Mencap Leeds
What’s the story?
Leeds Mencap is an independent Leeds charity created for children and adults with learning disabilities and their families. In 2013 the charity received funding to build The Vinery Centre, a brand new facility that opened this spring.
What was the requirement?
As the building was a new build, we were required to produce signs and graphics to complete everything from the main entrance space to the activity rooms and nursery.
What was the solution?
We were selected for the project back in May 2016 and we then designed, produced and installed the complete project at various stages over the course of the following year. The signs and graphics produced include:
- Main roadside sign and wayfinding signage
- Exterior signage above the main, rear and nursery entrance doors
- Directional signage around the outside of the building
- Feature wall displays
- Wall vinyls in the main reception
- Display graphics and signage in the reception area and corridors
- Etched window vinyls in the reception area
- Door signage throughout the building
We have also recently installed printed polycarbonate panels to act as decorative wall protectors in the activity rooms.
As the venue is primarily used for adults and children with learning difficulties our choice of colour was designed to reflect this, so all the graphics and signage have a simple but bright and colourful theme.
What were the results?
The result is a bright and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy. Clear visual signposting throughout makes the space safe and easily navigable for its visitors and staff alike, helping them to get the very best from all of its fantastic facilities.
‘Digital Plus was by far the most professional of all the organisations that tendered for our project; they spent more than twice the time of other competitors to take measurements, walking around the centre as it was being constructed and talking to us about our needs. They really understood that we had a limited budget and a complicated brief including multiple entrances and areas that would be used by those with learning disabilities as well as community groups.
‘They worked very closely with us, using their expertise to advise and guide us to develop our colour coded zones and areas and internal and external wayfinding signage. They helped us to explore the most cost-effective options; always providing samples and drafts for approval and never complaining when we changed our mind or needed to tweak things.
‘They were also very professional in terms of organising delivery and installation of any work they had completed – working around our availability and always turning up on time. After 8 months of opening, we discovered that our activity rooms were being very well used and the walls were getting knocked about. We talked to Digital Plus about possible solutions for this and they again worked with us to find an affordable and practical solution; designing colourful wall protectors that not only protect the walls but also really improve the look of the rooms.
‘We continue to receive a lot of compliments from people about our signage and now about the wall protectors as well.’ Bernie Gahan, Centre Manager
