New York and San Francisco will be the destinations to visit as visitors experience venues at Alcatraz Island and Rockefeller Center

Pasadena, CA— June 8, 2005 — Hunt Design, a leading graphic designer for buildings, spaces and places in Pasadena, CA, recently joined the design teams developing new attractions for two of the most talked-about tourist destinations in the United States — Rockefeller Center in New York and Alcatraz Island in San Francisco bay.

The new 70-story-high observation deck atop Rockefeller Center will reopen this fall following a $75 million renovation, including an exhibit and signage program being created by Hunt Design. Culminating in views from the open-air deck 850 feet above the street, the attraction and exhibition has goals to become more than a view from an observation deck, but rather it is being designed as an all-encompassing historical experience. Hunt is working along side Bob Weis Design Island Associates on the project.

“Rockefeller Center will become New York’s premier historical destination,” said Wayne Hunt, founding principal of Hunt Design, adding, “Alcatraz will become a self-guided experience.”

As an extension of Hunt Design's ongoing work in developing signage guidelines for the entire Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the firm is preparing a unique signage and wayfinding program for Alcatraz Island. Nearly "sold out" every day, the ever-popular historic island is San Francisco's number one tourist destination. In addition to a wayfinding design and strategy, Hunt Design is creating a series of building history signs to help illustrate how one building had many different uses at various points in time. In another unique approach, some of the directional signs will also include an accompanying interpretive story.

“Signage and graphics will be an important part of the overall visitor experience,” added Jennifer Bressler, principal and project director at Hunt Design. “Directing and informing thousands of daily visitors at two of the country’s richest, historic landmarks — an outdoor museum and a high-rise architectural monument — is as exciting as it is challenging.”

Both projects are slated for completion by the end of 2005.