Finding your Way

A hospital can be a confusing place. Our new navigation system makes it easy, fun and educational to find your way around. Using a nature-based theme to guide visitors, each floor is dedicated to a unique region of the California ecosystem. The art, colors, signage and graphics on each floor are aligned so that the entire floor is visually consistent. The theme appears on each floor’s signage, educational elements, environmental graphics, art elements, flooring inlays and colors used in the materials palette. So, if you’re standing next to orange walls and images of tiger salamanders, you’re on the third floor in the valley. Travel up one floor, and you’ll find yourself in the yellow desert, with images of the saguaro cactus and California quail. Stanford ecologist Alan Launer advised the design team to ensure accurate representation of the species in each eco region.

The wayfinding theme helps young patients and their families remember their unit and creates a friendly, nonclinical experience while getting around the hospital.