Wayfinding: Disc Golf Signage

When I received the invitation to design new signage for a disc golf course in central Iowa, it was an opportunity I could not resist! The course is located north of Des Moines at Big Creek State Park, and is currently one of only two disc golf courses found within Iowa's state park system.

ABOVE: Prior to the rebrand, signage on the course was in dire need of an update.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources had previously hired another design firm to update the signage system used throughout the state park system. Using the style guide developed from that project, (shown above) I designed several layouts for initial feedback.

ABOVE + BELOW: I explored various layouts and configurations, balancing visual appeal and readability against strict conformity with the style guidelines.

BELOW: As I translated aerial drone imagery into vector-based maps, I developed a much deeper knowledge of Adobe Illustrator's capabilities — even as a seasoned user of the software. As a result, the illustration style for the maps also evolved from the samples shown above to the style below.

ABOVE + BELOW: We chose this layout for the final design, adding a "medallion" for the hole number to ensure readability for players as they approach from the previous hole. This also opened up space on the main sign, allowing us to increase the size of the map. For holes with multiple tee locations, we added verbiage specifying this on the medallions to prevent confusion for players unfamiliar with the course layout.

Hole Number 11 — affectionately known as "the Beast" by locals — was given a unique layout with elongated aspect ratio to emphasize the length of the challenge ahead.