UNDERSTANDING THE STORY

We structured the wayfinding strategy around five clear goals: welcoming visitors, helping them understand where they are, guiding them to their destinations, providing essential information, and enhancing the overall experience. These principles informed how signage was layered across the site, ensuring that visitors receive the right information at the right moment.

The overarching story of the site follows the adventure of Matamir, a bandit in search of the legendary Black Pearl. As visitors move through the park, from arrival and orientation through to ride, dining, and retail information, they are invited to follow Matamir’s quest.

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HAND-DRAWN FROM THE GROUND UP

The design language for the park extension was shaped by the narrative concept of a “Lost City Revealed.” The new signs needed to be narratively rich, reflecting the identity of a “bandit’s village” while remaining visually consistent with the existing park signage. We began with hand-drawn sketches tailored to each ride within the extension. This approach allowed us to capture a sense of character and spontaneity that supported the storytelling in a way digital illustration alone could not. The handcrafted quality reinforces the adventurous, slightly unruly spirit of the village.

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SIGNS THAT SHOW, NOT JUST TELL

For each ride, the team first sought to understand its story and physical experience within the broader theme park setting, then translated these elements into visual cues within the illustration. The goal was for visitors to intuitively sense what a ride offers without needing to read the sign. A zone naming system inspired by the park's characters and settings further strengthens orientation, helping guests understand where they are and remember how spaces connect as they move through the adventure.

NARRATIVE WAYFINDING

The Matamir Drop, a free-fall slide from the Matamir Tower, presented the clearest opportunity to show what narrative wayfinding can achieve. Rather than naming and arrowing the ride, the signage illustrates it: a cannon blast and a crashing wave communicate speed, height, and impact in a single image. Visitors recognise what awaits them from a distance, through visual language that belongs to the world of the park. Navigation and storytelling become the same act.

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At Yas Waterworld, wayfinding becomes part of the adventure. Visitors follow Matamir's story without ever stepping outside it, guided by signs that feel like they were found rather than placed. That is what exceptional human experiences look like when navigation and imagination work as one.