Town-wide wayfinding and interpretation
Littlehampton is a distinctive coastal town at the mouth of the River Arun, combining strong community identity with notable contemporary design landmarks including East Beach Café by Heatherwick Studio and The Long Bench by Studio Weave.
Richard Wolfströme developed a town-wide wayfinding strategy to improve legibility and strengthen connections between the town centre, seafront, transport hubs and key destinations. The design responds to Littlehampton’s seaside character while reflecting the high design standards already established within the public realm.
Wherever possible, existing infrastructure was retained and reworked. Current two-sided wayfinding totems were retrofitted and re-wrapped, while new four-sided totems are being introduced around existing fingerposts as the scheme continues to roll out. Materials were selected for durability, low maintenance and resilience within the coastal environment.
Alongside clear directional information and approximate walking times, the system incorporates place-specific interpretation, archival imagery and artworks by local artists. Subtle ‘breadcrumb’ references also support walking trails developed by Artswork, encouraging exploration and creating a stronger sense of discovery across the town.
A bold Littlehampton colour palette and coherent family of signage elements bring the scheme together, creating a wayfinding system that is practical, expressive and firmly rooted in place.
Wayfinding strategy, signage & interpretation: Richard Wolfströme
Walking trails: Artswork
Fabrication & installation: Standard 8
Walking trails: Artswork
Fabrication & installation: Standard 8
