Kontekst Retail Design has developed a visual information system for seven latest shopping centres built in Poland by Echo Investment.
The purpose of designing a Visual Information Systems (VIS) for a shopping centre is to create a uniform manner of informing and directing customers using layouts, pictograms, signs, guideposts, information boards, and painting schemes of architectural elements. The system devised by Kontekst comprises two principal subsystems: for the arcade with passage, primary attractions, and key tenants; and a car park with external and internal car and pedestrian traffic. The purpose and operating conditions of system elements determine the variety of sizes, formats, technologies, and selection of materials. Despite the differences, perception and interpretation of the messages is uniform throughout the object. Design and graphical aspects of the arcade and car park are coherent as well.
Elements of the Visual Information System are made using technologies and materials that fit their purpose. Boards used inside the arcade have light frame, perforated structure, and no back light. Boards mounted on car park premises and at entrances to and exits from the commercial facility are closed-frame, sealed structures with backlit graphics. In the largest shopping centres with multi-storey car parks and shopping arcades, visual information systems are complemented by electronic parking space monitoring systems and interactive kiosks.
Aesthetic aspects of the Visual Information System are coherent with the architectural design of the facility. Style and colour scheme of boards, layouts, and guideposts are universal so they can be used on any premises. Rectangular shapes of signs and boards are softened by hand-drawn pictograms. Arcade passages are dominated by white and black with ground stainless steel and glass. Boards with pictograms adorn passages like fine jewellery. For car parks, a colour scheme, that includes colours that could be backlit, were easily visible, and induce specific associations, makes up a communication code. Colourful boards flash with backlit pictograms, direction information, and text.
View Original