WILO Signaletic System
Modular wayfinding system for Wilo SE’s global headquarters and international locations, using a black cube as scalable core element.
Professional project developed during an internship at MCD Design in 2019 for client Wilo SE, Dortmund. My role focused on concept sketching, CAD modeling, prototyping, and on-site testing.
Implemented across Wilo headquarters in Dortmund, serving thousands of employees daily. System designed for scalability to international locations. Project documentation: www.mehnertdesign.de/en/arbeiten/wilo-signaletik
The system adapts the same geometric form across radically different contexts. A cube at desk height guides visitors to meeting rooms. The same form at three meters marks parking zones. Wall-mounted versions direct traffic in production halls. The visual language stays consistent while the scale shifts.
Wilo’s existing wayfinding was inconsistent across departments. The brief required a unified system flexible enough for production halls, office corridors, parking structures, and outdoor areas, while remaining scalable for international rollout. When we visited the headquarters during research, we documented how people actually navigated the space and where the current system failed them.
The cube emerged from testing geometric forms that could work at multiple scales. Its industrial aesthetic aligned with Wilo’s engineering identity. More importantly, the modular grid system allowed practical adaptation without losing visual coherence.
Working in CAD, I modeled cube variations and mounting systems to ensure structural stability and assembly ease. Cardboard mockups helped us understand scale relationships before committing to fabrication.
After external fabrication of full-scale prototypes, we returned to Dortmund for installation and testing. The Wilo facilities team provided feedback on practical concerns: mounting details, sight lines in high-traffic areas, maintenance access. We adjusted proportions based on viewing distances and refined the mounting system for installation across multiple building types.
This project taught me how orientation systems function at building scale. You’re not designing one object but a visual language that thousands of people navigate unconsciously. Small decisions compound: a cube’s height, element spacing, text contrast create hundreds of wayfinding moments throughout a building. The system’s success came from balancing consistency with flexibility. Same form, different scales, coherent experience.
Internship MCD GmbH & Co.KG | Work with Peter Kutz & external graphic designer
