Letting animals guide the way.

The brief

The brief required to design a creative and engaging way-finding system for Chester zoo. The challenge was to develop a unified, intuitive navigation system that not only made movement around the zoo easier but also reflected the zoo’s broader mission of conservation, education, and storytelling.

The Insight

After doing an audit of the Chester Zoo and conducting visitors interviews, I have identified problems within the current way-finding system. The existing signage was inconsistent and confusing, resulting in a frustrating visitor experience.

To bring cohesion and creativity to the navigation system, I drew inspiration from the behaviours of the zoo's own animal residents. By aligning each trail with the distinctive movement characteristics of a specific animal, I created a meaningful narrative link between way-finding and wildlife.

The Solution

To simplify and develop a cohesive, clear and creative track-following way-finding system, I  drew inspiration from the behaviours of the zoo's own animal residents. By aligning each trail with the distinctive movement characteristics of a specific animal, I created a meaningful narrative link between way-finding and wildlife. Distinctive traits of the animals represent navigational needs of the zoo visitors and were translated into trail symbols and navigational cues. For example, the fastest and shortest trail is named Cheetah trail, representing the speed of cheetahs, while the longest trail is named after Hornbill due to the long-distance capabilities.