Design a wayfinding system

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MADE Talk 22 July 2014 1 Designing an effective

wayfinding system

Proprietary and confidential information ©Urbanite* 2014 Proprietary and confidential information ©Urbanite* 2014

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Designing an effective

wayfinding system

What Urbanite do?

We activate physical spaces by translating brand ideas,

stories and customer journeys into three dimensions in ways that enriches both the space and the lives of those who

interact with it.

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Purpose of workshop

Proprietary and confidential information ©Urbanite* 2014 3 22 July 2014

MADE Talk

The Urbanite team

Carlo Giannasca

Charlie Bromley

Joanna Mackenie

Adam Longo

Bridget Atkinson

Henry Ellis-Paul

Bianca Mediati

Designing an effective wayfinding system

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wayfinding system

Purpose of workshop

Designing an

effective wayfinding system

MADE Talk_22 July 2014

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MADE Talk 22 July 2014 Proprietary and confidential information ©Urbanite* 2014 5 Designing an effective

wayfinding system

What is wayfinding?

A structured number of decisions leading

to the destination.

Identification

Ide nt ifi cat ion De sti na tio n

Decision point Decision

point

Decision point

C on fir m at ion

Confirmation

C on fir m at ion

Start

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Principles

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wayfinding system

Principles

1 Create an identity at each location

that differs from the others.

Source: http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/infoarch/publications/mfoltz-thesis/node8.html

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wayfinding system

Principle 1 Create an identity at each location

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wayfinding system

Proprietary and confidential information ©Urbanite* 2014

Principle 1 Create an identity at each location

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wayfinding system

Principles

2 Create landmarks to provide orientation

cues and memorable

locations.

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wayfinding system

Principle 2 Create landmarks to provide orientation cues and memorable locations

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wayfinding system

Principle 2 Create landmarks to provide orientation cues and memorable locations

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wayfinding system

Principle 2 Create landmarks to provide orientation cues and memorable locations

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wayfinding system

Principle 2 Create landmarks to provide orientation cues and memorable locations

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wayfinding system

Principles

3 Create structured

paths that are easy

to understand.

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wayfinding system

Principle 3 Create structured paths that are easy to understand

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wayfinding system

Principle 3 Create structured paths that are easy to understand

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wayfinding system

Principles

Simplify 4 the

navigational choices.

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wayfinding system

Principle 4 Simplify the navigational choices

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wayfinding system

Principles

5 Create areas of

differing visual

character.

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wayfinding system

Principle 5 Create areas of different visual character

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wayfinding system

Principle 5 Create areas of different visual character

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wayfinding system

Principles

Provide the user 6

with a map if area is

large and complex.

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wayfinding system

Principle 7 Provide the user with a map if area is large and complex

≤

05A

01

02

11 ^Parramatta Rd

Broadway

Thomas St

Mary Ann St

Harris St Quay St

Jones St Wattle St

Buckland St

The Goods Line George St

Aber crombie St

Ultimo Rd Pitt St

WENTWORTH PARK

VICTORIA PARK BELMORE

PARK

Alumni Green CENTRAL

STATION

RAILWAY SQUARE

CHINATOWN

TAFE

DARLING HARBOUR

ABC

ULTIMO HAYMARKET

CHIPPENDALE

Devonshir e St tunnel

Central Park

TAFE

Macarthur Street POWERHOUSE

MUSEUM

BROADWAY SHOPPING CENTRE Blackfriars St

Mount ain St

Darling Dr

Regent St Lee St

McKee St

21-27

51 08

Omnibus Lane

Mary Ann Street Park

Kelly St 03 12

04 09

05B 05C 05D

10 11

ABC 07

You Are Here 7 Minute Walk

12 Minute Walk

06

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wayfinding system

Principles

7 Locate signs at

decision points.

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wayfinding system

Principle 7 Locate signs at decision points

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wayfinding system

Principle 7 Locate signs at decision points

When placing signs at the decision

points in the space, ask two questions:

1 Should a sign be placed here?

2 What destinations should be included

on the sign?

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wayfinding system

Principles

8 Establish clear

sight lines to aid

navigation.

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wayfinding system

Principle 8 Establish clear sight lines to aid navigation

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wayfinding system

Principle 8 Establish clear sight lines to aid navigation

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wayfinding system

Principles

9 Provide a universal

visual language that will be understood

by all.

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wayfinding system

Principle 9 Provide a universal visual language that will be understood by all

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33 22 July 2014

MADE Talk Designing an effective

wayfinding system

What not to do

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What not to do

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35 22 July 2014

wayfinding system

What the should have done

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wayfinding system

Principles

10 Assume everyone is

a first-time visitor.

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wayfinding system

Principles

11 Design for the

broadest audience

possible.

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wayfinding system

Principle 11 Design for the broadest audience possible

User groups to consider:

Unimpaired Sight

Hearing Situational

Developmental Literacy

Mobility

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wayfinding system

Principle 11 Design for the broadest possible audience

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MADE Talk 22 July 2014

Where a sign can be temporarily obscured, eg. In a crowd, the sign should be placed at a height of not less than 2000 mm above the ground plane of the finished floor

2200

1872

1709

1227

729 2000160014001000

Signs should be placed within a zone at a height not less than 1400mm and not more than 1600mm above the plane of the finished floor. Where space in this zone is used up, the zone for placement of signs may be extended downward to not less than 1000 mm from the plane of the finished floor.

Total Comfortable Viewing Zone = 482mm AS 1428.2

Source: National Endowment For The Arts, Needs Assessment Survey Instrument, Produced 6Y National Access Centre, USA

Zones Common View/reach/DDA

Signage Zone AS 1428.2

1200 – 1600 Tactile Signage Zone

Tactile

Signage Zone

Zone of Common Reach

700 Min Height Common Reach 1830

20°

30°

1550 Average Eye Height 1220 Average Eye Height

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Process

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wayfinding system

1 Define

the problem.

Process

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wayfinding system

Process Define the problem

Consider the following:

1 What is the real problem?

2 Are there related problems?

3 Is there anything unique?

4 What is the budget?

5 What is the timeline?

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wayfinding system

2 Gather

the information.

Process

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wayfinding system

Process Gather the information

Consider the following:

1 Who are the users?

2 How will they use the site?

3 What will be their movement patterns?

4 When & how will they access the site?

5 Does the architecture aid in wayfinding?

6 Will branding influence the design?

7 Best practice benchmarking

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wayfinding system

3 Analyse the data.

Process

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wayfinding system

Process Analyse the data

Consider the following:

1 Understand requirements of all users 2 Times & places where problems occur 3 Appropriate nomenclature

4 Language requirements

5 KPIs for success

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wayfinding system

4 Develop

the wayfinding strategy.

Process

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wayfinding system

Process Develop the wayfinding strategy Strategy Options

There a 4 types of strategy models that organise most wayfinding systems:

1 Connectors 2 Districts

3 Landmarks

4 Streets

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wayfinding system

Process Develop the wayfinding strategy Strategy Options

1 Connector model The Forbidden City, Beijing

• Strong central axis

• Concentric system of gateways clearly lead the way

• Symbolic of the courts power and dominance

2 Districts model Cambridge

• Organic evolution over many centuries

• Adopted a system of individual precincts with distinct names, coat of arms and specific gateways

• Organising Gothic buildings into understandable entities

3 Landmarks model Rome

• Devised by Pope Sixtus V to creater a grander setting for the Catholic empire

• Axial roads and landmark focal points

• Located at the centre point of each axis was a major civic landmark

4 Streets model New York City

• A simple wayfinding mechanism was devised in 1811

• A grid of sequentially numbered streets

Source: The Wayfinding Handbook, David Gibson

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wayfinding system

Process Develop the wayfinding strategy Strategy Options

1 Connector model

2 Districts model

3 Landmarks model

4 Streets model

NORTH BUILDING

SOUTH BUILDING CONNECTOR

CONNECTOR

WESTBUILDING

BUILDINGEAST

MAIN STREET

EAST STREET

WEST STREET

NORTH STREET

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wayfinding system

5 Plan the signage.

Process

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wayfinding system

Process Plan the signage

There a 4 types of sign catagories:

1 Identification 2 Directional

3 Orientation

4 Regulatory

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wayfinding system

Process Plan the signage

1 Identification

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wayfinding system

Process Plan the signage

2 Directional

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wayfinding system

Process Plan the signage

3 Orientation

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wayfinding system

Process Plan the signage

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wayfinding system

Process Plan the signage

External Building ID S1

Level ID

S7 S10 Amenity ID

Blade sign Door ID S9 BOH Room ID

Electrical Room Service Lift

Safety Decal O1

External Totem S2.A

Operational Statutory

O2 O3

No Smoking CCTV in operation Hours of Operation Communications Room

Fire Stairs FHR Fire Control Hazards Tenant Directory

S3 Lift Level

Directional Lift Carriage

Identification

S4 S5 S6

1- 20

A- E

A

Destination ID S8

Bollard S2.B

Sign Hierarchy

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wayfinding system

Process Plan the signage

S1 External ID T1

S2 External Totem

S3 Tenant Directory S2 External Totem S3 Tenant Directory

A B C D

H G F A B C D

H G F E

A B C

H G F E A

B

A B

S5 Lift Carriage Directional (Messaging TBD) S5 Lift Carriage Directional

(Messaging TBD) S5 Lift Carriage Directional

(Messaging TBD)

S5 Lift Carriage Directional (Messaging TBD)

(Messaging TBD)

S7 Level ID 00

S7 Level ID 00 S7 Level ID S7 Level ID 00

00

S7 Level ID 00

S7 Level ID

(Messaging TBD) S5 Lift Carriage Directional

(Messaging TBD)

S1 External ID T1

S7 Level ID

(Messaging TBD)

S1

S10 D2 S2 S3 S4

External Building ID

Amenity ID

IDENTIFICATION & DIRECTIONAL

Suspended Directional External Totem Tenant Directory Lift Level Directional Lift Carriage Directional Lift Carriage Identification Level ID

Destination ID

S5 S6 S7 S8

BOH Room ID

S9

O1 O2

Safety Decal Operational Statutory

O3

REGULATORY

Masterplan locations

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wayfinding system

6 Design

the physical forms.

Process

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wayfinding system

Process Design the physical forms

Consider the following:

1 How it relates to the context 2 How many types are required 3 Lighting requirements

4 Dynamic signage & monitors

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wayfinding system

Process Design the physical forms

Develop a proportional system whose forms maximise

standard material sheet sizes to minimise waste.

1200 x 2400 (Standard sheet size)

600 x 1200

300 x 600

300 x 300 150 x 300

150x

150 600 x 600 1200 x 1200

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Process Design the physical forms A proportional modular sign family

Directional Sign 1200 x 300 mm 3000

2400

1800

1200

600

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wayfinding system

7 Design

the graphics.

Process

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wayfinding system

Process Design the graphics Viewing distances & legibility

3 metres

Sign

Viewing distance in meters

6 metres 9 metres 12 metres 15 metres

10 mm Letter height

in millimetres

20 mm

30 mm

40 mm

50 mm

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wayfinding system

Process Design the graphics Choosing the best typeface for signage

Two important characteristics of letterforms affect its legibility

Futura Helvetica

1 High x-height

2 Open counter space

Akzidenz Grotesk

Flama ✓

✓

✕

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wayfinding system

Process Design the graphics Typeface Selection Criteria

Consider the following:

1 The character of the architecture 2 The brand the organisation

3 Clarity and legibility

4 International recognition

5 Timelessness

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wayfinding system

Light reflectancy (LR) of typical colours Black

Grey

Red

Orange

Blue

Yellow

Green

White Process Design the graphics The science of colour

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K1 – K2

{ K1 } ^{x 100 = H} ^Example

13 – 8

{ 13 } ^{x 100 = 38} { ^{85 – 13} 85 } ^{x 100 = 84}

Text colour: White (85)

Background Colour: Red (13)

Text colour: Black (8)

Background Colour: Red (13)

Sufficient contrast for display Insufficient contrast for display

✓

✕

Process Design the graphics The science of colour

K1 = Highest colour value K2 = Lowest colour value H = Contrast value

Optimal contrast value is at least a hue of 70 In wayfinding contrast is important for

ease of reading.

TEXT TEXT

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wayfinding system

Diagrammatic Sign Elevation

Forward & up arrow

Right arrow Left arrow

Forward & right arrow

Forward & left arrow

Diagrammatic Sign Plan View

Process Design the graphics Directional Hierarchy

1 1 2

3 4

5

4

2

5

3 1 4

2 5

3

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wayfinding system

Process Design the graphics Sign layout

Grid articulates zones for arrows,

pictograms and type

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wayfinding system

8 Implement the system.

Process

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wayfinding system

Process Implement the system

Provide the following:

1 Drawings and manufacture specification 2 Message schedule

3 Sign location masterplan

4 Select competent suppliers you can trust 5 Prototype

6 Revise and supervise manufacture

7 Defects inspection

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wayfinding system

9 Evaluate

the results.

Process

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wayfinding system

Process Evaluate the results

Action:

1 Evaluate after an appropriate period of use 2 Get feedback from staff

3 Get feedback from visitors

4 Identify what works and what doesn’t

5 Fix it!

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References

WEBSITES urbanite.com.au

https://www.segd.org/

http://fontsinuse.com/

tags/125/wayfinding swiss-miss.com

BOOKS Wayshowing:

A Guide to Environmental Signage Principles & Practices Per Mollerup

Wayfinding:

People, Signs and Architecture Paul Arthur and Romedi Passini The Wayfinding Handbook Information Design for Public Places

David Gibson

Signage and Wayfinding Design Chris Calori

Signage Systems & Information Graphics

Andreas Uebele BLOGS

http://ilovetypography.

com/2012/04/19/the-design- of-a-signage-typeface/

http://www.pinterest.com/

explore/way-finding/?p=2 http://opentype.info/blog/

category/wayfinding/

http://typophile.com/

node/12990

http://designspiration.net/

search/signage/

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