At Destination by Design, we partner with civic leaders across the U.S. to plan, build, and promote vibrant places. Our services include community branding, trail and park planning, wayfinding planning, sign design and destination marketing—all aimed at boosting quality of life and economic vitality. Looking to move your community forward? View services and contact us today.
Creating More Opportunity
Great signage provides opportunity and efficiently navigates its users through your city streets, downtown areas, trail system, or parks. It identifies the destinations people are looking for and connects them intuitively with places they may not yet know exist.
Action Tip: Start with a sign location audit. Take a walk around downtown or explore your local trials. Are important attractions—like your brand new city park or historic downtown district —easy to find? If not, new or updated signage can help bridge those gaps.
Economic Impact: Better navigation keeps people in town longer, encourages them to explore more businesses, and drives dollars to be spent at your local shops, restaurants, and amenities.
Design for Identity, Not Just Direction
Wayfinding isn’t just functional—it serves as an extension of your community’s brand identity. From colors and fonts to structural materials and iconography, signage should reinforce what makes your town unique. A cohesive visual identity makes your place more memorable and encourages word-of-mouth tourism.
Action Tip: Tie your wayfinding system into a larger community branding effort. If you haven’t tackled branding yet, now’s the time. Destination by Design often helps communities with both—ensuring signage supports the bigger vision.
Economic Impact: Strong visual branding creates a sense of place. It can increase repeat visitation and fosters a positive impression that helps attract investments and new businesses.
Prioritize Pedestrian Wayfinding Too
Vehicle signage often gets the most attention, but don’t overlook the power of pedestrian signs. Once people park, they need confidence they can find their way on foot. Clear directional signage, walking maps, and “you are here” kiosks create a safer, more inviting environment.
Action Tip: Identify your main parking areas and place pedestrian signs in close proximity to where visitors exit their cars. Provide efficient directions to attractions, display walking times, and maps.
Economic Impact: By improving pedestrian flow and general wayfinding, you reduce frustration, increase safety, and encourage people to explore for longer—translating to more visitors in your districts.
Use Signage to Promote Local Business Districts and Hidden Gems
Every town has places that deserve more attention— an exciting civic location, a historic gem, a brand new trail, or a scenic overlook. Use signage to bring these “hidden gems” into the spotlight.
Action Tip: Include city highlights or thematic trails (e.g., art walk, foodie tour, historic loop) in your wayfinding system. This gives visitors a reason to explore beyond the obvious and spreads the economic impact more evenly.
Economic Impact: Highlighting lesser-known areas can drive new traffic, increase awareness of under-visited businesses, and distribute economic opportunity across your city.
Engage the Public and Keep Your Signs Up to Date
Community input is critical for a successful wayfinding location plan. Locals know which signs are out of date or in disrepair. They also know what destinations are hard to find and where people typically get lost en route. Destination by Design believes local voices are critical in a successful wayfinding project — in addition outdated signage can confuse visitors and hurt your brand.
Action Tip: Host a survey, workshop or public input session. Ask residents and business owners what locations matter most to them and what existing signs might need attention.
Economic Impact: Involving the community increases buy-in and ensures the signage reflects actual needs—not just assumptions. Keeping the system current protects your investment and ensures long-term usability.
Bring in Experts Who Understand Place-Based Economic Development
Wayfinding signage isn’t just a design project—it’s a community investment. Destination by Design partners with civic leaders nationwide to craft wayfinding systems that enhance public spaces, reinforce brand identity, and drive economic growth. From trail systems to downtown districts, our interdisciplinary team blends planning, design, and marketing to help your community thrive.
Ready to put signage to work for your economy? Let’s talk about a plan.
