Ronald McDonald House New York
Environmental Graphics

The Ronald McDonald House New York needed a comprehensive base building and informational signage program as part of a renovation and expansion project. The challenge was to design signage that would be friendly and fit the brand, and yet also have the authority to communicate extremely important health alerts. The system also needed to integrate donor recognition, which is integral to sustaining the organization. The goal was to make the donor recognition part of the signage program to reduce visual clutter on the walls.

Leandra Tidwell, working with creative director Rocco Piscatello and the team at Piscatello Design Centre, designed a signage program that expresses the brand throughout the space using color and typography. The bright reds and yellows contrast with the relatively understated architecture, imbuing the messages with authority. The custom-designed non-verbal icon system we designed for the program helps the House communicate important messages to their international guests. The team integrated tall red bands onto the walls to function both as wayfinding and donor recognition. Donor recognition was also incorporated into room identification signs throughout the building, keeping the system clean and modular. The project included development of a large feature wall in the entrance lobby that develops the visual symbolism of butterflies taking flight and is fabricated with visually engaging materials.