Revealing hidden stories

We wanted to create signage that didn’t just direct visitors, but added to their experience. In addition to the content found on a standard gallery directory, we added a new level of information that includes details of artworks. In this way we helped unlock the extraordinary potential of the collection by inviting visitors to discover forgotten gems and hidden stories.

We also designed a unified series of plans for each of the five buildings, providing a warm — and helpful — welcome at every entrance.

Discovery around every corner

In conjunction with the wayfinding, DNCO rebranded the National Galleries of Scotland which resulted in a marque reflecting art’s powerful ability to let us see the world from different perspectives. 

Our signs embody the same idea with two chamfered edges giving them depth and dynamism, as well as providing a unifying element for the hundreds of signs across the galleries. Painted in a colour designated to each gallery, the chamfered form has an important function too — acting as a beacon that catches your eye. Our custom icon set also reflects the angles of the identity and works singularly at scale, or as part of more detailed signs.

Layers of storytelling

Instead of simply supplying a list of destinations we rewrote the way the galleries were described. This means that traditional titles have been replaced with concise and enticing descriptions, digging a layer deeper into the collection and helping visitors tailor more bespoke journeys.