RAF Museum Signage & Wayfinding

Client

RAF Museum

Role

Wayfinding strategy, signage design, signage guidelines

Location

Hendon, London, UK

Project

The Royal Air Force Museum London is a major visitor attraction made up of multiple large hangars, each from different periods and built in contrasting architectural styles and materials.

To support a welcoming, accessible visit, the Museum needed a clear, site-wide wayfinding strategy and a cohesive signage and wayfinding system that connected the hangars into one intuitive journey for all audiences.

ABG Design was commissioned to develop the overall wayfinding approach and deliver a complete new signage scheme across the site.

RAF Museum signage in aircraft hangar, with vintage aeroplanes in the background

RAF Museum signage post in aircraft hangar, with vintage aeroplanes in the background

RAF Museum signage telling the story of the first 100 years of the RAF

Our approach

We mapped visitor flows from arrival to departure, identifying key decision points and sightlines to form the basis of the new wayfinding strategy. A distinctive, family-friendly typographic system was introduced, with Neo Sans for primary wayfinding and Roboto for supporting information across signage, print, and digital. Bold aircraft silhouettes helped visitors recognise zones quickly, while banners guided people from the Underground station to the entrance.

Because several hangars are listed, we designed freestanding, four-sided totems set within the landscaping, avoiding fixings to historic fabric. The sign design was bold and practical with aviation-inspired graphics, modular panels for easy exhibit updates, and tactile facility signs to support accessibility.

RAF Museum outside signage with boat and aircraft hangar in background

Solution

ABG Design delivered a full, site-wide signage and wayfinding system covering arrival, hangar navigation, facilities, and modular interpretation updates. The result improves orientation across the complex site and creates a coherent, family-friendly visitor experience.

We also produced comprehensive signage guidelines detailing hierarchy, typography, iconography, placement, materials, and accessibility, giving the Museum a lasting framework for future wayfinding.