THE POWER OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION Graphic Design at Ayers Saint Gross
GRAPHIC DESIGN AT AYERS SAINT GROSS
INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRM 2 VISUAL COMMUNICATION 4 FIRST IMPRESSION, LASTING IMPACT 6 A SUCCESSFUL APPROACH 8 PRINT, IDENTITY & INFORMATION 10 ENVIRONMENTS & WAYFINDING 26 SELECT CLIENTS 52
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Visual Communication has the power to
EDUCATE MOTIVATE INSPIRE & INFORM 1
Introduction to the Firm Ayers Saint Gross is an employee-owned design firm with expertise in architecture, planning, landscape architecture, space analytics, interiors, and graphic design. We are unique in that all of our work is for mission-driven clients such as colleges, universities, and cultural institutions. Since the founding of our practice in 1912, Ayers Saint Gross has built a reputation for designing environments of enduring value. Our design is driven by a critical and analytical discourse, a respect for past wisdom, a mind to future potential, and a belief that we have an obligation to leave places better than we found them.
AYERS SAINT GROSS QUICK FACTS
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FO UND E D
F IR M PH ILO SO PH Y
1912
All of our work is for mission-driven clients.
FI R M P HI LOS O P H Y
“ We engage people and places to create designs that enrich the world.” S TA FF
85% 10% 5% Higher Education
Cultural Institutions
K-12 and Private Sector
IN TER N ATIO N AL R EACH
170 72% Professional Staff Members
of our Staff Members are LEED Accredited
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Visual Communication Visual communication is a powerful tool. It informs and educates. It motivates and inspires. Ayers Saint Gross specializes in the design of visual communication systems that shape relationships between people and places. Our expertise includes design for environments, publications and brands. We specialize in information design and identity design, environmental graphic design, signage and wayfinding, as well as marketing and fundraising collateral. Drawing on our firm’s cross-disciplinary expertise in master planning, landscape architecture and architecture, we engage these specialized resources for projects in and about the built environment. Through visual communication, we endeavor to create lasting value for our clients.
COMPONENTS OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION
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VISUAL COMMUNICATION
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First Impression Lasting Impact The quality of design connotes the quality of an institution; it is critical to making a positive impact in an increasingly visual society. Today, colleges, corporations, non-profits and cultural organizations compete in a sophisticated visual climate shaped not just by conventional peers, but also by outside influences including entertainment, hospitality, retail and online experiences. Visual literacy isn’t constrained by demographics. People of all ages and backgrounds judge you by the effectiveness of your graphic messages. Successful visual communication is a valuable asset. Fortunately, good design is a high yield investment. It is a low-cost way to form positive and lasting impressions.
CREATING A LASTING FIRST IMPRESSION
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ct Im pa Hi gh
Inform Build Confidence Inspire Imagination Create Brand Recognition Bolster Perception Demonstrate Sustainability VISUAL
COMMUNICATION
LASTING FIRST IMPRESSION Achieve a Competitive Edge Recruit & Retain
Lo w
Co
st
Improve Accessibility Reflect Mission & Culture Visualize Data Motivate Action
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A Successful Approach Visual communication is a language system that people use to learn about and evaluate you. It influences decisions —by default or by design. When well researched and thoughtfully designed, it can build confidence and inspire loyalty. When poorly executed, it can be a deterrent. Successful projects begins with strategy and structure. We are skilled at creating designs that resonate with people. We begin by listening to you and working together to identify your goals, your audiences and the competitive landscape. Then we devise a process to achieve your functional and creative goals. Together, we transform ideas into powerful visual form.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
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BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
LESS IS MORE
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
YOU CAN DO A LOT WITH A LITTLE
DESIGNATE A POINT PERSON
MAKE IT MEMORABLE
STAY TRUE TO YOUR MISSION
KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT IN MIND
CONSIDER THE CONTEXT
THINK AHEAD
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Print, Identity & Information Ayers Saint Gross specializes in information design and identity design for publications and brands. From simple diagrams to complex reports, logos to style guides, we shape brands and translate complex information into meaningful stories. The projects highlighted on the following pages – logos, brand guidelines, brochures, publications and marketing collateral – converse with audiences and help our clients educate, motivate, inspire and inform.
Pratt Campaign for Central Library Renovations Enoch Pratt Free Library Baltimore, Maryland 10
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Pratt Campaign for Central Library Renovations Enoch Pratt Free Library Baltimore, Maryland
Since its founding, the Enoch Pratt Free Library has been an ambassador for knowledge and education for all Marylanders. Today the 1930s-era Central Library needs costly renovations to advance its mission. The graphic theme for The Pratt Campaign for Central Library Renovations derives from the historic ironwork in the building’s iconic entrance. Significant for its street level location, this welcoming architectural gesture was pioneering for its time. It is a distinguishing feature of the library and a metaphor for its culture and spirit.
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Sustainability Action Plan Brochure Ayers Saint Gross Baltimore, Maryland
Take Action, Ayers Saint Gross’ Sustainable Action Plan, is an illustrated call-to-action for responsible and sustainable corporate behavior. Through projects, deeds, professional practice and research initiatives, Ayers Saint Gross strives to minimize its footprint and encourages others to do the same. The booklet was responsibly produced using a local printer, two colors of ultraviolet light-curable inks and 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
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Identity Mark & Promotional View Book St Elizabeths East Washington, DC
St. Elizabeths East is a developer-driven project in Southeast Washington, DC that envisions a vibrant, mixed-use development of offices, apartments, retail and civic amenities on the site of a former mental hospital. The site’s legacy presented a branding challenge— what the property was as a contrast to what it could become. Recognizing the inherent sensitivities of the task, the team worked with the Washington D.C. Deputy Mayor’s Office of Economic Development to brand the redevelopment initiative. The identity mark is central to the effort. It invokes the beauty of the site’s architectural heritage and the promise of renewal. A branded view book describes the development opportunity and solicits potential development partners.
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Student Life Conference Booklet Ayers Saint Gross Baltimore, Maryland
This pocket-sized book was created to promote the firm’s expertise in college and university student housing at a national conference. It invites you to experience the transition from a traditional freshman residence hall to the autonomy of an upper-class apartment via two pop-up spreads. In addition to information graphics describing our process, this book also delineates square footage and bed count for our recent projects alongside renderings and photographs. Our designers and printers worked in tandem to ensure precision in every aspect of its design, from custom die-cuts to hand folding and gluing.
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Identity & Branding Hoffberger Moving Services Baltimore, Maryland
Hoffberger Moving Services has gained recognition as a specialist in the relocation of offices, research and fine arts facilities, and hospitals. A fleet of strikingly branded trucks promotes the company and distinguishes it from the competition. The complete identity program also includes the corporate wordmark and logo, color palette, stationery system, apparel applications and packaging.
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Identity & Style Guide Vertex Student Apartments Tempe, Arizona
Vertex is a vibrant residential and mixed-use community offering well-managed student housing in downtown Tempe, Arizona. The Vertex identity and name champion the brand’s vibrant and healthy spirit. Both are inspired by the signature architectural feature at the vertex of a primary intersection. The Vertex palette conveys a youthful, natural and energetic tone that resonates with active, education-oriented residents. The Vertex style guide governs the consistent use of the Vertex logotype, colors, and typefaces in applications ranging from business cards to promotional items.
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John Smith senior director
1050 Terrace Road Tempe, Arizona 01010 e o c
jsmith@vertexapts.com 404 505 6060 404 606 7070
Peak Campus Management, LLC www.vertexapartments.com
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Comparing Campuses Posters Ayers Saint Gross Baltimore, Maryland
The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) is a “community of senior, higher education leaders who are responsible for, or are involved in, the integration of planning on their campuses and for the professionals who support them.� Every year, Ayers Saint Gross designs an informative poster for distribution to SCUP conference participants. Graphic depictions illustrate data and trends in higher education in a visually compelling and concise way. Posters are printed locally using 100% post-consumer recycled paper with quick drying UV inks.
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Environments & Wayfinding Environmental graphic design and signage connect people with places. Well-designed signs and wayfinding systems enhance the appearance of a place and help users understand and relate to the physical setting by communicating information that offers guidance, assurance and confidence. Successful, integrated environmental graphic and signage programs are visible, powerful and cost-effective. Visual communication within the built environment has the power to impart lasting impressions and shapes experiences.
Environmental Campus Signage College of Charleston Charleston, South Carolina
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Environmental Campus Signage College of Charleston Charleston, South Carolina
The College of Charleston’s four-mile nature trail winds through 800-acres of a former plantation on the banks of the Stono River in Charleston County, South Carolina. Interpretive way stations punctuate the trail with stories of the site’s history, culture and ecology. The sign system, which also includes wayfinding, uses trail markers emblazoned with symbols representing distinct landscapes to supply visitors with visual cues to their whereabouts. Signs complement their natural surroundings with thin and arcing elements inspired by swaying grasses, migratory birds and wildlife.
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Visitor Center & Smith Education Center Signage & Wayfinding Thomas Jefferson Foundation Charlottesville, Virginia
The Visitor Center and Smith Education Center serves as a threshold to Monticello, the mountaintop home designed and inhabited by Thomas Jefferson. It is the only historic home in the United States to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Situated at the base of the mountain, the visitor and education center welcomes more than 500,000 visitors from around the world on an annual basis. The signage system pairs quiet sophistication with informational clarity to enhance the facility and aid navigation to an assortment of amenities including transportation, ticketing, theater, classrooms, a store and cafĂŠ.
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Wayfinding & Signage Master Plan Frederick Community College Frederick, Maryland
This comprehensive interior and exterior wayfinding and signage system connects user and place at Frederick Community College. The signage system strengthens campus identity, clarifies wayfinding, highlights prominent campus destinations, and creates a sense of welcome while elevating the college brand. The wayfinding program includes a family of interior and exterior signs ranging from campus gateways to pedestrian kiosks to room identification signs. The design incorporates a stencil-cut conceptual representation of the Catoctin Mountain range visible from campus.
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Signage & Wayfinding Master Plan & Implementation University of Scranton Scranton, Pennsylvania
The University’s signage and wayfinding system improves the campus aesthetic in a manner befitting its academic mission and quality. The signage and wayfinding master plan provides a methodology to guide the University through planned expansion and to develop its character as an urban campus with a clear identity. The design incorporates an infinity motif echoing a significant architectural detail and reinforcing the University’s Jesuit ethos of reflection and lifelong learning.
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Signage & Wayfinding Master Plan & Implementation University of Scranton Scranton, Pennsylvania
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Branded Environment Financial Services Corporate Headquarters Baltimore, Maryland
The corporate executive suite of this financial services firm offers a fresh perspective on the spirit of the company. Graphic elements begin in the lobby and thread through the two-story space. Two metaphors – connected waterways and streaming information – are expressed through sculptural wall surfaces, typography, imagery and corporate identity. The design celebrates corporate affiliates and global reach, and culminates in a feature stair where thought leadership from around the firm and around the globe is translated into dimensional type.
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Cafeteria Renovation & Poster Series Baltimore Design School Baltimore, Maryland
The renovated 1950s cafeteria of the Baltimore Design School inspires sixth- and seventhgraders about future careers in graphic design, architecture and fashion. Working pro bono and on a tight deadline, the design team achieved a low-cost but sweeping transformation through fresh, bold hues and stenciled lettering. Graphic posters and hand-painted illustrations relate food to the art and science of design and demonstrate the possibilities of color, imagery and typography to the students. The vibrant environment literally creates food for thought in a space where students gather and interact on a daily basis.
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Signage & Wayfinding Master Plan & Implementation Calvin College Grand Rapids, Michigan
This wayfinding and signage system on this rural campus brings a much-needed sense of direction to this campus. The signage system brings a sense of identity to the campus, clarifies wayfinding, and introduces the campus identity, while carrying it throughout the campus. The wayfinding program includes signs ranging from campus gateways to pedestrian kiosks, as well as parking identification signs. The design incorporates a stained-glass motif at the top that is prominent throughout the campus’ prairie-style architecture.
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Branded Environment & Signage Maryland House Travel Plaza Harford County, Maryland
Bright, bold and thematic graphics are integrated into the architecture of the newly designed and reopened Maryland House Travel Plaza on Interstate 95 (also by Ayers Saint Gross) with abstractions of the state flag and typographic compositions celebrating the state’s diverse amenities. The project, from structure to signage, reinvents a long-standing American tradition, the highway travel plaza, creating a modern building and environment reflective of the unique culture of Maryland.
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Branded Environment & Signage Maryland House Travel Plaza Harford County, Maryland
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Branded Environment & Signage Chesapeake House Travel Plaza Cecil County, Maryland
The new Chesapeake House Travel Plaza replaces its outdated predecessor with a gracious and environmentally sensitive respite for travelers. Chesapeake House shares graphic and signage characteristics with Maryland House, its neighbor to the south, but with a bold typographic palette that draws inspiration from the largest estuary in the country, the Chesapeake Bay. Here, nautical themes are expressed in natural hues with glassy transparencies reminiscent of daylight and water. Visitors appreciate their relationship to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and its inhabitants of myriad species.
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Branded Environment & Signage Chesapeake House Travel Plaza Cecil County, Maryland
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Select Clients Areas USA MDTP, LLC Arizona State University Bowie State University California State University - Channel Islands Calvin College Clemson University College of Charleston DePauw University District of Columbia Office of Planning Drexel University Duke University Eckerd College Emory University Enoch Pratt Free Library Frederick Community College Frostburg State University George Washington University Gettysburg College Goucher College Harvard University Hobart & William Smith Colleges Howard Community College Johns Hopkins University Kansas State University Lafayette College Lebanon Valley College Maryland School for the Blind Marymount University Medical University of South Carolina Minnesota State University Moravian College
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Morgan State University Mount Saint Mary’s University National Aquarium in Baltimore Ohio University Randolph-Macon College Ringling College of Art & Design Rutgers University Smithsonian Institution Swarthmore College Texas A&M University The Community College of Baltimore County The Ohio State University Thomas Jefferson Foundation Towson University University of Baltimore University of Chicago University of Delaware University of Maryland University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of Richmond University of Rochester University of Scranton University of Southern California University of South Carolina University of Virginia University of Wisconsin Virginia Commonwealth University Wake Forest University Washington University in St. Louis Wexford Science & Technology, LLC Wildlife Conservation Society
SEE SOMETHING YOU LIKE? Ayers Saint Gross is always on the look out for new and interesting collaborations. PLEASE CONTACT: Lindsay Story, Creative Director phone 410 347 8500 email lstory@asg-architects.com
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BALT IMORE 1040 Hull Street Suite 100 Baltimore, MD 21230 WASHINGT ON D. C. 1100 First Street, NE Suite 800 Washington, DC 20002 TEMPE 60 E. Rio Salado Pkwy. Suite 701 Tempe, AZ 85281 An employee-owned design firm.
THE POWER OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION