Pasadena, CA— August 27, 2004—Hunt Design Associates, a leading graphic designer for buildings, spaces and places, recently placed the final touches on a bold series of signs and graphics for the new Crean Family Farm at the Santa Ana Zoo. Including an imaginative new logo, a main gateway marquee, a comprehensive and informational series of signs, kiosks, building identification signs, a playful donor recognition signage system and interpretive totems, the program is the latest in a string work the firm has created for West Coast-area zoos.

“Zoos have one of the highest quantities of signage of any attraction. Each sign creates an opportunity to both inform and entertain,” said Wayne Hunt, founding principal of Hunt Design Associates. “One of our goals was to provide visitors the tools and text they can use to stimulate a rewarding educational and interactive experience.”

While traditionally in zoos the animal identification and information is next to each animal, Hunt Design took the approach of gathering all of the animal information onto nearby animal totems. Each grouping of animals, B is for Birds, etc., has information related to all of the different birds in the Farm — this unique approach creates a multitude of learning opportunities throughout the zoo and allows for parent and teachers to have a child's undivided attention as they read thru all the intriguing facts. All the interpretive graphics are bilingual.

“The attraction signage engages visitors, and helps to create a total sensory experience helping visitors to become active participants, not simply observers,” said John Floyd, Executive Director of the Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo. “Story telling has always been an effective tool to build interest and maintain continuity. By finding the dramatic impact for each themed zone, Hunt and its team build interest and stimulate greater participation. It’s all about creating an experience.”

Expanding the current Zoo site by over two acres, the $4 million facility, with eight new structures and numerous exhibits - making it the largest private/public funding partnership in the Zoo’s history - will feature more than 30 different sign types describing more than 50 rare breeds of farm animals in an interactive learning environment where attendees will experience Orange County farm life.

In a playful approach to usually more straightforward design problem, Hunt Design devised a whimsical display for the zoo’s more generous donors. A vegetable garden made up of carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes growing on a vine provides each donor with a vegetable rather than a typical donor plaque. Another area features vintage milk cans with donor names painted to the outside. Both the vegetable garden and the milk cans add to the overall theming of the Farm. In the near future, the Zoo will be adding a layer of digitally printed donor recognition super- graphics that are designed to be reminiscent of nostalgic, painted advertisements on early American farm buildings.

The Farm is named in honor of John and Donna Crean who donated the first $950,000 towards the project to help preserve Orange County’s historic farming era and to promote animal conservation. The “Big Red Barn” constructed from metal is the centerpiece of the new Family Farm.  The Barn will contain a cow and pig exhibit on the first level and a spacious education center and special event facility on the second level.

Other structures include the “Carriage House” with birds of prey, a Farm House with resting area, a feed storage building, a loading dock educational stage and a large, vintage-style wishing well to symbolize the traditional toss of a penny for luck as farmers did decades ago. 

In addition to its the Crean Family Farm, Hunt design Associates is currently working on a signage master plan for the Los Angeles Zoo and recently completed the Winnick Family Children’s Zoo also at the Los Angeles Zoo.

An extensive e collection of visuals is available upon request.