The challenge

Trinity College is a city centre heritage site with many functions. Home to 17,000 students and the Book of Kells, which receives around a million visitors every year, people navigating the site often have competing needs.

Meeting the dual purposes of slow-moving tourists and fast-moving students is just the kind of challenge we love. The international visitors want a leisurely look around the campus and the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere. Students – who provide the energy that gives the campus its atmosphere – need to get across campus quickly to get to lectures and the library.

What we did

We took the historic details of this iconic campus, including the colours of the architecture and public realm, and created a modern wayfinding scheme that reinforces the university’s identity and is accessible for both the unfamiliar and the regular user.

Accessible and clear mapping will encourage the tourist visitor to explore a little further by highlighting quieter routes and harder-to-find destinations.

Spreading the pedestrian traffic keeps arterial routes clear for those students and lecturers in a hurry and brings the quieter parts of the campus to life throughout the day.

Why it works

We like to leave a place better than we found it. In this case, renewing the campus’ signage reintroduced consistency and style, reduced visual clutter, and removed some of the more piecemeal elements that have crept in over time.