Vet Lab Abu Dhabi Healthcare Wayfinding.
Abu Dhabi Vet Lab.
A brand new signage scheme for a brand new veterinary clinical facility.
Creative Dialog designed the wayfinding system for the region's first dedicated animal clinical facility of its kind.
Working with Stantec and the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi on a high-security bio-material site serving cattle, pets, falcons and other species, the team delivered a dual-language wayfinding programme that achieves the rare combination of absolute clinical clarity and considered visual design.
Expertise: Wayfinding Strategy, Signage Technical Design
Sectors: Medical & Healthcare
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Objective
The Abu Dhabi Vet Lab is a world-class animal clinical facility falling under the jurisdiction of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority — the first of its type in the region, serving multiple species (cattle, pets, falcons and other small and large animals) across a single campus. Working with the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi and Stantec, the project comprises a wide range of facilities and dedicated animal healthcare areas serving the care, research and science needs of many different species.
The campus is organised across administrative, surgical, laboratory and office environments, with dedicated zones for each animal type. Creative Dialog was appointed to deliver a wayfinding response that met the needs of daily frequent visitors while also welcoming newcomers — connecting them to the site both externally and internally in an intuitive and well-planned manner. As a high-security bio-material site, the brief brought signage requirements that go well beyond standard wayfinding clarity.
Our Approach
Creative Dialog approached the brief as both a clinical-clarity challenge and a design discipline exercise — recognising that medical wayfinding too often resorts to purely functional signage that prioritises information at the expense of visual quality. The goal was a system that was highly functional yet stylish, capable of being applied consistently across a compartmentalised, high-security campus.
_We responded to the compartmentalised nature of the site, providing wayfinding cues based on the specific uses and allowable access permissions within each area of the campus.
_We addressed the high-security bio-material requirements through specific signage typologies that meet the operational and compliance needs of a clinical research environment.
_We developed a highly functional yet stylish signage design that resists the default to bland, utilitarian medical signage — applied consistently across every part of the campus.
_We designed a dual-language Arabic and English wayfinding system supported by clean and legible typography that provides key instructions and information to a wide range of user types.
_We developed a custom suite of pictograms, graphics and mapping that complement the typography and accommodate the unusual breadth of users — staff, researchers, visiting owners, animal handlers — across multiple species zones.
_We specified hard-wearing exterior materials for environmental durability, paired with as many eco-friendly internal materials as possible to deliver a contemporary system highly complementary to the facility's interior design.
The Outcome
The completed wayfinding programme demonstrates that healthcare wayfinding does not have to compromise on design quality to achieve clinical clarity. The system handles compartmentalisation, bio-security, multi-species use and multi-language requirements simultaneously — while remaining a piece of considered design rather than utilitarian signage applied after the fact. A specialist proof point in the portfolio, and a reference for any future healthcare or life-sciences engagement.
What We Delivered
Wayfinding Strategy & Concept Design
Site Compartmentalisation & Access Mapping
Bilingual Arabic-English Sign Family
Bio-Security & High-Compliance Signage Typologies
Custom Pictogram & Graphics Suite for Multi-Species Use
Bespoke Mapping & Orientation Tools
Hard-Wearing Exterior & Eco-Conscious Interior Material Specification
Technical Documentation & Implementation Support
