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Runway Playa Vista

A Fresh Take on California Living in Playa Vista

Project type

Public Art & Murals Environmental Graphic Design

Project sector

Retail Environments & Graphic Design

Colorful “RUNWAY” letter sculpture installation and wayfinding directory within the Runway Playa Vista outdoor retail district, showcasing environmental graphic design and placemaking by RSM Design.

Project info

Client DJM Capital Partners Inc

Architect TSA Architects

Landscape Brightview Design Group

Other Design Bitches

A space for creatives, entrepreneurs, foodies, entertainment enthusiasts, and adventure seekers.

A Landmark Destination in the Heart of Silicon Beach

Situated in the heart of Silicon Beach, Runway Playa Vista occupies a pivotal location within Los Angeles’ thriving tech and creative corridor. Surrounded by major industry players, residential neighborhoods, and Loyola Marymount University, the mixed-use destination serves as a central gathering place for retail, dining, entertainment, and community life. RSM Design was engaged to shape a comprehensive environmental graphics program that would strengthen the property’s identity while creating a seamless, intuitive experience across the site.

Wayfinding, Placemaking, & Branded Environmental Graphics

The wayfinding system was designed to bring clarity and character to the open-air environment. RSM developed a hierarchy of pedestrian and vehicular signage that guides visitors effortlessly between storefronts, entertainment venues, and structured parking. Playful placemaking elements were woven throughout the district, introducing moments of discovery and reinforcing the energetic personality of the development. Bold parking graphics transformed utilitarian garages into branded extensions of the property, using scale, color, and supergraphics to simplify navigation while creating memorable visual impact. Throughout the signage program, the Runway brand was thoughtfully integrated—balancing contemporary typography, strong graphic forms, and a confident material palette that reflects the district’s modern, Westside sensibility.

Extending the Brand Through Leasing Collateral

Beyond the built environment, RSM extended the brand into print through the design of a leasing brochure that positioned Runway Playa Vista as a premier retail opportunity. The brochure translated the environmental graphics language into a compelling marketing narrative, combining strong visuals, clear data presentation, and lifestyle-driven storytelling. Together, the signage, placemaking, parking graphics, and collateral materials form a cohesive identity system—one that connects visitors, tenants, and the broader community to a distinctly local destination.

Runway Playa Vista monument signage with cut-out lettering integrated into landscaped pedestrian environment, showcasing environmental graphic design and placemaking by RSM Design.

Pedestrian wayfinding directory at Runway Playa Vista retail district guiding visitors to shops, restaurants, and entertainment, designed as part of the environmental graphics program by RSM Design.

Directional wayfinding signage at Runway Playa Vista guiding visitors to rideshare drop-off, retail, and dining destinations, designed by RSM Design as part of the district’s environmental graphics system.

Pedestrian plaza at Runway Playa Vista featuring bold ground graphics, outdoor dining, and retail storefronts within the mixed-use district, supported by environmental graphic design by RSM Design.

Staircase graphic at Runway Playa Vista spelling “It’s Show Time,” integrating environmental graphics and wayfinding within the mixed-use retail and entertainment district designed by RSM Design.

Illustrated map and visitor data graphic highlighting Runway Playa Vista’s location and regional reach within Los Angeles, created as part of the branding and environmental graphics by RSM Design.

Eclectic community and contemporary sensibility.

Runway Playa Vista Leasing Brochure

Runway Playa Vista mixed-use district in Los Angeles featuring pedestrian plazas, residential buildings, and retail environments supported by branding, signage, and environmental graphic design by RSM Design.

Free Market at Runway

Free Market, a dynamic collective, curates products, services, and experiences by blending strategy with artistry. Partnering with Runway, they enhanced tenant mix and guest engagement, while RSM Design created environmental graphics and integrated wayfinding seamlessly into the artistic space.

Free Market storefront signage at Runway Playa Vista retail district in Los Angeles, part of the environmental graphics and placemaking design by RSM Design.

Free Market tenant directory signage at Runway Playa Vista in Los Angeles, designed as part of the retail district’s environmental graphics and wayfinding program by RSM Design. — Signage is easy to change out as tenants and programming evolve over time.

Restroom wayfinding signage at Runway Playa Vista retail district in Los Angeles, designed as part of the environmental graphics and signage program by RSM Design.

Restaurant interior at Runway Playa Vista featuring custom mural graphics and branded environmental design elements within the retail and dining district designed by RSM Design.

Retail storefront signage for Teressa Foglia at Runway Playa Vista in Los Angeles, designed as part of the district’s environmental graphics and signage program by RSM Design.

Studio C storefront signage at Runway Playa Vista in Los Angeles, part of the environmental graphics and retail signage program designed by RSM Design.

RSM Design & runway playa vista

As part of our annual workshop RSM Design visited Runway to experience the site firsthand and hear from the design team about the process that brought this project to life.

Watch the Video

Vertical Runway sign integrated into the architecture at Runway Playa Vista in Los Angeles, part of the district’s branding and environmental graphics program designed by RSM Design.

Parking structure elevator lobby at Runway Playa Vista in Los Angeles featuring integrated architectural graphics and wayfinding design by RSM Design.

Bold level 4 parking garage wayfinding graphic at Runway Playa Vista in Los Angeles, designed as part of the environmental graphics and signage program by RSM Design.

RSM Design transformed the Runway parking garage with a strategic, color-coded system that energizes each level and creates a clearer, more engaging arrival experience.

Parking at Runway

Runway Playa Vista parking structure wall graphic and elevator wayfinding signage in Los Angeles, designed as part of the environmental graphics program by RSM Design.