Finding Your Way at College: How Signage Helped Bradley University

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Bradley University Rebrands Campus with New Exterior Signage

Imagine your child is a senior in high school, and you’re headed to your first college tour. You plug in “Bradley University” into your navigation system, and you’re on your way. There’s an anxious buzz of excitement in the air as you chat about their future.

As you get closer to campus that excitement turns to frustration. Google maps insists “You have arrived,” but you don’t see a sign for Bradley University anywhere. Should you continue going forward? Turn right? What time is that admissions appointment again?

Wayfinding Signage

During a major rebrand of the campus, Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, reached out to our signage experts in Central Illinois for help with exterior signage and wayfinding.

“We quickly realized that Google Maps was leading people to campus from a certain direction, and there was no sign on that corner to direct them where they needed to go,” says Tom Wilcoxen, Central Illinois Signage Expert.

The team uncovered that the audience most unfamiliar with campus, and relying on GPS directions, were usually prospective students and their families looking for the admissions office or event-goers looking for the Renaissance Coliseum, and they were all looking for visitor parking.

A new illuminated exterior wayfinding sign, which stands more than 9 feet tall, was installed on the corner of Bradley University’s campus where Google Maps leads visitors.

“Before we finalized the designs, I took pictures of the corner from every angle of that intersection,” Wilcoxen says. “I wanted to make sure that anyone sitting in their car at the stoplight could easily see the sign and know where they needed to go.”

Exterior Signage

Walking around campus, students and visitors are greeted by updated exterior signage for buildings. “The old building identification signs were weathered and didn’t fit with the school’s colors,” Wilcoxen says. “And there were some wayfinding signs that needed to be updated with better directions.”

Now the campus boasts exterior wayfinding signage with Bradley University’s signature red and crenulated design that mimics the iconic architecture of Bradley Hall.

“The new exterior signage really uplifts the Bradley University brand, making the entire campus feel cohesive,” Wilcoxen says. “And the updates make it easier for everyone to find the building they’re looking for.”

If you’re interested in an exterior signage package that elevates your brand and improves wayfinding, reach out to Tom Wilcoxen or any of our signage experts.