Queenstown Airport has introduced new wayfinding signage guiding passengers on their journey through the airport, from arrival point to departure point, and everything in-between.
The new signage aims was to provide clear, internationally-recognised signage and wayfinding for passengers to navigate their way from park to plane and in reverse.
The programme of works started over a year ago, with the terminal car parks, P2 drop-off zone and transport area, the rental car parks and the arrivals and departure doors the first to get a re-fresh.
The installation and transformation of the interior wayfinding has just been completed, including the overhead signage, airside and landside doors, bathroom facilities, Flight Information Display Screens (FIDS), Info Desk, baggage trolleys and the agency areas for departures and arrivals.
Queenstown Airport GM Commercial and Customer Experience Olivia Pierre said the goal was to improve the visitor journey around the airport through a clear, simple and recognisable signage system that appealed to multiple audiences.
Queenstown creative design studio makebardo was responsible for the re-design aimed at offering visitors a more memorable and user-friendly experience when moving through the airport.
Makebardo created a bespoke set of icons following the three line concept and the palette is inspired by the colours of the Queenstown Airport brand identity. Makebardo also incorporated a nod to New Zealand’s heritage reinterpreting the traditional Maori Koru and subtly incorporating it throughout the entire wayfinding system.
Following initial walk-throughs from every entry and exit point, on foot, by plane and by road (car, bus, coach, transfer and rental car), makebardo developed the concept ‘Making the invisible, visible’, presenting the initial idea via video to convey their thinking.
Bren Imboden, Makebardo:
“The end concept needed to communicate with various audiences at different times, so we decided to move away from the classic signage system, instead super-sizing the icons creating a highly-graphic and functional experience, resulting in an innovative and strong impact on the eye.
“The main idea was to visualise the physical lines that are created when people are traveling from one place to another. It is a concept based around a flexible, modular and scalable identity of three intuitive and friendly lines, which have multiple uses and forms depending on the action required.”
About Queenstown Airport
Queenstown Airport is the fourth busiest airport in the New Zealand by passenger numbers, behind Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.
In the year ended June 2018, 2.14 million passengers passed through the terminal.
The airport offers domestic and international flights with four commercial airlines: Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Qantas, and Virgin Australia.
N.B. Image credit: Queenstown Airport
