Accent Design Showcase 2007
Corbin Design entry
Corbin News Release
August 31, 2007
The following text describes Corbin Design's entry into a design challenge sponsored by Accent Signage of Minneapolis and unveiled at the Society for Environmental Graphic Design's annual conference in Boston this past May.
High-tech
but not hard-edged, authoritative yet subtle, the interior sign system
that Corbin Design developed for a hypothetical cutting-edge cancer center
draws its inspiration from consumer electronics and medical equipment
alike. Layers of translucent acrylic serve to frame the information being
delivered while softening the appearance of the sign itself, allowing
it to blend seamlessly with the environment.
"Signage is as much a tool and element in healthcare as anything else that patients and staff interface with," designer Jeff Frank said. "We're taking consumer-friendly items and reinterpreting their design elements to create the sign system, instead of relying on the interior or architecture for our visual cues."
Directional signs use acrylic inserts that slide
and lock into the side of the sign but can be easily replaced, for economical
updating as department locations change. Inserts for the room signs can
be laser-printed on acetate sheets that slide into the sign face, making
updating even easier for hospital staff. Information fields let staff
members identify patients using numbers or barcodes to ensure their privacy,
while listing treatment information specific to each patient. This can
replace the alert code system that some hospitals use where patient notes
are communicated through magnets or Post-it notes on doorjambs and walls.
The futuristic design is balanced by the rounded corners and edges and the tone-on-tone color palette. The visual concept of the system is based on the appearance of a medical monitor or an imaging device like an x-ray machine.
The acrylic used to build the system is ideal in a healthcare environment since its nonporous surface resists stains and is easily sterilized.
The unobtrusive design of the signs and the ability of the layers to be customized to the environment allow the system to be used in other high-tech settings outside the healthcare field.