The Seattle Children’s Hospital wayfinding and graphics program eases navigation through campus while offering an ongoing source of serenity and imagination. The balance of signage clarity and brand warmth within the system unifies the hospital wayfinding experience. Artwork throughout creates an emotional connection to the hospital’s brand, calms anxieties and offers positive distractions for all ages.
The wayfinding program uses art, signage, and specialty maps to convey a cohesive story – one that supports Seattle Children’s brand values of compassionate care through its Pacific Northwest roots. The system employs strong zone identification alongside strategic artwork and graphics to support universal navigation. The hospital’s four zones – Forest, River, Mountain, and Ocean – are inspired by the local natural environment and use specific colors and distinct icons to create clarity. Landmark murals showcasing each zone’s natural world, and the flora and fauna found within include animals participating in acts of care, comfort, and wonder.
Zones can be navigated using the Discovery Trail – a conceptual pathway name that connects all the zones in the hospital – to guide patient families from one end of the hospital to the other, presented as a journey of exploration with memorable landmarks that assist wayfinding and promote interest and reprieve. This approach helps patient families and visitors better understand their location within the complexities of the hospital facility by breaking it down into a world that can be visualized easily and universally. Together, this integrated program facilitates a clear and comfortable navigational experience for the unique needs of a children’s hospital – one that’s rooted in Seattle Children’s core value of compassionate care. It’s an intentional solution that creates impact from the first steps in the building.
