Valencia College

Master Plan, Interior & Exterior Signage Design, and Standards Manual

From its humble beginnings as Valencia Junior College in 1967, Valencia Community College, now Valencia College, has evolved into a nationally renowned leader in higher education. The rapid and continued expansion and the projected growth of the student population supported the need for a valid, uniform, and flexible signing information system and a comprehensive wayfinding master plan. Apple Designs’ goal for this project was to create a comprehensive wayfinding and signage information system which would complement the building architecture, campus design, and wayfinding functionality as determined by both students and staff. Our work included the development of wayfinding, signage, and information display system standards to meet the pedestrian and vehicular needs of the public. An evaluation and recommendations report was produced with the information gathered. The project design team consisting of representatives from each campus was presented with options for nomenclature, sign types and families, pictograms and arrow, typeface, and colors. Apple Designs also produced construction documents for new interior and exterior signage. Every effort was made to accommodate the College’s desire for energy efficiency and sustainable design. The sign types, sign locations, and messaging philosophy follow the signage master plan and graphic standards manual that we produced with Valencia College. We were responsible for design and construction management through implementation. In response to the client’s immediate need for exterior signage at the new Criminal Justice Institute, we implemented the design standards and quickly produced construction documents. This was the first application of the new sign system and wayfinding philosophy we developed.