Hoults Yard:
Wayfinding Signs
What a way to kick off 2026 — back in the artistic heart of Newcastle and the place that has a lot of creative meaning for ANG Studio.
Hoults Yard wanted to improve visitor navigation around the site without scrimping on style, enhancing both the visitor experience and the identity of the space.
Our Mission: create practical wayfinding signage that was in keeping with the heritage, creativity, and industrial character that is Hoults Yard’s identity.
“It was an absolute pleasure working with David and his team. They listened carefully to our brief and delivered solutions that were not only creative but also highly practical and sympathetic to our site and its heritage. Communication throughout was superb, with plenty of constructive back-and-forth to get every detail right. They went above and beyond to design bespoke signs that strike the perfect balance between contemporary style and the character of our location. We’re thrilled with the outcome of this collaboration.”
Ellen Jeffreys - Deputy Facilities Manager, Hoults Yard
They approached us to reinvent the look and visibility of their site navigation.
Working closely with the Hoults Yard team, we developed concepts that remained sympathetic to the site’s historic identity and creative atmosphere while keeping the key practicalities of the wayfinding signage.
We focused on balancing contemporary design with the authentic character of the yard. Using the client’s brand guidelines, we ensured every detail – from typography and materials to finished and fixings – was a fresh twist on the brand’s established iconography.
We wanted to celebrate the industrial history of the site. So – using the brand’s colours as a starting point – we created a weathered look to the signage. We designed bespoke lettering using a combination of premium materials and hand-crafted detailing.
Each sign was produced using ACM panels with raised acrylic lettering for the base. We also took inspiration from their office foyer, where they had locally designed tile artwork. We added six of their tile designs as white printed icons at the base of each sign to make the whole site feel cohesive and connected. To make the signage stand out, every sign was given a bespoke textured “Hoults Yard” logo top and centre.
We challenged ourselves to create an authentic-feeling finish that would hold up under scrutiny and withstand the test of time. We looked into specific techniques and materials that would produce the look we were after. This led us to hand-painting each sign, manually adding textures that produced the rusted effect. We then paired the bespoke signage with matching fixings to reinforce the industrial look and feel.
It was key that we worked closely with the team at Hoults Yard to ensure all parties were happy with the vision.
Throughout the project, we focused on balancing contemporary design before refining the finished concept.
We explored multiple creative directions with them before final sign off, making sure communication and collaborative design stayed at the heart of this job.
