UVM Libraries Wayfinding

Design guidelines, Messaging, Infographics, Illustration, Creative direction, Environmental graphic design, Sign design, Wayfinding, Print collateral

People get lost. They get really lost in stacks of books in circuitous buildings.

User experience at UVM Howe Library was significantly hampered. The 1960s 4-story 171,000 square foot building had not seen wayfinding updates since the 1980s. Hand-scrawled signs cluttered everything, compounded by a complete void of orientation, and slipping code compliance. All this while serving 14,000 students from more than 60 countries plus the general public.

Not so anymore. The Image Farm implemented a color-coded, symbol-rich, flexible sign system for critical resources that are far from static. We worked closely with administration and physical plant and utilized a student survey to create a comprehensive, changeable, architecturally-sensitive system with solid graphic standards. Components included kiosks with 3-D floor plans, directories, directional and identification signs, gallery signs, and modules for temporary signs.

  • Nothing short of miraculous… We threw many challenges at The Image Farm and they always came back with timely solutions at once practical and elegant. The longer we worked with them, the more we trusted their judgment.

    Humor, patience, creativity, and good nature make them effective collaborators. The attention to detail was an incredible asset. Their work transformed our building and our users’ experience.
    Selene Colburn
    Former Assistant to Dean of
    Libraries for External Relations, University of Vermont

The Image Farm also planned, designed, and implemented a wayfinding system for Billings Library, UVM’s 1800s redstone building that was its original library. Our design fit into historically sensitive renovations and addressed multilevel entrances, high-demand destinations, and independent tenants while enhancing the UVM Libraries brand. The project included Alumni Relations donor recognition and led to our development of ADA sign and graphics standards for buildings throughout the UVM campus.

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