Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
The convergence of the merger between Rutgers and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)—and the designation of Top 10 status—prioritized the campus experience as a core strategy for the new leadership team. Emphasis on convenience, modality, wayfinding, and security for visitors, students, parents, and faculty became paramount.
Rutgers hired Exit Design to survey and analyze the seven campuses across the state and create an Experience Assessment and Master Plan to transform the experience and facilitate the transition of the UMDNJ brand to the Rutgers brand standards.
The identity and wayfinding system, and a new identity element—the Rutgers shield—were unveiled on the 250th anniversary of Rutgers’ founding in 2016, and Exit Design was honored to play a role in the transformation of a beloved university brand.
We conducted an Experience Assessment to explore all aspects of the visitor journey and created a visitor-centric wayfinding standard based on our findings. The arrival and gateway experience was designed to support the Rutgers brand and prepare for an upcoming campus master plan.
We created a simple, flexible, and cost-effective kit-of-parts system for 2,000 signs, along with a manual for ease of implementation and maintenance.
As an extension of the wayfinding project, Exit Design—along with sister studio J2 Design—created the Rutgers shield as an integrated element of the Rutgers identity.
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Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Shared Use Path
Civic/Design Strategy/Placemaking/Wayfinding/Interpretive Exhibits
