Bluewire Product Design

As part of their quest to create the Pacific Northwest's premier gaming, dining, entertainment and meeting destination, the Cowlitz Tribe was building a new 6-story, 90,000SF parking structure for their casino resort in Ridgefield, Washington. Think Joule was hired to develop a comprehensive wayfinding system to guide guests through the parking garage. The primary goal was to provide clear direction and it was also paramount that the signage celebrate and represent the resources most important to the Cowlitz Tribe.

Think Joule collaborated with a large group of stakeholders including Cowlitz Tribal Elders and Experts to establish the visual language that would form the basis for all the sign types. We started by assigning a theme to each floor of the parking garage to represent an important resource: salmon, cedar, camas, huckleberry and mountain; the first floor was designated as 'ilani' the Cowlitz word for 'sing' and the defining ethos of the casino.

We then set to work to create a unified visual set using a variety of elements including color, imagery, graphical and typographical treatments. With a huge range of signage encompassing everything from elevator directories to column wraps to entryway signs, the system needed to be able to flex and expand across all sign types and sizes. 

We needed the signage to be memorable and distinct to aid guests in wayfinding, but also cohesive as a system. To achieve this aim, we paired each theme with a color and a resource to reinforce location within the structure and curated a collection of images to represent each resource. 

We worked carefully with the fabricator, Forge Graphic Works, to select durable materials that could withstand the inevitable wear and tear from a bad night at the tables or a wild stag party, the sigange needed to hold up to casino life. 

Our design approach pushed the themes, palettes and quality of the signage, resulting in a cohesive, flexible system of elegant wayfinding. The tribal resources and ilani brand are beautifully articulated throughout the garage making it personal and relatable— Management has told us that many guests park on their "good luck" floor when they visit the casino.

DELIVERABLES

• Custom signage & wayfinding 

• Content strategy 

• Schematic design and elevation mock-ups

• Image selection and integration 

• Print-ready design files

• Fabricator selection and coordination