Interior of Northolt Library showing the reception desk with a computer, surrounded by bookshelves filled with books, and a sign welcoming visitors to the library.

EALING LIBRARIES

Reimagining signage across three libraries in London

  • Ealing Council appointed a team to reimagine key areas within three libraries across the borough, with the goal of creating innovative Community Hub spaces.

    I was invited to join the team to lead the design and delivery of new signage and wayfinding.

    A key part of the brief was to establish a coherent visual identity across the three libraries, while helping users navigate the renewed, flexible spaces.

    Central to the project was the design of moveable, adaptable furniture that can be easily reconfigured for different uses. This approach enhances the libraries’ community offer and ensures these vital civic spaces continue to serve the evolving needs of local residents.

  • Given the flexible and adaptable nature of the architectural interventions, the signage and wayfinding elements needed to be easily updated by library staff.

    To future-proof the designs, we developed a set of signage and wayfinding templates. As a team, we agreed that Microsoft Word, a software available on all library computers, was the most practical choice. This allowed staff to simply edit the templates to update noticeboards and create temporary signage for events and special occasions.

    Taking cues from the materials, modularity and flexibility of the architectural elements, the visual identity is built around geometric, modular shapes. Squares, rectangles and triangles align on a dotted pegboard background, enabling an infinite number of consistent layouts.

    To maintain coherence across all three libraries, we selected a system font as the primary typeface. Humanist sans-serif Trebuchet was chosen for its warmth and legibility.

    Inspired by the architectural material palette, the colour scheme combines shades of blue, teal, yellow and orange, creating a unified identity across the three sites.

SERVICES
Signage, Wayfinding

TEAM
Architect and Lead Designer – Freehaus
Signage and Wayfinding – Ana Bea Studio
Fabricator – POW

Reception area of Acton Library with a sign saying "Welcome to Acton Library," computers, and bookshelves in the background.
A sign on a table reads 'Book Return,' instructing to place returned items on the shelves below. Several books are stacked to the right of the sign.
Map of Acton Library with labeled sections including Cultural Exhibition Space, Disabled WC, Office, Reception, Public PCs, Study Zone and Main Library, Children's Area and Activity Stage, Customer Service Point and Public PCs, ICT Suite, and WCs
Sign templates with light blue dots arranged in a grid pattern.
Community event schedule with photos of people engaging in knitting, social club, toddler crafting, and children reading at a library or community center.
Inside Northolt Library with shelves of books, a reception desk, and a notice board displaying welcoming information and library hours.
“Signage templates were made to be fully flexible and were created in order for staff to customise them with ease. We thank Ana Bea and the team for their efforts in delivering a quality product, to budget and within a limited time frame.”

– MARIAM ABDALLAH, SENIOR REGENERATION, INVESTMENT AND JOBS OFFICER, EALING COUNCIL

Doorway leading to a library section with a sign indicating the direction to the 'Library and Martiniware Collection'; inside, a man is sitting at a table reading a book, surrounded by bookshelves filled with books.
Hospital reception area with a wooden counter marked 'Customer Service Desk' and signs on the wall, with a blue glass door leading to a meeting room.
A chart with four sections, a blue square, a beige triangle, a teal triangle, and a light blue square with a black upward arrow, and an annotation with a vertical line and a dot.
A library interior with large windows, green and gray walls, blue and black seating, and two people reading or using devices, with a bookshelf on the right side of the image.
Interior of a cultural exhibition space with a seating area, framed artwork, a copier, and cabinetry.
A customer service desk with a wooden partition and a padded blue seat attached, a sign that reads 'Customer Service Desk', and a teal-colored perforated panel.
A woman smiling and looking at a bulletin board in the Dominion Centre and Library. The board displays maps, opening times, and event programs.
Children in blue uniforms performing on a stage in a school library while an audience watches and takes photos.
Sign displaying the opening times of an establishment, with hours listed for each day of the week, including extended hours on some days and closed on Sunday.
A woman working at a computer behind a library desk, seen through a bookshelf in a public library.