We started working on this wayfinding / signage project in summer/autumn 2009 and we had about 5 months to have everything (from strategy to design to actual production supervision) in place before the Fifa 2009 Club World Cup kicked off in December.

Enjoy

Zayed Sport City Entrance Gate with Numerals

Zayed Sport City Concourse in striking afternoon light

Zayed Sport City Hanging Vomitory Sign

Zayed Sport City Vomitory Signage towards seating

Zayed Sport City Lower Concourse Signage

Zayed Sport City Protruding Blade Sign

Zayed Sport City Lift Directory

Zayed Sport City Upper Concourse Signage

Here’s some explanatory text:

Zayed Stadium was built in 1979, and was recently refurbished to be a host for the Fifa 2009 Club World Cup. As part of the refurbishment, we were invited to design a new, comprehensive wayfinding and signage system for the public spaces, players and press areas, media suites and the back of house.

The stadium is a striking building, and our objective was to create a signage system that respected the architecture and enhanced its character. We found shapes for the signs that derived from the characteristic forms and material expression of the building. The wrap-around curves of the signage are inspired by the distinctive arches that form the external elevation.

When it came to the information on the signs, we needed a typeface that could both work in Arabic and English. We selected Tanseek, a new face designed for just this purpose. Tanseek is clear and informative, with the  English and Arabic scripts in harmonious proportion.

As well as being informative, the signage also needed to respond to the brand of Abu Dhabi. To achieve this we chose a palette from Abu Dhabi’s brand guidelines: Sandstone for the inner box and Heritage Red for the curved outer panel.

Our design team consists of: Simon Borg, Mark Clark, Alex Dale, Eu-Hyung Han and Izzy Toft.

The general subject driving all work on show is the use of digital language as means to represent current social trends via demonstration of moving image on various surfaces (screen, projection on 2 and 3 dimensions, uniform or fragmented). The subject is either prescribed, recorded and played back or in some cases derives spontaneously from interaction with the audience.

Contemporary technology has been used to construct abstract fractal compositions or indeed more recognisable patterns like data graphs: while originally representing actual values of social media trends, they are now being taken to a new level, viewed from a different perspective away from the data they represent as merely aesthetically pleasing objects yet still retaining evident traces to our everyday lives, which is what makes them so tangible.

The other major subject is the literal or lateral captivation of the audience within the installations: Literally where the crowds are incorporated in the composition via mirrors or indeed cameras -in real time or playback. And laterally where the project’s reaction to one’s moves, shouts or jumps captivates the visitor’s interest to directly interact with the installations. People seem to enjoy offering a piece of themselves towards creating a unique composition, even if it is only meant to last for an instant.

It is a really vibrant event, with often indiscernible boundaries between exhibits and audience: the work flows and takes over the space with those interacting subsequently becoming actors to those overlooking. A highly recommended event not only to admire the high aesthetic value of the projects or the very smartly developed base concepts but also for a fun day out.

The exhibition will continue until April 11th 2010. For more information please visit the exhibition website http://www.vam.ac.u...k/microsites/decode/

//image courtesy and web shop for the poster: 3LambsGraphics

Following up Charlie Fordham’s appeal in the London office to “Change the Face of Mens Health” in November I was looking for some flashy gadgets to go with the theme … I found A LOT, whole blog entries dedicated to products either wearing moustaches or tache-shaped. Have a little visual taster – and support Movember via joining the Populous team and raising some money for men’s health!

If you are interested in learning more about the work that is being carried out as a result of Movember funds, check out the details here.

Read on for some shopping inspiration, after all it’s Christmas time again!

Tada: My personal favorite! ‘Stache Labbit Plush from Kidrobot.

The great swiss miss design blog (heaps of design related eye candy, updated ueber-frequently) featured lot’s of mo-related posts lately, for those who wanna rock the partner-look with their bicycles, check this out:

Or try a sip out of these:

for those just getting into the theme: check out Dee’s article on HolyCool.net and finally props to nocreativity whose “Ode to Tom Selleck” is a must for every tache lover!

The Sign Design Awards recognise the best in signing and wayfinding design over the last 3 years and the work produced by the graphic team of Populous was acclaimed by the judges as ‘coherent and elegant, superbly blending innovative graphics, lighting, product and brand integration’ and ‘a truly worthy scheme which will enhance the experience for people using this most iconic of spaces’.

The brief covering every aspect of signing stressed the need for the solution to be seen as though it had always been part of this very special structure and the wayfinding for the O2 Arena successfully emphasised the way in which wayfinding and commercial signing could be brought together.

Exhibition of Entries and Sign09 in Vienna

45 entries have been chosen for display and the exhibition, sponsored by RNIB – the Royal National Institute of Blind People, will be held in the Launchpad Gallery in the Building Centre, Store Street in London between 2nd and 14th November. Entry is free.

The exhibition will move to Vienna in December where it will form the centrepiece for Sign09, a series of seminars on the subject of signing and wayfinding organised by IIID – the International Institute of Information Design, in association with the Society.

Miss Van’s solo exhibition under the title “Lovestain” is now on and until October 18th at Stolen Space gallery, Brick Lane.

Miss Van is a French contemporary artist of worldwide fame, best known for a more feminine and sensitive contribution to the traditionally male dominated graffiti scene. http://www.missvan.com/

All her female characters, regardless of their emotions, have an air of mystery, making direct references to mythical tales, fantasy and metaphysical space. Innocent and mischievous, childish as much as seductive, those cute doll faces are surely captivating.

Having exhibited in galleries across Europe annd the United States, this is her largest solo show to date. For more information about this event, please visit http://www.stolenspace.com/

New York artist Ross Racine creates aerial views of fictional suburbs, examining the relation between design and actual lived experience.  

No photographs or scanned images are used in the pieces above.  

Each was drawn freehand directly on the computerand then printed on an inkjet printer.

Found an interview in this month’s issue of frame with artist Rebecca Ward who works with duct tape and electrical tape to create her colourful installations. This pic above is from her recent exhibition in houston, Texas: the bed you lie in. Bright, bold, colourful stuff. Check her out!

An interesting exhibition of Andy Warhol’s work both in terms of the exhibits and the set up is currently taking place at the Hayward Gallery in SE London.

It presents a rare opportunity for the visitors to gain an insight into the artist’s personal life and unique methodology in story making, through still or moving image (film).

A bold and daring approach to events of everyday life, presented at a different speed than normal or zoomed in to a detail that would not be easily appreciated thus offering a totally new, almost surreal viewpoint.

The exhibition offers a rich selection of his prints in the main hall as well as memorabilia from the Factory and references to his famous quotes.

A notionally private room is dedicated to his tv series forcing the audience to move around grasping as much information as possible among the screens and the audio lounges where interviews are being played.

The last hall is a dark room where about 20 of his films are played simultaneously on large glass screens offering the audience freedom in watching them separately or in combinations depending on their positioning in the room.

The exhibition will continue until January 18th 2009. To book tickets please visit the Southbank Centre website.

For more explanation see Ezer’s blog or check out his website for more type experiments.

Picture © Oded Ezer