When Magnolia/STYL Residential asked us to upgrade the entrance signage, it became clear on the first site visit that the challenge wasn’t just visibility. The monument was awkwardly placed, hard to see from oncoming traffic, and surrounded by visual clutter and uneven vegetation. The existing sign’s color, angle, and proportions lacked contrast, and worse, it looked nearly identical to many others in the neighborhood.
With limited space and restrictive city codes, we reimagined the entry as a gateway moment, something that elevates arrival and gently shifts perception. Inspired by the property's blocky architecture and its placement on a curve, we leaned into scale, contrast, and narrative form.
The result? A small project that punches above its weight — creative thinking under real constraints.
Magnolia/STYL Residential approached us with a small ask: redesign the entrance signage at Drift Dunwoody. But during our site visit, it became clear the real issue was bigger, the main signage lacked visibility, clarity, and presence in a busy part of Atlanta.
We needed to reimagine not just the sign, but the arrival experience.
Rather than forcing complexity, we leaned into the character of the site. The architecture already resembled a block; the site had been imagined as a “mini neighborhood.” That informed a design move with subtle gateway energy, something that marked transition and gave weight to the arrival.
While the final installation is pending, the client now has a concept that’s strategic, permitted, and ready for execution. The before-and-after impact is clear in both sketches and renders — showing how small moves can dramatically shift perception.
