Melbourne designers Buro win international prize for wayfinding

Melbourne-based design studio Büro North has won in the Graphic Design division of the international 2011 Design & Art Direction (D&AD) Awards.

The coveted Yellow Pencil was awarded for their wayfinding and signage project at Falls Creek Alpine Resort.

The recognition at an international level for the Falls Creek project follows national and state level awards by the Australian Graphic Design Association and the Melbourne Design Awards respectively.

With a central village providing access to over 92 runs, 14 lifts and 21 trails laid over a complex topography, Falls Creek required the development of a wayfinding system to help visitors navigate the complex ski resort.

A modular system was created to provide information in a wide variety of directions to suit the complex village layout and changing seasonal functions.

The design of the sign system aims to promote the highest possible visibility of information whilst retaining the smallest presence of supporting structure.

The system is said to be extremely efficient, using a minimum number of elements for a range of sign types, while minimising the production energy requirements.

Wayfinding director of Büro North, Finn Butler, credited the success of the design to Büro North’s multidisciplinary approach, “The Falls Creek project is a great example of how our diverse team, in this case comprising of project management, wayfinding strategists, graphic and industrial design talent, is able to collaborate to create an innovative world-class outcome.”

More Information on the D&AD Award available at:

http://www.dandad.org/awards/professional/2011/categories/grpd/graphic-design/11167/falls-creek-wayfinding-and-signage-design