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Wayfinding Signage design alterMEMORANDUM April 15, 2003 TO:The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Design Recommendations for Wayfinding Sign Program From 1999-2001, the City of Dubuque worked with the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) of the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce and a community task force to develop a directional sign system to help visitors find their way throughout the community. The City Council approved their recommendations in January 2002. The intent of the Wayfinding Sign Program is to enhance the visitor experience and to compliment the existing highway and street signs throughout the community. The Wayfinding Sign Program divides the community into the six districts: Downtown, Eagle Point, South End, West End, College Grandview and Port of Dubuque. To implement the Wayfinding Sign Program, a Wayfinding Sign Committee was formed to work with the consultant. The Committee members are: Sue Czeshinski, CVB Director; Greg Maim, CVB Board Member; Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager; Susan Gwiasda, Public Information Officer; Bill Schlickman, Engineering Assistant; Tammy Gehling, Graphic Artist; and Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager. The Wayfinding Sign Committee has worked with the graphic design consultant, Gary Olsen, to gather input from the Convention and Visitors Bureau Signage Committee, the City Engineering Division, and the Iowa Department of Transportation in developing alternative color icon designs for each of the six Tourism Districts. Attached are the design alternatives for each district, with the Wayfinding Sign Committee's recommendation identified. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. Michael C. Van Milligen MCVM/jh Attachment CC:Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager MEMORANDUM April 15, 2003 To:Michael Van Milligen, City Manager From:Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager Subject:Design Recommendations for Wayfinding Sign Program INTRODUCTION This memo provides design recommendations for the colored icons to identify the six Tourism Districts of the Wayfinding Sign Program, for review and approval by the City Council at their April 21 meeting. The design alternatives are attached. BACKGROUND From 1999-2001, the City of Dubuque worked with the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) of the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce and a community task force to develop a directional sign system to help visitors find their way through out the community. The City Council approved their recommendations in January 2002. The City then solicited proposals from qualified consultants to provide graphic design services for the Wayfinding Sign Program. Gary Olsen was selected in October 2002 as the graphic design consultant. To implement the wayfinding sign program, a Wayfinding Sign Committee was formed to work with the consultant. The Committee members are: Sue Czeshinski, CVB Director, Greg Maim, CVB Board Member, Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager, Susan Gwiasda, Public Information Officer, Bill Schlickman, Engineering Assistant, Tammy Gehling, Graphic Artist, and me. DISCUSSION The intent of the Wayfinding Sign Program is to enhance the visitor experience and to cempliment the existing highway and street signs throughout the community. The Wayfinding Sign Program divides the community into the six districts: Downtown, Eagle Point, South End, West End, College Grandview, and Port of Dubuque. Wayfinding Sign Program Page 2 of 2 The Wayfinding Sign Program consists of two systems: a highway sign system and a tourism district sign system. Highway Sign System The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) has identified the City of Dubuque as a pilot project for urban wayfinding signs along the state highways within the community. The tourism districts will be highlighted on the Highway Sign System through the use of IDOT standard blue signs with white lettering and a universal color icon. These signs will be designed to meet to IDOT specifications. Tourism District Sign System The Tourism District Sign System will be located on public streets within the six districts. This secondary system will use colored icons that are specific to each of the six districts. The colored icons are intended to address how the travelers know they are in a specific tourism district and how to find their way to an attraction or a destination. These signs will be designed to meet to City Engineering's specifications. RECOMMENDATION The Wayfinding Sign Committee has worked with the graphic design consultant to gather input from the CVB Signage Committee, the City Engineering Division, and the IDOT in developing alternative color icon designs for each of the six Tourism Districts. The objective was to use analogous colors that will serve as a color key that the viewer can distinguish and associate with each of the districts. Although these colors are different, they are actually very close in value with each other so that the lettering can stand out in reverse. It's important to maintain maximum contrast to enable visibility from a distance for both the motoring public and the pedestrian and bicyclist. Attached are the design alternatives for each district, with the Wayfinding Sign Committee's recommendation identified. Depending on the number of landmark or icon features most identifiable with a particular district, we were able to develop two and sometimes three alternatives for each district. REQUESTED ACTION The requested action is for the City Council to review and approve the designs to be used for the Wayfinding Sign Program. Attachments CC Wayfinding Sign Committee, w/att. Gary Olsen, graphic design consultant, w/att. Design Alternatives and Recommendations for Wayfinding Signs Example of Wayfinding Sign in Context Above is an example of how these wayfinding signs will appear in context. Design alternatives and recommendations for colored icons for the six Tourism Districts follow. Downtown Design #t: This is the most detailed version of the sign. It contains three downtown landmarks, which the Committee felt was important. The other two designs have only two downtown landmarks. Committee Recommendation Downtown Design #2: This is a caricature of the town clock, which includes more clock than would normally be seen in this semicircle format but is rather "cartoon-y". Downtown Design # 3: This is the simplest of all the designs, which again only has two rather than three landmarks. Eagle Point Design #1: No other icons seemed to capture the Eagle Point District like the bald eagle and the bluffs, so the two options shown are background variations with the bald eagle in the foreground. Above, this more colorful version of the sign, with the foliage and multicolored sky, is the selection preferred. Committee Recommendation Eagle Point Design #2: Above, the bluffs of Eagle Point are still recognizable, but the background is less colorful, South End Design #1: The Julien Dubuque Monument is a great icon at the southern edge of the city. The Julien Dubuque Bridge has always been an important eastern gateway to our city, as well as to the South End. Committee Recommendation South End Design #2: This design features typical neighborhood homes of the South End, which are less of a landmark than the Julien Dubuque monument. They also are not unique to the South End. West End Design #1: With the rolling hills, highway/roadway, and sunset, this simple, clean design was the selection preferred. Committee Recommendation West End Design #2: The addition of homes complicates the design, and doesn't denote the mix of uses on the West End. College Grandview Design #1: The Grandview District became the College Grandview District, and we had to make it more relevant to the district that covers so much of the city's area. Approximately 1/3 of Grandview Avenue is a boulevard with flowers, and there is landscaping along Dodge Street. The area also includes the campuses of Clarke College, Loras College, University of Dubuque, and Wartburg College. This design depicts these themes. Committee Recommendation College Grandview Design #2: This design references only the flowers in the boulevard section of Grandview Avenue. College Grandview Design #3: This design depicts the colleges with the mortar board, with neighborhoods and landscaping in the background. Port of Dubuque Design #1: This design features a paddle boat's stern wheel that evokes the history of the port. The skyline of Dubuque in the background is what you see when looking back from the Ice Harbor. The water cascading from the wheel and creating a curly wake gives the design motion. Committee Recommendation Port of Dubuque Design #2: This design is more complicated than the Committee's preferred selection above. © Gary OIsen 2002-2003 all rights reserved. All graphics and copy in this Web site are the intellectual property of Gary Olsen and/or his clients' property, used with permission, and cannot be used for any purpose wIthot~t permission. Address correspondence to golsen~rnwcLnet.