A hopscotch in a school playground, a colourful course inviting you to run or jump, some Graphical markings these features naturally draw pedestrians towards a safe route… these devices have one thing in common: they use design as a lever for action.
Popularised in France following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, active design is now part of a Public health approach aiming to combat sedentary behaviour. Alongside this, urban nudging follows a different logic: guide certain behaviours thanks to simple and intuitive visual cues. Two concepts close in form, but distinct in their objectives.
What is active design? Definition and applications in public spaces
The term first appears in North America, then in several Northern European countries dealing with challenges such as increase in sedentary behaviour, the decline in daily physical activity and the increase in associated health problems.
In France, the topic is gaining traction with the publication of the National Guide to Active Design, developed by the ANCT and Paris 2024 in December 2021. According to the definition given in this document, active design consists of urban development to encourage free, spontaneous and accessible physical activity for all audiences.
The idea is simple: Encourage the urge to move in urban environments, by multiplying opportunities to walk, run, jump, explore, or play during everyday journeys.
Concretely, this approach can take several forms:
- painted graphic routes on the floor ;
- Contemporary marbles revisited ;
- geometric labyrinths ;
- Coloured zigzag paths ;
- circular compositions inviting one to jump ;
- Interactive floor murals for children.
Photo by © Nicolas Mahu
What distinguishes these interventions from mere technical marking is precisely their graphic dimension Shapes and colours attract the eye even before being understood, which sparks an almost instinctive desire to interact.
Faced with a succession of coloured circles, many children spontaneously start to jump. 
While in front of a course drawn on the ground, some adults change their course without even realising it... Painting thus becomes a tool to inspire movement.
Active design: a state-supported lever to combat sedentariness
If active design is developing so much today, it is because the public health stakes are considerable. According to data taken from the ANCT guide, nearly’One in two French people is currently affected by being overweight or obesity.
The reduction in daily physical activity is one of the main identified factors. In this context, the State strongly encourage local authorities to integrate active design approaches into their various planning projects.
The National Guide to Active Design, published by the ANCT in 2021, is now a benchmark in the field and serves as a framework for numerous authorities wishing to develop this type of intervention in public spaces.
Consequently, several measures have been put in place and have played a driving role in the deployment of active design across the territory: the Action Cœur de Ville programme, the label Land of Games 2024, the experiments conducted in several cities drivers as well as the National curriculum for active and sports-oriented schools supported by the National Sports Agency.
Local authorities such as Saint-Omer, Bourges, Saint-Dizier, Châtellerault, Limoges and Plaine Commune have thus developed projects aiming to reintroduce more movement into everyday spaces.
And educational establishments are not to be outdone, as they constitute a prime area for application. Active design projects in schools generally rely on floor murals and Fun ground markings, designed to encourage movement during recreation time.
In a traditional courtyard, customs often tend to centre around a few key areas. In contrast, the graphic forms painted on the ground create new business sectors scattered throughout the courtyard.
In this way, children make up their own rules, explore the routes and reclaim areas that were previously little used. Beyond play, these facilities also contribute to a a broader discussion on the sharing of space and tackling a sedentary lifestyle from a very young age.
Active Design by ©Alix Danselme
These measures can also be used in the vicinity of schools, in the form of road markings in public spaces, in order to’improve the visibility of pedestrian routes and naturally encourage motorists to slow down.
Qu'est-ce que le nudge urbain et comment cela fonctionne-t-il ?
The term ‘nudge’ first appeared in 2008, with the publication of the book Nudge (which would be translated into French as « A helping hand ») by researchers Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. Since then, the concept has become famous worldwide: stemming from behavioural economics, the urban nudge is a a method aimed at guiding behaviour, through visual or environmental cues, without any pressure or obligation.
In other words, this involves subtly alter the environment, in order to make the desired action feel more natural, or even fun.
The classic example remains that of the little fly engraved on the urinals at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport. There are no instructions or signs on site, and yet users instinctively aim at the target. The result: a significant reduction in splashing and cleaning costs 
The urban nudge applies exactly the same logic to public spaces: painted footprints guide pedestrians, a colour gradient supports cycling journeys, a graphic target around a bin encourages people to use it more… the possibilities are endless!
The aim here is not to get residents to exercise more, but to’encourage a specific action. Whereas active design seeks above all to trigger movement, a nudge is intended rather to steer a specific action.
It does, however, happen that the two systems coexist as part of a single floor-painting project: passers-by are then invited to put in some effort to carry out a specific action.
Design actif | Urban nudge |
· Encourages movement | Encourages a specific action |
Run, jump, play | Cross, slow down, discard litter |
Public health objective | \| Behavioural objective |
Spontaneous physical activity | Gentle orientation of behaviours |
Playful ground marking, active design and nudging: the role of the artist in public space
One Floor fresco success relies neither on simple signage nor decoration, but is based on a fine understanding of usage, observed movements and behaviours in situ, combined with a given visual and artistic universe.
That is why Artists play a central role In this type of project: before drawing a single shape, you need to understand who uses the space, how locals use it, and what interactions can be encouraged.
In many projects, this process is often achieved through consultation or even co-creation workshops with users, residents, or pupils. The final design then becomes the Graphic translation of a real need. At Street Designers, this approach guides all the active design and floor mural projects we carry out throughout France and Europe.
Anti-slip products, eco-responsible formulations and coatings designed to withstand heavy use: from the creation of a bespoke model and the choice of paints suitable for the constraints of public space, each intervention is the subject of a specific site study.
From schoolyards to pedestrian zones, sports fields, and city centre public spaces, these achievements all have one thing in common: to use artistic creation to transform uses, without imposing additional rules.
For behind a geometric shape, a colour or a simple line on the ground, something much more ambitious is sometimes at play: the ability to make the city more active, more intuitive and more pleasant to live in.
A project for Floor fresco, active design or of nudge ? 
Let's talk about it.
Article written by Ludovic and Maëva from the Street Designers team, which specialises in floor murals, the Murals for schools and active design for communities, businesses and educational institutions.
