Tongji University Signage
Agency
College of Design & Innovation, Tongji University
Practice Area
Client
Tongji University
Industry
Project Vision
The Tongji University metalworking studio focuses on training students to develop practical skills and innovative thinking. The teaching philosophy is “knowledge, ability and personality.”
The 5,000m2 studio of Tongji University encompasses three floors and is divided into teaching and work areas. Because the studio and the program are new to students, the design team from the College of Design & Innovation of Tongji University created a series of icons to identify key areas and imbue each space with a unique identity. The unique icons are a combination of Chinese characters and symbols depicting various aspects of the metalworking trade, such as a saw blade for the CNC Milling area and flames for the Heat Treating space. The icons appear on wayfinding signage and in environmental graphics (painted on stairwells, on wall murals, or in vinyl on glass) throughout the studio. Using the pictograms as their foundation, they help students navigate the space safely while building a sense of identity and community pride.
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Project Details
In this project, the designers found an interesting way to combine traditional Chinese characters with pictograms illustrating the function of the studio spaces. This hybrid system honors the pictographic quality of the Chinese character, while creating a new vocabulary that helps know and navigate the studio.
Design Team
Wu Duan (principal in charge), Gao Bo (creative director), Shi Yin (project manager), Liu Yuyun (wayfinding design), Zhang Chenxi (environmental graphic design), Jiang Wangxi (graphic design)
Design Firm
College of Design & Innovation, Tongji University
Project Area
29,062 sq ft
Project Budget
$30,000
Consultants
Tongji Tiandi Institute of Art & Design Innovation (interior design)
Fabricators
Shanghai Yuequan