Placemaking vs. Branding: Why EGD Shouldn't Have to Choose
When you go into a hotel lobby, a hospital, or a mixed-use housing complex, you are receiving two distinct signals at the same time, whether the space wants it or not. One message reads: "Whose space is this?" The second is "What is this place, and why does it matter to the people standing in it?"
The first step is branding. The second is placemaking. And in the area of environmental graphic design (EGD), the most successful initiatives don't choose between the two; instead, they employ physical space to address both concerns simultaneously.
Understanding this difference is critical for property owners, developers, and facility managers when considering a signage or environmental graphics program. It influences what you ask for in a design brief, how you fund the project, and how you'll ultimately assess if it succeeded.
#Placemaking #Branding #EnvironmentalGraphicDesign #EGD #PlaceBranding #Wayfinding #EnvironmentalDesign #BrandIdentity #ExperientialDesign #SpatialDesign #DesignStrategy
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