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Central Illinois

Memorial Health

As part of a comprehensive master plan, Memorial Medical Center (MMC) expanded their campus to include a Center for Learning & Innovation and a new surgery center/patient care tower attached to the original structure, considerably changing the facility’s  circulation, parking and entrance.

As these changes were phased in, we worked closely with MMC Facilities and Communications who kept patients and staff informed of campus changes including wayfinding logic, terminology and interior/exterior circulation.

MMC’s existing wayfinding logic was based on three zones, each containing an elevator: Capitol, Garden and Lincoln. While these names had become part of their internal culture, the zones weren’t widely understood or used by staff. We eliminated the zones and created a new logic focused only on elevators, which are used primarily as vertical corridors. All destinations are now referenced by their proximity to an elevator. 

  • Due to its location in the new lobby, the Capitol elevator was renamed “Main”; an adjacent service elevator, often used by the public, was renamed Capitol. 
  • The new Main Lobby provides an open line of sight to the Main Elevators. Working with the architect, we selected colors and finishes that complement the interior design.
  • Parking lots, previously numbered for maintenance purposes, now clearly delineate visitor and staff lots.
  • Exterior signage reflects both the color and curve of the new patient tower roofline. The information was redesigned to improve legibility and comprehension.
  • On upper floors, new colors refresh the old icons, embedded in the flooring. Information is now easier to update using an insert-based signage system.
  • Redesigned building directories at entrances orient and inform Memorial’s visitors.
  • The new patient tower required a complete ADA compliant sign array.
  • Original wayfinding used subtle cues in artwork to indicate colored zones. We replaced these inserts with wayfinding content to help orient and direct visitors, who are typically under stress in a healthcare setting.

MMC used our staff education pieces extensively, producing print and digital training materials and tools to support the wayfinding changes in the built environment.

After the implementation of the original wayfinding system on the Springfield campus, Memorial Health System had acquired additional hospital locations and underwent a rebrand to become Memorial Health. This rebrand included the change of three existing hospital names and the identity of physician clinics and ExpressCare locations to become known as Memorial Care. The new brand reinforced the coordinated operations across the health system and breadth of services offered by the organization. Working with Jump Company and the Memorial Health team, we worked through the development of brand identification and hierarchy, and the use of consistent wayfinding logic for all hospital locations and ambulatory sites.

The updated sign system is a complete redesign highlighting the new logo, featuring four red outstretched arms that represent their hands-on approach to their core values: safety, integrity, quality and stewardship in a diamond-like pattern, giving the recognizable red of Memorial Health a modern evolution. The design complements the brand with white sign faces to create a seamless transition from the identity to wayfinding panels and has red accents on certain sign types to reinforce the brand look and feel.