All signage designs and applications must be vetted through both Johns Hopkins Facilities Management and the Marketing & Communications department as well as approved vendors before any signage or wayfinding materials can be installed. The consistent application and use of logos and colors on signage play an important role in the identity system, while reinforcing public awareness of our organization. This includes logo placement and typeface.
The standards for the Johns Hopkins Medicine sign system are intended to provide guidance for creating different types of signs: brand, organizational, campus and directional identification. Logo use, sign background color and typeface should follow the graphic identity standards.
As one of several brand touch points, this sign system is designed to:
- Present a unified and cohesive Johns Hopkins Medicine presence.
- Clearly identify each Johns Hopkins Medicine entity as part of a unified whole.
- Address the different informational needs of patients, visitors and staff members.
The primary entrance to all JHM locations should be identified with a JHM horizontal logo, either the primary Johns Hopkins Medicine logo or the specific hospital or entity logo.
For all sign requests (interior, exterior and donor) a JHHS Facilities form needs to be submitted.
Types of Signs
Four types of signs have been identified under the sign system. Each of the signs plays a specific role in building the Johns Hopkins Medicine brand and/or providing site-specific information that is useful to a visitor coming to a Johns Hopkins Medicine site.
Brand Signs
The Johns Hopkins Medicine logo is used alone, to establish a Johns Hopkins Medicine presence. This type of sign might be visible from the highway or seen on the top of a building or a bridge in the city, but it is not necessarily intended to provide detailed organizational or directional information.
Organizational Signs
These are intended to clarify for a potential visitor the organization represented at a specific site, accompanied by other relevant information to differentiate that site from another nearby Johns Hopkins Medicine site.
Directional Signs
These signs provide more specific information as to the location of facilities, entrances, departments, centers, loading dock, parking, etc., on the grounds of a facility or campus.
Additional Information Signs
These provide more detailed information, e.g., warnings, operating hours, etc. Specifications for this type of sign are normally developed on a site-to-site basis.
For architectural guidelines or design standards for environmental signage, please contact Vicki Hartwig at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 410-955-0343 before engaging in any signing project.