Many millennials practice a minimalistic lifestyle, they are largely the offspring of baby boomers who were notorious for keeping everything! As their parents age, millennials are left to manage this mountain of stuff. Consider this when designing the areas of your school. Keep the interior simple, clean and uncluttered. Focus on a bold, contrasting color scheme and simple furniture. Strip down the information in the space to the essentials.

Simple doesn’t have to be boring. Shown above are two examples of bold, contrasting color palettes used in student spaces.

2. Tell a story.

This is true for any design or marketing communication, but it’s often skipped when branding spaces. People remember stories and this is especially true with millennials who engage daily with stories on social media. When it comes to education, stories of recent graduates or examples of careers could help touring students envision their future. Be genuine, use professional photography and graphics to ensure the story is told in a captivating way.

Banners inside a college welding lab, tell a story of future careers to current and prospective students.

3. Encourage sharing.

While sharing can be a little tricky to manage, we know millennials love to participate. Consider ways to use your interior to engage students. This generation has a lot to say, and providing a platform for them to share their perspective will strengthen their connection to your brand. An integrated whiteboard could be used to pose monthly questions to your students. A digital screen could showcase selfies of current students and invite them to participate.

Conceptual design for an interactive selfie screen at Delta College.

Where to start

It’s important at the beginning of the journey to figure out the story that needs to be told and how and where it should be communicated in the space. What are the important messages to communicate to current and prospective students? How do we want them to feel? It’s a critical step in the process and when done right, it leads to much smoother sailing through the rest of the project. We call this the discovery and strategy phase.

Jon Moses
Creative Director

Ideation Orange is an industry leader in branding spaces using interior design, signs and environmental graphics.  If you would like more information on how your space can help you achieve your goals, contact Ideation Orange in Hazel Park,  Michigan.

The post 3 Tips for Branding your School for Millennials appeared first on Ideation.

But wait….how do prospective students and employers feel when they walk through the entrance? What about your campus will make them want to enroll or hire graduates? Will they have experiences that will keep them engaged? What will they tell their friends and family about the visit?

This is where an effectively branded environment can help. Branded environments are more than signs. Branded environments help create a perception about a place through the combination of architecture, interior design, signage, and graphics, extending your values, culture and story into physical space.  If done effectively, branded environments incorporate elements that will make people want to share their experience with others and come back for more.

“The design of physical space has a significant, quantifiable impact on the quality of people’s experience and their likelihood of recommending that experience to friends and family.”

Gensler Research Institute

The Current Landscape

The majority of community colleges I have visited were not designed with the brand in mind. They are often seas of brick walls, lack gathering places for students to build relationships, and give no clear presentation of what makes the place special to current or prospective students. President Knight from Lansing Community College summed it up effectively in his Community College Journal Article.

“Architecturally many community colleges resemble suburban shopping malls… Nothing says dated more than beige painted concrete block and decades of visual clutter in vestibules and hallways”

President Brent Knight – Lansing Community College
www.ccjournal-digital.com

 

So Where Do We Start?

It’s important at the beginning of the journey to figure out the story that needs to be told and how and where it should be communicated in the space. What are the important messages to communicate to current and prospective students? How do we want them to feel? It’s a critical step in the process and when done right, it leads to much smoother sailing through the rest of the project. We call this the discovery and strategy phase.

My student experience

I believe if the walls at your campus could talk they would say more. I’m inspired by the people we have collaborated with at Lansing Community College and Delta College. The dedication of the staff to deliver an amazing education and a welcoming environment cannot be understated. As a graduate of Kalamazoo Valley Community College, I know first-hand the power that a community college can have in shaping a future. By coincidence, I discovered my passion for design at KVCC’s Center for New Media and never looked back! The rising costs of attending a university presents an exciting opportunity for you to refresh your space with purpose and tell a stronger story to the people who walk through your doors.

Jon Moses
Creative Director

Ideation Orange is an industry leader in branding spaces using interior design, signs and environmental graphics.  If you would like more information on how your space can help you achieve your goals, contact Ideation Orange in Hazel Park, Michigan.

The post What is Branded Space and Why Should Colleges Care? appeared first on Ideation.

Installing ADA compliant wayfinding signs is necessary for a business to get their Certificate of Occupancy. Many companies don’t think about ADA signs until faced with a violation, yet they should. ADA compliant signs allow businesses to serve all clients regardless of ability. This accommodation is noble and serves the greater good.

What does it mean to have ADA Compliant Signs?

ADA compliance involves several factors.

• The height and placement of the wayfinding sign.
• Use of Braille or tactile letters.
• Easy to read colors and fonts.

Do All Signs Need to be ADA Compliant?

Not all business signs must comply with ADA  regulations. Exterior signs remain exempt, as well as pylon signs. The types of signage that require compliance are mostly interior signs.

• Bathroom Signs
• Room Identification Signs
• Wayfinding Signs

Acceptable Design for ADA Compliant Wayfinding Signs

According to the guide on the ADA website, wayfinding signs should meet the following regulations.

• Signs should be high-contrast – light on dark, or dark on light.
• Large fonts without decoration to make them easier to read.
• All Braille and tactile lettering must follow guidelines regarding character size and spacing.
• Bathroom signs and Entrance signs must be placed next to the door.
• International Symbol of Access Signs cannot deviate from the official symbol. This rule would include signs such as the one put on accessible parking spaces.

However, just because a sign must meet these requirements does not mean that it can’t have artistic elements.

“Beyond the traditional value of making sure people know where to go when visiting and being an ADA compliant solution, our design added value to the environment by serving as an artistic element. Our goal was that the custom signage and environment would make residents proud to live there and visitors want to live there.” Jon Moses, Ideation.

What To Do When You Need ADA Compliant Wayfinding Signs

If you find all the ADA compliance regulations a bit confusing, don’t worry.  A professional sign company, like Ideation Signs, understands the rules and can help you order what you need.

Not only can they create your ADA compliant wayfinding signs but they can install them. You won’t have to worry about installation regulations either. Keep in mind that with compliance you are making your space more accessible, increasing the likelihood of visitors.

ADA Wayfinding Project by Ideation

Gillespie Group, a developer of creative apartment communities and commercial spaces contacted us to design, produce and install custom ADA wayfinding signage that would work with commissioned graffiti art pieces and ultimately live up to the brand identity of their new Midtown apartment development in Lansing, Michigan.

Large floor numbers made a statement while tying in with the floor-specific color palette and custom graffiti artwork.

When we were brought in by the team at Gillespie Group, the target audience and brand identity for the property was already defined on paper.  The architecture and interior design including color palette and finishes were already specified. Our goal was to come up with a wayfinding signage design that would work with these elements and contribute to the brand.  Of course, we also needed to meet the budget and the required deadline.

Our ADA Wayfinding Signage work included 5 key steps:

1. Sign Strategy: Survey and planning to determine the 132 signs from 16 unique types that would be needed in the space along with code and ADA compliance requirements.  This also included a placement map of where signs would go. 
2. Conceptualization: Develop design concepts for each of the 16 unique types of signs
3. Detailed Design: Design each unique sign to exact production specification 
4. Production: Fabricate all signs to design specification
5. Installation: Install signs in sync with buildout phases

Directional wall signs greeted guests exiting the elevator on each floor.

We designed the room identifications signs so they would meet ADA compliance regulations with tactile characters and grade 2 braille.

Code compliant stairway identification signs were designed with a floor-specific color palette that made both the client and the building inspector happy.

The sign system continued into the parking garage with a consistent design but unique materials to withstand the temperature drop.

Our sign strategy included placement maps that worked to validate the need and placement of each sign with the client team, leading the way to a smooth installation.

If you would like more information on ADA compliant signs, contact Ideation Orange. Ideation brands spaces and produces signs for businesses in the Detroit Metro Area.

Photos ©2015 Gene Meadows

The post What You Need to Know About ADA Compliant Wayfinding Signs appeared first on Ideation.

We jumped right in and helped them created a branded environment.

Lobby. Photos ©2015 Gene Meadows.

Branding the Space

This project was a very fun collaboration between Ideation and EITC’s Business Development team, Jennifer Mefford and Franz DeRaad.

Waiting Area. Photo ©2015 Gene Meadows.

According to Jennifer Mefford, “It was a pleasure to work with the Ideation team to amplify the great story of the Detroit Electrical Industry Training Center. Thanks to the design work and collaboration with Ideation, the Detroit EITC now more boldly reflects the high-quality, state-of-the-art training offered by the facility and the 100 year legacy between IBEW Local 58 and Southeastern Michigan Chapter NECA.”

Governor Snyder toured the EITC in March and shared his vision for the future of Michigan’s energy.

Program Vignettes. Photo ©2015 Gene Meadows.

Vignettes were created in the lobby for each of the 6 curriculum tracks in the Apprenticeship program. Custom typography was created from industry materials like mini solar panels and power control switches.

Photo ©2015 Gene Meadows.

New signage was mapped, designed and introduced throughout – from wayfinding and room identification signs to new systems for showcasing awards and accolades in a cleaner, more consistent way.

Historical Gallery. Photo ©2015 Gene Meadows.

For over 100 years, this center has trained the area’s top electricians; those responsible for constructing Michigan’s most impressive buildings. Photography was selected from the archives to communicate this legacy.

Graduate Class Photos. Photo ©2015 Gene Meadows.

New touchscreen displays were designed to better organize and display the photos of hundreds of graduating classes. As graduates return to the center for continuing education, finding their class photo has been a highlight of the experience. Varying photography styles and an ever-increasing number of photos was making this a design and organizational challenge.

Contractor Partner Recognition. Photo ©2015 Gene Meadows.

Photo ©2015 Gene Meadows.

A custom display was designed and fabricated to feature the contractor partners represented by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). These valuable partners help fund the Apprenticeship program along with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 58.

Lunchroom. Photo ©2015 Gene Meadows.

Without wanting to spend a lot of money on the lunchroom, we focused our efforts on wrapping the columns and designing a series of 40”x40” prints that were wall-mounted.

Main Entrance. Photo ©2015 Gene Meadows.

Exterior sign letters from anodized aluminum was designed and fabricated to contrast the existing façade. Logos for IBEW Local 58 and NECA were re-created on the glass entry doors in frosted vinyl.

A new exhibit was designed and produced for use at job fairs and other offsite recruiting events.

A new brochure and website were created to help communicate the benefits of the Apprenticeship program.

The website was redesigned per the new design style and messaging that was created for the center.

“Ideation’s design work throughout the facility and in our printed and website extensions is fresh, clean and dynamic. It was a pleasure to work with the Ideation team who kept the project on track and still remained flexible throughout the effort as the project continued to add new elements.

The facility hosts thousands of guests each year including electrical professionals, legislators and other elected officials, K-12 educators and prospective apprentice applicants. The reaction to the newly refreshed space has been incredibly positive.”

– Jennifer Mefford
Director of Business Development
Detroit Electrical Industry Training Center

Photography by Gene Meadows

The post Electrical Industry Training Center: Using Space to Recruit appeared first on Ideation.