Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Branding & Signage
Establishing a brand for Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhoods to create community and togetherness for a city that needs it now more than ever.
The design goal was not only to create community, but also create something that has mass appeal, accessibility, and would complement the neighborhood while still standing out.
The signage also promotes education of the surrounding area to visitors who might not know where they are. The signage can also be used as a marketing asset to local businesses to drive traffic to their neighborhood.
Each district sign is composed of historic and modern illustrative elements that distinctively represent the neighborhood.
Mill District:
On the Mill District signage you will see the Gold Medal Flour ribbon that can also be viewed as the Mississippi River, the very popular Stone Arch Bridge, the Northstar from the Northstar Blankets signage, and grain representing the milling industry.
Gateway District:
On the gateway district signage you will see the iconic Hennepin Avenue Bridge, the new RBC Gateway building, the architectural masterpiece of the VOYA building, and an abstract representation of the Mississippi river.
Along with developing a graphic style for these neighborhoods, color also played a huge role and developing the brand identity. Also remembering to choose colors wisely to make the signage as accessible as possible.
Downtown Minneapolis is split into two Neighborhoods. Those neighborhoods are Downtown East and Downtown West. With in each Neighborhood, there are smaller communities called Districts.
For the signage, each Neighborhood and District received its own set of colors that correlates with the surrounding environment.
For the signage, each Neighborhood and District received its own set of colors that correlates with the surrounding environment.
Downtown East Colors:
The Downtown East colors were inspired by the day and the water that brought life to the Mill District area during the height of the milling industry. The blue tones come from the Mississippi River that flows through the area. The gold color comes from the grain that was produced in the Mill District and representative of the warm brick buildings that are still standing. The green and coral colors come from the newer parks that have been established in the area.
Downtown West Colors:
The Downtown West colors were inspired by the night and the way the light hits the sky scrapers Downtown. The warm red and orange tones are representative of the neon glow from the theater lights. The deep blue is inspired by the night sky as the sun sets. The teal colors are inspired by how the light hits the glass skyscrapers and the gold is representative of the iconic Wells Fargo building at night.
This project has been an awesome opportunity to see the impact design can have. Check out the signage in Downtown Minneapolis near Washington Ave in the Mill District and the Gateway District!
