Recreational Equipment Inc. had strict criteria for its new flagship store in Seattle, Wash. Signs had to be efficient, use as few materials as economically feasible, be utilitarian rather than trendy, and communicate REI's rustic, honest, environmentally sensitive spirit.

The system that we developed in collaboration with architects Mithun Partners and the Leonhardt Group (now Fitch) meets those goals head-on. A large logo sign, backlit for nighttime appeal, was designed to serve as the primary identifier. Along the outdoor paths leading to the store is a more imposing identifier—a six-and-a-half-ton chunk of sandstone with the REI logotype sandblasted into its face.

In the store itself, shoppers are guided into major departments by aluminum blade signs slotted into timber posts that match trail markers found on the outdoor paths.

Bulky products such as tents and canoes are used as visual aids to make wayfinding easier once inside the store. The display of such merchandise helps shoppers distinguish between departments.