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Sign/Icon Design: Scenic Route

by Hayley Fulton RGD

“With the rising popularity of online courses and AI, the graphic design industry is becoming watered down. I appreciate the RGD accreditation process to amplify the folks who have done the hard work to get educated, build their talents, and practice ethically.”
Hayley Fulton RGD
Role on the Project:

Graphic Designer

Context (Describe the client needs / project brief, including project goals and objectives.)

The Ministry has existing signage for an Oceanside Route and Sea Side Route, which were developed over 20 years ago for villages on Vancouver Island who were bypassed by new highways. 

In 2024, we received a request from another village for generic "Scenic Route" signs. A new sign design was required because the town was not located on the ocean or sea side.

Design Process (Outline the process from concept exploration to presentation and acceptance by the client; include research, analysis and other investigations that contributed to the solution.)

In order to fit within the series, I knew that this sign needed to be square, blue, and white. I recognized some improvements that could be made to the existing Oceanside and Seaside Routes, so I began there to develop a template.  

I introduced the BRITISH COLUMBIA text to support the marketing aspect I had noticed on other signs. The font selection was a nod to the beloved Gold Rush Trail sign that we know had positive public perception.  

I changed the main typeface to be a highway-compliant font that is used throughout our catalogue.  

I thickened the fine lines and increased the size of the icons so there is less white space and greater emphasis on the imagery.  

Now that I felt I had an exciting direction, I explored icons that could represent the new scenic route series. Imagery needed to be simple and recognizable, but generic enough to represent most of the province.

Solution (Describe your solution/deliverables and how project goals and objectives were achieved.)

I developed a spectrum of icon options, all of which I was confident could work at highway speeds. I also considered potential future additions to the series, such as Heritage Route and Coastal Route.  

These solutions will fit seamlessly into the existing sign catalogue, but have intentional touches that will further serve motorists. Examples include:  

  • The addition of the Province name for marketing and alleviating our main highways;
  • More intentional font selection to aid in day and night legibility; and
  • Larger, simplified icons to support driver interpretation time and safety considerations.  

For the Scenic Route Sign, the provincial flower, Pacific Dogwood, was selected. This choice is representative of the whole province and reinforces the "scenic" messaging.  

To refine the icon further, I liaised with a fellow employee in our Environment division, who is an expert on native plants, to ensure my depictions were considered accurate.  

I also scoured the Internet for other BC logos featuring the dogwood. My search yielded a lot of historical logos, but it appears that nobody is currently using it. I looked to these for inspiration while being careful not to appear too similar, which could result in subconscious associations.