Press release:
Asheville-based graphic design and marketing communications firm Design One in partnership with Merje, a Pennsylvania-based environmental graphic design firm, has been selected by the Yadkin Valley Heritage Corridor Partnership to design and plan a comprehensive wayfinding signage program for the four-county region of Caldwell, Wilkes, Surry and Yadkin in northwest North Carolina.
The vision of the Yadkin Valley Heritage Corridor is a regional eco- and heritage tourism destination centered by a system of multi-use greenways and rails-with-trails linking the major historic and cultural heritage sites, Yadkin Valley wineries, and communities along the Yadkin River. This vision is focused on a place-based economic development strategy to increase tourism and entrepreneurial initiatives within the Yadkin Valley region. The project will be a model for the branding and implementation of a comprehensive wayfinding program for a rural county partnership that will include Smartphone, QR code and web-based mobile applications.
Design One’s role in the project will be to develop an identity for the heritage corridor which includes two of North Carolina’s federally designated wine growing districts. Design One will also develop a brochure featuring the historical, cultural, recreational and agri- and eco- tourism venues on the 129 mile corridor that runs from N.C. 321 in Caldwell County near Blowing Rock to U.S. 268 through Wilkes and Surry counties and down to the Shallowford area in Yadkin County.