Firstsite Signage & Wayfinding

Client

Firstsite

Role

Signage & wayfinding

Location

Colchester, Essex, UK

Project

Firstsite is a landmark visual arts centre in Colchester, housed in Rafael Viñoly’s internationally acclaimed architectural design.

With a building this bold and sculptural, the gallery needed signage & wayfinding that could guide visitors clearly without competing with the architecture or interior finishes. The system also had to be consistent across exhibitions, events, and day-to-day gallery use, with a framework the team could rely on long after launch.

Firstsite Exhibition spaces, lounge, ad MUSA wayfinding signage

Solution

ABG Design created a minimalist wayfinding & signage scheme that works in harmony with Viñoly’s architectural concept.

Graphic detailing was deliberately restrained and sympathetic to the interior palette, allowing the building to lead while still providing confident navigation through entrances, galleries, facilities, and public spaces.

Alongside the physical rollout, we produced a comprehensive signage design guide. This set out hierarchy, typography, placement, materials, and accessibility principles, giving Firstsite a clear toolkit for maintaining consistency and extending the system as the gallery evolves.