The SOWA neighborhood of Boston is an art and design district with several art studios and galleries in reclaimed warehouses. You would expect these buildings to have a creative vibe but the thing that really caught my eye was their directory.
Instead of the typical and stale alphabetical listing of tenants, the SOWA directory provides a visual for each studio along with their suite number. It made for an attractive piece of art by itself, but also served as a handy reference for visitors to know which studios may be most appealing to them.
I think about the adaptation of this idea in other settings. Could you make your directory more visually appealing by including symbols or icons of the service provided in each office (I think of colleges that could have a $ sign for financial aid, a picture of a transcript for the registrar, etc.)? Maybe you would want to include pictures (perhaps at a medical center so patients could recognize their doctors)? Or larger stores could have a visual directory of what is available in each department (saving customers from guessing what is considered a soft good)?
Visuals help reduce language barriers and make it more aesthetically pleasing for everyone. Direct your energy to your directory and find ways to incorporate the SOWA concept in your organization.
