Wayfinding System

WAYFINDING

Typography Assessment 3

Mariam Adra | 00198307T

CONTENTS 1 CLIENT AND LOCATION 2 -Map of the Gardens 3-5

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ISSUES TO ADDRESS

-Additional Considerations

11-15

SIGNAGE

16-18 MOCKUPS 19-20

CONCEPT 1

7 SKETCHES

21-23

CONCEPT 2

8 TYPOGRAPHY

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CONCEPT 3

9

COLOUR PALETTE

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BRAND ELEMENTS

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REFERENCES

Client and Location The Botanical gardens are located in Auburn, New South Wales and cover an area of 9.7 hectares.

There are two lakes, waterfalls and bridges. The gardens are open daily and attract thousands of visitors every year, with the majority being families from overseas. The gardens also play host to a number of multicultural weddings and the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The Japanese Garden is the most popular and most frequently visited garden.

The topography of the site, which slopes gently towards the Duck River, has been altered to create different perspectives and micro-climates. Three habitats are intended to provide an experience of ‘Australia’ in the city – the woodlands theatre, the native garden and billabong, and the Australian rainforest. The Fauna Reserve contains wallabies, kangaroos, emus, rufous bettong and the common wombat. The Reserve is a built structure which allows the public to walk through and view native animals within their own environment. Outside of the fauna reserve, animals such as peacocks, swans and other native birds wander around the garden freely. .

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Map of the Gardens Auburn Botanic Gardens is comprised of a number of different areas At the moment there is no clear separation of the different areas of the gardens.

Each area is unique and visually attractive, however because there are a lot of pathways and plantation, they can also be easily missed or hard to navigate without a proper wayfinding system.

The different sections are categorized by colour on the newly updated maps. A categorical system needs to be implemented into the wayfinding system in the form of pictograms or colours. This system should be focused on assisting families and international visitors around the gardens easily, so that the majority of their time can be spent enjoying the gardens.

1. Peacock Gallery (Separate park across the road) 2. Aviary (Separate park across the road) 3. Entrance 4. Bridge 5. Japanese Gardens 6. Tea House 7. Waterfall 8. Reflection Pool 9. Scented Garden 10. Sunken Rose Garden

11. Garden of Trees 12. Avenue of Remembrance 13. Fauna Reserve 14. Woodlands Theatre 15. Australian Native Garden 16. Billabong 17. Equal Access Playground 18. Duck River 19. Picnic/BBQ Area 20. Car Park

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Issues to Address Hidden Signage Signage blends into the gardens or completely disappears. Signage needs to be immediatley visible when walking around the gardens. I noticed some of the signage only simply because I was looking for them (Image on the bottom right). This pathway is quite wide with ample space for signagethat is instead tucked away with the plants.

Signage not clearly visible

Unnecessary and Illegible

Situated behind these signs is the Woodlands Ampitheatre.

There is no signage to indicate this - apart from the directional signage post.

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Issues to Address cont.

Lack of Consistency Signage has no particular style; signage around the gardens are different in colour and size, and a lot of the detailed signage is unnecessary as it is not legible. A consistent theme needs to be employed in order to create a strong system that will not only be easy to navigate, but also appeal to visitors - particularly those from overseas. Outdated signage and lack of consistency conveys a lack of care for our environment.

Informative signage is laminated and stuck onto the post closet to the animals depicted.

Signage is outdated and faded and quite hard to read, especially in direct sunlight. These materials have a shine that makes the white text even more difficult to read.

There is no visual link between informative signages. The new Cumberland Council logo has been cut and paste, giving an overall lazy and unfinished feel.

Typography differs on the signage throughout the entire Botanic Gardens as a whole, as well as within one section. For example, the typography on this sign inside the Fauna Reserve differs to that of the information boards about the animals.

Signs come in different sizes and shapes. This sign blends in with the environment and is only legible if you walk straight into the bushes to read it.

Issues to Address cont.

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No Main Front Signage A sign should be placed upon entry to the gardens. There are gates before and after the main entry which visitors may confuse as the main entrances. The current sign is also dated and not easily visible from the main entrance. Signs should also be placed at the entrance to pathways as well as at crossroads inside the gardens. During some of my initial visits to the garden, I didn’t even know there was a Fauna reserve and so directional signage should clearly depict this.

There is a lot of open space however signage seems to be crammed quite closely together, therefore decreasing the navigational effectiveness.

Additional Considerations The current environmental colour palette should be taken into consideration in regards to the colour palette for the wayfinding system.

The current surrounds of the Botanic gardens include grey stone, white rocks and pebbles, greenery, brown floors and wooden bridges.

The wayfinding system will need colours that compliment the environment while still standing out. The signs should not be too fancy, so as to emphasize the surrounds; the bridges, plantation and waterfalls. This will also assist in creating a family friendly wayfinding system that is easy to navigate.

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Sketches

• Dark Brown Textured Timber.

Weatherproof, contrasts with light natural colours and stone whilst still complimenting the surrounding nature.

• Simple, Modern/Traditional Mix • Shape and colours contrast with the curved bridges, arches, lake, etc. Easily identifiable.

• Posts: for the main garden entry. Fit well within the garden environment.

BUT ONCE AGAIN STAND OUT

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Typography SKIA REGULAR

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

SKIA BOLD

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Text and iconography will be deep-etched into the smooth (slightly embossed) timber to create a textured effect.

The chosen type across all signage is Skia. This sans serif font was selected for its easy legibility. The slight curvature of the type adds some personality; as opposed to being completely block like, which compliments the garden environment well. This font is used across all signage in order to maintain consistency. It is used in CAPS and Bold for differentiation where necessary.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

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Colour Palette C : 74% M : 81% Y : 0% K : 0% Playground

C : 27% M : 8% Y : 26% K : 0%

C : 60% M : 1% Y : 0% K : 0% Duck River

C : 81% M : 79% Y : 0% K : 0%

C : 62% M : 0% Y : 100% K : 0%

C : 5% M : 75% Y : 100% K : 0%

Scented Garden Avenue of

Remembrance

C : 31% M : 82% Y : 4% K : 0%

C : 60% M : 45% Y : 90% K : 32%

C : 13% M : 0% Y : 88% K : 0% Picnic Area

C : 0% M : 56% Y : 0% K : 0%

C : 84% M : 44% Y : 30% K : 5%

Woodlands Theatre Reflection Pool

C : 20% M : 89% Y : 96% K : 9%

C : 0% M : 50% Y : 99% K : 0%

C : 21% M : 100% Y : 100% K : 12%

Australian Native Billabong Japanese Gardens Garden of Trees Sunken Rose Garden Fauna Reserve Main/Front Sign Gardens

The materials for all signage will be dark brown smooth textured timber, deep etched with white text and pictorial icons.

The specific colours for each section of the gardens assists in simple, clear navigation.

It was important for me to use colour in a way that didn’t look ‘too colourful’ - i.e. without it looking like a theme park. I ensured each colour complimented the dark brown timber whilst not clashing with the surrounding environment.

The red (used for the main front signage) is the same red of the main architecture of the gardens (mainly the iconic Japanese garden) and bridges, and so this works well as the main front signage, as visitors are directed to the entry quite easily due to the linkage of colour.

Icons & Brand Elements

Pictograms will greatly assist multicultural families and overseas travellers as the images are visually understood by all. Consistency is maintained as the same simplistic minimalistic style is employed throughout the icons.

The park is owned and operated by Cumberland council.

There is currently a mix of the old and new logo on all signage, and so the new council logo should be updated on to the signage.

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Wayfinding Signage Directional Posts

PLAYGROUND

DUCK RIVER

SCENTED GARDEN

AVENUE OF REMEMBRANCE

BILLABONG

PICNIC AREA

JAPANESE GARDENS

WOODLANDS THEATRE

GARDEN OF TREES

AUSTRALIAN NATIVE

SUNKEN ROSE GARDEN

FAUNA RESERVE REFLECTION POOL

DIRECTORY

Wayfinding Signage cont.

Main Entry Posts & Information Boards

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Wayfinding Signage cont.

Main Entry Posts & Information Boards

The Main posts will be situated at the entry pathway of a specific garden, then as the visitor walks into the garden they will gain more information about their surrounds from the Information boards.

These boards also function as a confirmation that the visitors are in the correct area in which they were initially navigating to.

The posts and information boards are linked via use of the same colour and icon specific to a particular garden, which helps to lead the visitor from outside the garden to within.

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Wayfinding Signage cont.

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Welcome Sign & Directory

Initially I wanted to go for something die-cut and fancy, however considering that it is a small, tight-knit community with lots of family, children and multicultural visitors, I decided to keep it simpler and a little bit more traditional. The objective was to create a system that was simple and easy to use, whilst not being too intimidating.

Wayfinding Signage cont.

Park Signs

Signage that is to be placed outside of the gardens is also considered as part of the wayfinding system. The directional posts inside of the gardens lead the visitors outside, while the main park signs ensure that the visitors have followed the right track - and confirm that they are at the correct destination.

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Mock-Ups

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Mock-Ups cont.

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Mock-Ups cont.

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Concept 1:

Roselands Shopping Car Park

Audience: All ages, most commonly young families.

Considerations and Issues to address: Centro Roselands Shopping centre car park is quite dull in terms of visible signage. There are many different car park entrances; (for example the entrance closest to coles, and the roundabout entrances). The signage to these entrances are quite small and not clearly visibleparticularly when vehicles don’t have time to stop and read. Arrows on the floor are a murky yellow colour and mostly faded, making it hard to clearly navigate. Pram and disabled parking also do not show clearly visible or up to date icons.

In my opinion the car park letters are too bold for their size and so they’re not as clear to read, even from a distance. There is no separation that is clearly evident; and all columns are in yellow. Clear directional signage needs to be implemented and colours need to stand out so that information can be processed quicker.

Examples of the colour and clarity needed

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Concept 1:

Moodboard

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Concept 2:

Auburn Botanic Gardens

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Issues: No clear signage, if any they are quite dull and blend in with the environment as opposed to guiding the visitors through the gardens. Signs are in text only, this makes it more difficult for a multiculturally diverse audience. I can read english clearly and I do find it quite difficult to navigate around the gardens without getting a little lost. Topography also needs to be considered in relation to the placement of signage. The slopes make it harder to easily identify different areas of the garden; for example the duck river.

Objectives: Pictorial icons need to be implemented as not all visitors can read english. Signs that are highly visible, clear and directional. Colour will also assist with navigating.

Materials: Weatherproof- timber or steel (for the die cuts).

Signage is disturbing to the environment

Concept 2:

Pictograms will make navigation easier for overseas visitors

Colour separation for different sections

Moodboard

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Concept 2:

Initial Sketches

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Concept 3:

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Bankstown Hospital

Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital is located in the city of Bankstown and is one of the most multicultural local government areas (LGA) in Australia, with residents speaking more than 120 different languages.

Hospital Amneties include a Coffee shop, Automatic Teller Machines, Chapel and Prayer room, Telephones and Internet access and Television.

PRE-ADMISSIONS CLINIC

RENAL DIALYSIS

MEDICAL 2G Ward

PARKING TICKET MACHINE

T

PUBLIC TOILET ATM

MEDICAL 2J Ward Garden

MEDICAL ASSESSMENT UNIT

Court Yard

Garden

CLINICAL MEASUREMENT

CLINICAL INFORMATION

RADIOLOGY

Court Yard

PAEDIATRIC 2F Ward

CASHIER

DIABETES CLINIC

AGED CARE 2C Ward

GERIATRIC 2B Ward

T

MAIN ENTRY

P

Garden

Garden

Gallipoli Street

Court Yard

CLINICAL SCHOOL

OUT PATIENTS

P PATIENT TRANSPORT DROP-OFF ZONE

PSYCHO GERIATRIC 2D Ward

Court Yard

S

SECURITY DEPARTMENT LIFT

Court Yard

PATHOLOGY PHARMACY

Patient/Visitor Enquiries

Artegall Street

AMBULATORY CARE

S

REHABILITATION 2A Ward

PICK UP / DROP OFF ZONE Court Yard

Garden Court

DRUG & ALCOHOL HEALTH SERVICES

Objectives: Clearer signage; including clearer typography and use of universally recognized icons. Taking into consideration the elderly, and that not all visitors/patients are english speaking.

P

PSYCHIATRIC

T

Issues: The overall feeling of the current wayfinding system is drab and eerie. Signage is predominately blue and dated. Exterior signage outside of the building is also dated and unclear.

KEY:

Claribel Street

DISCHARGE LOUNGE

ALLIED HEALTH PARKING

PARKING PARKING

T

MEDICAL CENTRE

PARKING

PARKING

d

Eldridge Roa

Eldridge Road

BANKSTOWN-LIDCOMBE HOSPITAL

Concept 3:

Moodboard

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References Auburn Botanic Gardens - Cumberland Council: https://www.cumberland.nsw.gov.au/ Auburn Botanic Garden photos: https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g2650863-d3645631-Reviews-Auburn_Botanic_Gardens-Auburn_Greater_Sydney_New_South_Wales.html Remaining garden photos: Taken by me Bankstown Hospital: https://www.swslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/bankstown/ Bankstown hospital Map: https://www.swslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/bankstown/pdf/Map.pdf Moodboard Photos [Pinterest Wayfinding Pinboard]: https://www.pinterest.com.au/mazadra/way-finding/

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