Bognor Regis is a vibrant seaside destination, a coastal town in the southeast, offering plenty to explore. It features a bustling pedestrianised retail centre with ample public parking and convenient public transport links that bring visitors directly into the town centre. Working with the Bognor Regis Regeneration Board and the Business Improvement District and collaborating with stakeholders – including the town and district councils, the University, and local businesses – a wayfinding strategy was developed for the town. The strategy identified key routes connecting major attractions and embraced a design approach that aligned with the town’s vision for cultural vibrancy, and by reflecting its bold personality and heritage as a seaside destination. The solution features a bold, colourful palette with clear wayfinding signage using both formal and colloquial language, place-specific interpretation, along with a series of artistic geometric artworks created with community input.
The design process and strategy led to a year-long series of community workshops, including town centre drop-ins, pop-up events at local music and sports venues, and focused sessions with groups like AgeUK, Voluntary Action Arun & Chichester, and local councillors. Our goal was to involve as many people as possible in contributing artwork to a geometric template and colour palette for the scheme — for Bognor Regis by Bognor Regis. We engaged with hundreds of local residents and visitors and were blown away by the overwhelmingly positive reactions to the proposed scheme. Over 200 individual designs were submitted by participants aged 4 to 87! While some designs stood out on their own, others shared similar styles and approaches, which we combined into clear themes.
To maximise the use of funds and minimise new manufacturing and town centre disruptions, most installations repurposed existing wayfinding totems by retrofitting them with the new designs and by enhancing current street furniture. Materials were carefully selected for their robustness, easy maintenance, durability against coastal weather and vandalism, and to ensure long-term cost efficiency by reducing the need for future spending.
The project delivered effective wayfinding with personalised signage by blending design with local culture, heritage, and community input to create a consistent visual narrative. This approach is helping to give Bognor Regis a unique and recognisable identity and by highlighting key locations, trails, and the stories that make Bognor Regis special, the wayfinding is improving permeability, encourages active travel, and celebrates local culture. Through public art and community-driven design, it also fosters a sense of welcome, ownership, and pride in place, enhancing an overall sense of wellbeing.
Fabrication and installation by Standard 8
