New York Public Library, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a research center included in the New York Public Library and is central to Harlem’s history and culture. The Schomburg Center is composed of three different buildings that are all connected by stairs and elevators. Previously visitors relied on dense printed materials and poorly marked signs to navigate the various sections of the research center.

The goal was to overcome the confusing ways visitors must navigate the Schomburg Center with clear wayfinding using a color system. Color was used as a visual cue to identify each of the three buildings while still feeling like a seamless experience from each building to the next. The color was applied with large scale graphics, typography, end point signs, and elevator directories. In addition clusters of signs were included to celebrate the immense history of the Schomburg Center without straying from the wayfinding color system.