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Three design options unveiled for Ferndale downtown wayfinding; public feedback sought
Summary
Downtown Ferndale and consultants from Merge presented three distinct wayfinding design concepts for downtown signage, kiosks and parking identity at an outreach session hosted at Affirmations LGBT Community Center; the DDA is seeking public comment via a QR survey and will develop a consolidated design based on feedback.
Downtown Ferndale officials and consultants from Merge presented three design options for a downtown wayfinding and signage program at an outreach session hosted at Affirmations LGBT Community Center. The DDA said the project was pursued with funding support sought from Oakland County and Main Street Oakland County and will prioritize improved sidewalks, clearer parking identity and pedestrian orientation.
"Our presentation is twofold," said John Bozier of Merge, describing the work as an assessment of how people move through the city and a set of signage design options. The consultants emphasized a holistic approach that links online maps, kiosks and physical signs so information is consistent from pre-arrival to the pedestrian experience downtown.
Jenny Beaker, executive director of Downtown Ferndale, said the DDA selected Merge after a discovery phase and is sponsoring the project in partnership with the city. "We sought funding from Oakland County, and Main Street Oakland County for wayfinding and sidewalk repair," she said, adding that printouts of the designs will be displayed at City Hall and that the presentation will be made available online.
Merge laid out three options: Option 1 leans toward a traditional, civic-heritage aesthetic using an extruded pole system and decorative sign bases with places for interpretive panels and art; Option 2 favors colorful, sculptural elements and stronger Ferndale branding for high-visibility vehicular and pedestrian signs; Option 3 combines a traditional structure with industrial-art finials produced with local artists, allowing varied artistic elements across the city.
Consultants recommended reinforcing existing cues—using Woodward as the primary orientation spine and maintaining the city's numbered parking-lot scheme—while adding a consistent "P" graphic and east/west labels so visitors can find and return to parked cars. Joseph MacKeris of Merge noted digital opportunities such as powered kiosks and QR codes to link people from a sign to more detailed maps or event listings.
On scope, Beaker clarified that the DDA is focusing on downtown and would not alter protected features: "There is a lot of stuff around that. We would not touch that for historic preservation," she said when asked about the stone monument at Woodward and 9 Mile. Merge said pole frames would be aluminum painted with polyurethane paint, panels would use high-intensity reflective vinyl to meet visibility requirements, and vehicle-facing signs would follow copy-height and breakaway-pole safety rules.
Attendees were asked to scan a QR code to submit comments; Merge said the survey is advisory, not a binding vote, and answers will inform a combined "Option 4" that consolidates feedback and establishes the basis for eventual implementation. The DDA expects fewer high-tech kiosks concentrated near the parking garage and a variety of smaller pedestrian kiosks across downtown.
The session closed with instructions on how to comment further: design printouts will be available at City Hall, the team will post materials online, and the DDA provided an email (info@downtownFerndale.com) for additional questions. The outreach period will shape a recommended design for future implementation.
