Shannon Leigh Associates (Agency) – Creative (Schematic), Technical (Design Documentation), Environmental, Client Presentations and Collaboration, Site Surveys, Wayfinding Assessments
“The signage at El Camino Health needs a remodel. The campus is changing, the brand is changing, the business model is changing, so the experience of the people coming for healthcare has to change along with it. We want it professional, we want it clean, and we need to get it through the city. Show us something.”
-Client’s first words
Setting up the Work
Selecting the materials and positions of these eyebrow signs hanging over the entrances to buildings on the El Camino Health Mountain View Campus offered several challenges. The font was already part of the brand standards, yet there were aspects of the typography that made its use challenging in this context.
From the irregular baseline to the Open Type adjustment required to the erratic letter spacing, the Meta Pro font was so varied in its methodology that we needed to apply very precise measuring methods to transform the example into the finished product.
Since this was only going to work if presented perfectly, I skipped the sketches and went straight to 3D modeling in SketchUp. Most importantly, I was able to demonstrate the differences in color temperature for the lighting and the proportions of the fixtures with off-angle renders.
Along with the renders, a detailed 2D fabrication intent made pricing the structures and determining their weight possible. A requirement for both the financial questions and the structural support calculations.
Once the initial design of the structure was determined, the challenge of positioning and spacing the text required that each entry elevation be rendered in Illustrator (CADtools) and sent to the client and architect for review. Below is a sampling of the locations and specifications presented:
After months of review by the client, architects, and the City of Mountain View for permitting, the final versions were selected. Fabrication and installation progressed with little complication, and the finished products provide a clean entry experience.
