A busy European hub, millions of passengers—and wayfinding that had to keep up
A busy European hub, millions of passengers—and wayfinding that had to keep up
Brussels Airport welcomes over 24 million travellers a year. As Belgium's national airport, it positions itself not only as a key hub for Europe, but as a welcoming, customer-focused environment. Despite ongoing growth and infrastructure upgrades, the airport remains committed to what it calls 'Belgian hospitality', a service experience that blends warmth, attentiveness, and a calm sense of welcome from arrival to departure.
But over time, the wayfinding system had grown organically. Different parts of the airport responded to issues as they arose, leading to inconsistencies, visual clutter, and unclear priorities. BAC asked us to help reset the foundations, not just to fix signage, but to define a smarter, more consistent strategy for information, spatial cues, and graphic language.
Project
Brussels Airport Company
Client
Brussels Airport Company
Collaborators
Location
Brussels, Belgium
Size
Project Build Cost
Focus
What we did
We approached the work in structured stages:
Analysed current flows, decision points, and orientation breakdowns across airside and landside zones
Identified spatial and architectural factors contributing to complexity
Developed a clear messaging hierarchy, from primary to tertiary information
Created a SignAgent allocation plan to structure content placement
Ran a collaborative design workshop exploring what 'Belgian hospitality' means for the passenger experience
Developed a bespoke pictogram family, visual language, and graphic design system
Tested graphic concepts and pictograms in context
Delivered a final style guide and rollout recommendations
Created a spatial communication plan to coordinate wayfinding with other visual elements
What we found
In several key areas, orientation was breaking down. More signs had been added over time, but often without improving clarity. In one of the most problematic locations, where passengers frequently missed the ramp to gates below, we worked with the client and architect to redesign the environment. Once implemented and tested, the new solution resulted in a significant improvement: far more passengers found their way intuitively.
Designing a feeling
Wayfinding is not just about helping people move through space. It’s about reducing stress, building confidence, and supporting a sense of ease and orientation from the moment a journey begins. At Brussels Airport, it also needed to reflect and reinforce the idea of Belgian hospitality. That meant exploring how colour, form, tone and behaviour could align to create a consistent, people-focused experience.
We brought this to life in a hands-on workshop, bringing together stakeholders to unpack what Belgian hospitality feels like, not as a slogan, but as an experience. The results informed the design direction and helped align the visual identity with the airport's broader goals.
Balancing navigation and noise
Airports are full of competing messages. Bright advertising screens, retail signs, bold ads, and attractive window displays (with their own distracting messaging!) all compete for attention. In some areas, they distract from the core navigation messages passengers rely on. But without clear boundaries, they can overwhelm the information passengers actually need.
We developed guidelines to help Brussels Airport give every message its proper place. Clear, consistent wayfinding. Thoughtful spatial cues. And room for commercial content, without letting it dominate. The result: a better balance between navigation and experience.
A long-term strategy
As project lead Bram Boot, Passenger Services Performance Manager, put it: “Humanics Collective was brought in to update the wayfinding strategy and design concepts, with the goal of improving clarity and consistency across Brussels Airport. They’ve proven to be a proactive and valuable partner, driving progress, supporting decisions, and remaining flexible throughout. The outcomes include a set of strategic guidelines and a design system that are now in continuous use, helping to maintain the right focus and direction for wayfinding, while guiding a gradual rollout of updated signage across the airport.”
Our work with Brussels Airport laid the foundations for a long-term shift. The strategy, tools and design system continue to guide updates across the terminal, supporting gradual but coordinated improvements. Our thanks to Bram Boot for his leadership throughout the project.
