From square to brand: our project for Piazza dei Cavalieri

Among the “great things” that happened at Zaki this year, this is certainly one of the most significant. Being invited by Fondazione Pisa to collaborate with such an important and prestigious institution as the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa has filled us with pride and satisfaction.

Even more so because this collaboration takes shape within a project as compelling, challenging and engaging as designing a cultural and tourism enhancement path for a historical and artistic heritage as unique and rich as that of Piazza dei Cavalieri.

Our creative director — who certainly doesn’t lack experience — approached the development of the project brand with a touch of apprehension. In the end, however, the result met with everyone’s satisfaction, especially that of Professor Lucia Simonato of the Scuola Normale, the scientific coordinator, and research fellows Vittoria Brunetti and Enrico Fantini, who acted as our “guardian angels” in drafting and organizing all the content.

Fresh and innovative, yet closely connected to the square’s historical roots, the visual identity developed by Zaki fully reflects the goal of Fondazione Pisa and the Scuola Normale: to offer visitors a “comprehensive and easily accessible overview from above” of Piazza dei Cavalieri and its architecture, in line with the project’s core guidelines — research, promotion and dissemination.

Equally demanding was the design of the portal, both in terms of user interface and user experience. The extensive volume of high-quality scientific content and its layered structure were the two aspects that most challenged our designers and developers.

Each individual building overlooking the square includes multiple links and subsections, in turn enriched with in-depth content, different image display modes, reconstructions, biographical profiles, insights, historical itineraries, bibliographic references, guided tours, validation levels and more — all organized within a solid yet flexible architecture designed to deliver the simplest and most comprehensive user experience possible.

Particularly noteworthy, from this perspective, is the menu solution we developed. In response to a complex hierarchy of items, it ensures a streamlined and coherent navigation experience across both desktop and mobile.

Stay tuned for the first release of the portal, scheduled for late spring, which will be followed by a dedicated progressive web app designed for guided tours.