Discipline

Wayfinding

Moving millions of people effortlessly from A to B.
At its simplest, wayfinding is about making it easy for someone to find their way. Doing that successfully in a venue that holds 100,000 people is anything but simple. Doing it across a festival site that consists of multiple venues can be even more complex.

At Populous, we have redefined wayfinding as an essential part of the event experience — moving beyond traditional signage to create intuitive, engaging navigational journeys using a variety of media. Our approach weaves wayfinding into the architectural narrative, enhancing both the functionality and visual identity of a venue. By focusing on human behavior, anticipating users’ needs, and drawing on our unique insight into how people come together, we design systems that help guests move effortlessly making even the most complex venues feel welcoming and accessible.

Our innovative approach has shaped award-winning projects like Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Wrigley Field, Climate Pledge Arena, and the Super Bowl — where wayfinding is seamlessly integrated from the earliest design stages. In these high-profile environments, a combination of static and digital signage works together to adapt to crowd patterns, guide fans to less congested areas, and improve overall flow throughout the venue.

We’re passionate about making complex environments easier to navigate — helping guests move with clarity, confidence, and purpose. By understanding how people experience and interpret space, we make places more intuitive, more memorable, and easier to use. Just as importantly, we help operators make the most of their investments by optimizing circulation, reducing friction points, and connecting systems for a seamless, smarter venue experience.

Our strategies strengthen spatial navigation and enhance the overall guest experience, while also establishing a distinct identity for each venue and its branding partners. Through holistic, forward-thinking design, we set the standard for how architecture can support better movement, smarter operations, and more meaningful interactions within space.

How We Do It

  • 1

    Understanding human behavior

    At the heart of our wayfinding design process is a profound understanding of human behavior within spaces. The design team begins each project with in-depth studies of how people interact with their environments, observing and speaking to users to gain insights into their navigational habits and preferences.

    This human-centered approach ensures the wayfinding systems we create are intuitive, reflecting how people naturally receive and process information. By analyzing user journeys and decision-making points, we’re able to curate a seamless and engaging experience.

  • 2

    Integrating multiple disciplines

    From the outset, we include wayfinding considerations within the architectural, event and interior design process. This collaboration across disciplines ensures that navigation is not an afterthought but a fundamental aspect of the design, contributing to a coherent and unified user experience.

    The Wayfinding team’s unique ability to work closely with our wider design teams from start to finish guarantees that wayfinding strategies are at the heart of the event, enhancing movement and connecting with people in a meaningful way.

  • 3

    Elevating experiential branding

    Working in tandem with our Brand Activation teams, we’re able to use our comprehensive understanding of people and places to make sponsors a part of the event experience in a way that leaves a lasting emotional impact.

    More than just putting a logo on the side of a building, it’s about leveraging a venue’s architecture to create unique and meaningful branded touch points throughout a user’s journey. Our focus on innovation extends to the implementation of digital applications for event-responsive wayfinding that boost partnership visibility and the promotion of future events.

More projects

19 items.
  • Palm Desert, United States 2022 Acrisure Arena
  • Springfield Central, Australia 2022 Brighton Homes Arena, sede del Brisbane Lions
  • Seattle, Estados Unidos 2021 Climate Pledge Arena
  • Louisville, United States 2024 Churchill Downs
  • Mánchester, Reino Unido 2024 Co-op Live
  • Sydney, Australia 2019 CommBank Stadium
  • Londres, Reino Unido 2006 Emirates Stadium
  • Brisbane, Queensland 2019 The Gabba
  • Geelong, Australia 2024 GMHBA Stadium
  • Lyon, Francia 2016 Estadio y Centro de Entrenamiento Groupama
  • Kowloon, Hong Kong 2025 Kai Tak Sports Park
  • London, United Kingdom 2016 London Olympic Stadium Transformation
  • Londres, Reino Unido 2007 El O2 Arena
  • Oklahoma City, United States 2020 Oklahoma City Convention Center
  • Las Vegas, Estados Unidos 2023 Sphere
  • Christchurch, New Zealand TBC One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha
  • Atlanta, Estados Unidos 2017 Truist Park
  • Londres, Reino Unido 2007 Estadio de Wembley
  • Coffs Harbour, Australia 2022 Wiigulga Sports Complex

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