This 12-mile rail trail provides recreation, tourism, and economic benefits. Our team crafted the brand identity and a full facilities design package that reflects Shelby’s history and future.
Gateway Signage
The design of the gateway began with precedent images to inspire the initial design, and was refined to meet construction requirements. The conical shape of the gateway was a challenge with the taper at the bottom, but our team ultimately produced a strong sturdy design that is equally illuminated from all sides. The L.E.D. light strips provide for changeable color options and steel cutouts allow for dramatic eye catching effects that standout at night.
Facilites
Design
The facilities design package was created through a collaborative process with the client. Included in the design was a custom kiosk, bike racks, and furnishings. The challenge with this project was melding integrity of the design with the functionality of fabrication. Ultimately, the design was inviting and family-oriented, providing a perfect compliment to the surrounding neighborhood and allowing for additional features to be added in the future.
Visual
Identity
Stakeholder engagement led to the decision to use a Cardinal to represent the Carolina Harmony Trail. Instantly recognizable as North Carolina’s state bird, the resulting Northern Cardinal icon is fun while achieving a sleek and eye-catching design. The muted red and cherry red contrast nicely with eggshell cream against a weathered COR-TEN steel design.
Through bold visuals, a dedicated logo, and consistent messaging across social media, the branding evokes an authentic sense of place. This visual identity aligns with Shelby’s vibrant history and future, establishing the park as a key symbol of the city’s forward momentum.
Destination by Design partnered with the City of Shelby to design a full wayfinding and signage package for the Carolina Harmony Trail, a 12-mile rail trail anchoring a four-acre community park transformation in Uptown Shelby. The scope included a custom gateway sign with a challenging conical form, illuminated on all sides with L.E.D. light strips and steel cutouts, alongside a facilities design package covering a kiosk, bike racks, and furnishings. Every piece was built to reflect Shelby’s history while signaling the trail’s role in the city’s future.
In North Carolina, wayfinding and signage work best when paired with a strong trail brand, and Carolina Harmony Trail shows that pairing in action. Stakeholder engagement led the team to a Northern Cardinal icon, North Carolina’s state bird, rendered in muted red and cherry red against eggshell cream and weathered COR-TEN steel. That identity then carried directly into the gateway sign, kiosk, and accent signage throughout the corridor.
A rail trail can do more than move people from one point to another. When paired with strong signage and a cohesive brand, it becomes a symbol of a city’s momentum. Carolina Harmony Trail was designed with exactly that goal, transforming an underused rail corridor into a family-oriented gathering space that complements its surrounding Uptown Shelby neighborhood while leaving room for future features to be added over time.
Wayfinding and signage design is the process of creating the gateway markers, kiosks, trail signs, and directional elements that help visitors navigate a place while reinforcing its brand identity. For Carolina Harmony Trail, that meant engineering a durable, eye-catching gateway sign alongside a full facilities package, all built to hold up structurally while still delivering a distinctive, illuminated presence along the trail.
Shelby sits in Cleveland County in western North Carolina, a city built around a historic Uptown core that’s now being reshaped by projects like the Carolina Harmony Trail. The trail’s rail corridor runs right through that historic district, giving the city a direct link between its downtown revitalization efforts and a new 12-mile recreational asset for residents and visitors alike.
