Mont-Orford signage trail
client
Corporation du Mont-Orford
year
2023
place
Mont-Orford, Orford
format
piste 4 km
project type
Signage
A complete, versatile, and unique signage system that effectively guides hikers from the parking lot to the summit of this beautiful mountain, all year long.
The signage was tailor-made to ensure guidance that matched with Parcours Altitude for all audiences: whether amateurs or experienced hikers, locals or day-trippers. The approach was based on a family of signs (arches, milestones, and posts) bearing Mont-Orford's branding, and deployed in a range of distinctive materials. The concept adapts to the season, transforming to accommodate dedicated signs when the ski season is on, guaranteeing a strong corporate presence and lasting formal consistency that can be adapted for future needs.
Conceptual choices
The use of wood anchors the design to the rustic essence of the site, enhancing the warmth of the signage while giving greater visibility to Mont-Orford's identity.
The multi-level graphic approach prioritizes information using typographic adjustments and brand colours, ensuring systematic orientation thanks to engraving and icons.
Technical choices
The simple, unobtrusive hanging system makes maintenance easy, while the compact single-size panels ensure efficient rotation and positioning.
Raw wood with a sawn finish and weather protection creates a visual contrast; the use of icons and colours codifies information so that all users can grasp it quickly.
Challenges
- Delivery of a turnkey project on a rocky bluff
- Creating a modular system to adjust the height of posts in the event of heavy snow accumulation on the ground.
- Ease of handling to easily swap hiking and ski trail signs
- Optimizing assembly principles to facilitate seasonal updates and panel rotation
- Particular care for surface finishes and materials to guarantee weather resistance
RESULTS
- The trail alone welcomed over 63,000 visitors during the summer period, between June and October 2023.
- Per Chantal, a user: "This signage is really nice to have. Very well designed! The big sign at the entrance to Giroux is WOW!!!"
- This project is a successful example of an initiative designed to enhance Mont-Orford's activities and extend its appeal over all four seasons.
- Mont-Orford, in its entirety, generates economic spinoffs of more than $70 million annually in the region.
