunity to have local citizens donate for the chance to be a part of this unique enhancement.

Barrio Logan, a unique and diverse neighborhood located in southern San Diego at the foot of the Coronado Bay Bridge is under redevelopment to enhance the community’s cultural and ethnic qualities and the neighborhood’s distinctive character.

As part of the redevelopment, RSM is working closely with Shea Properties on Mercado del Barrio, a residential and commercial mixed-use development – one of the first in the area. The team at RSM is creating a culturally appropriate branding, identity, and wayfinding program. The Mercado, located within the “heart” of Barrio Logan, consists of the redevelopment of two vacant city blocks into a vibrant lifestyle district that will include a Latino-themed supermarket, retail shops, residential units, and restaurants.