MUSEUM WAYFINDING
WAYFINDING
Wayfinding design system has always been a challenging task for many designers, especially in a place like a museum with very different architecture, and museum terminology which can be inconsistent and obscure. Therefore, the designer have to create a wayfinding design system that is not only consistent throughout the museum indoor and outdoor environment, but also to guide the visitor to their desired place without disrupting the visitor’s immersive experience.
Introduction to Wayfinding
HOW ENSURESWAYFINDINGUSEREXPERIENCE
There are four types of signages most commonly used which help to navigate users and give them appropriate information, they are Directional, Informational, Identi fication, and Regulatory. A good wayfinding system not only needs to be carefully considered what type of sig nage to use and well-designed signage, but it also has to be well placed and to match the user’s language.
However, how do people use a wayfinding system to orient themselves and navigate in the space?
What Wayfinding? “actually” is? The term “wayfinding” was recently added to the Ox ford English Dictionary in 2015 as “The act of finding one’s way to a particular place; navigation.” However, according to The Society for Experiential Graphic Design, “Wayfinding refers to information systems that guide people through a physical environment and enhance their understanding and experience of the space” (What is Wayfinding?). The goal of any wayfinding design system is not only to provide navigation instruction but also to aid the user in orienting themselves in a space and then in navigating to a specific destination. Even though wayfinding applies to cross-disciplinary practices including architecture, art, and design, psychology, en vironmental studies, one of the most recent definitions, it still includes a set system that combines signage and map design, symbols, color, and typography to effectively navigate people through a space (What is Wayfinding?).
Moreover, architecture, landscaping, and lighting all play a significant role in a wayfinding system to provide cues to the users. According to rsmdesign.com, “the landscape design can literally show the way by channeling traffic and the presence of light in an environment can communicate the message… they help translate the architecture in a non-ver bal language spoken fluently by humans around the world.” On top of that, the signage and graphics system are also a vital part of the wayfinding system.
Wayfinding Behaviors People engage in various kinds of spatial behavior in their daily lives. One of the most frequently encoun tered examples is planning a route and moving through space to a destination. This behavior, called navigation, could also be considered as a straightforward and effortless task since it is so common, but it involves multilevel cognitive processing. In the past, people use traditional wayfinding tools such as compasses, paper maps, signs, etc. However, in the modern days, digital wayfinding such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) or interactive map is getting more popular and replacing the traditional tools. People tend to use their navigation apps on their smartphones when they are lost or scan a QR code of an interactive map for direction.
When people think of museums, art museums most often come to mind as solemn places where visitors stand in silence contemplating neat rows of paintings. However, nowadays, with more modern technology, along with the global pandemic, art museums are having a turnover in order to improve their services and enhance their visitors’ experience. With many new interactive exhibitions, activities, and spaces opening, supporting visitors as they make their way to and around museums is a complex task. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to increase the amount of knowledge regarding wayfinding, especially in museum buildings and outdoor parks, and how it relates to visitors’ satisfaction and experience.
Nevertheless, besides its advantages, digital wayfinding has its disadvantage on human spatial learning. Accord ing to Ishikawa et al., “numerous studies have found empirical evidence that technology-assisted wayfinding seems to decrease the acquisition of spatial knowledge compared to more traditional wayfinding methods.”
Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, the researchers found that depending on the size and physical transi tions within the museum, visitors liked moving around on their own in the museum, and they would not mind moving back and forth in a nonlinear fashion (Roussou and AnotherKatifori).wayto be considered in order to navigate around a museum is photo-based navigation. Rous sou and Katifori explain that “photo-based naviga tion support which has shown to be robust, with visitors found their way to the correct location with relative ease throughout both experiences’ automatic continuation based on location-tracking mechanisms.” Therefore, photo-based navigation such as museum maps or booklets receives the most posi tive feedback from many visitors, as long as the photos are designed to illustrate precise locations and exhibits.
Another way that visitors can find their way around unfamiliar spaces is a verbal direction or even direct navigation assistance to avoid getting lost in big mu seums. Although verbal directions are generally considered convenient and easier to translate into actions, it primarily depends on the complexity, or clarity of instruction, and the reference points used to direct the navigator (Chakrabarti and Chakrabarti). Besides photo-based navigation and verbal instruction, museum wayfinding also includes “hint-based” navigation such as signages that prompt and guide the visitors to where they need to be. Howev er, surprisingly, not many visitors enjoyed or preferred the explorative approach generated by the “hint-based” navigation. So, what are the current problems that museum wayfinding is facing?
Museum Wayfinding
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Supporting visitors as they make their way to and around the museum is a complex task; however, there are different strategies that one could use to navigate new museum spaces. According to a study at the Photo-based navigation support which has shown to be robust, with visitors found their way to the correct location with relative ease throughout both experiences’ automatic continuation based on location-tracking mechanisms.
While digital navigation is effective in its ability to lead people to the desired location, this passive form of navigation does not support spatial learn ing, thus having a detrimental impact on human navigation skills and spatial cognition.
In contrast to GPS-based navigation, “map-based navigation” such as relying on memory for the map has been found to support spatial learning, knowledge acquisition of the environment, and improved flexible navigation performance (Ishikawa et al). Such flexible navigation relying on long-term memory is related to the development of a cognitive map, which stores the allocentric information about the structure of the environment enabling shortcuts and efficient detours around unexpected obstacles. Nevertheless, accord ing to the Society for Experimental Graphic Design, navigation through the use of past experiences and visible landmarks is the most popular way to navigate and has become the fastest of wayfind ing strategies as the observers no longer stop or even slow down to read and understand messag es on signs. Thus, what is the difference in wayfind ing and user behavior at a museum?
Elevator Elevator Elevator GalleryExhibition
Not only that, if a museum has an outdoor environ ment, it is a challenging task for the designer to create a wayfinding design system that is consistent throughout the indoor and outdoor space. Based on the Study of Wayfinding Behaviors in an Outdoor Environment, the visitors faced wayfinding challenges in the absence of navigational information received via maps, or verbal directions. Additionally, the improper placement or the incomplete information presented by the signs affected the wayfinding experience of the visitors (Chakrabarti and Chakrabarti). Since most the museum visitors are first-time visitors to the area, they might not have any prior cognitive maps formed, and primarily rely on the existing signs or any photo-based Besidesnavigation.that, digital navigation also raises some issues by further complicating and disrupting the visitor’s immersive experience. According to Roussou and Katifori, some visitors felt tired by carrying their phones and holding them the appropriate way for looking at the screen. The idea of using smartphone as a tool for wayfinding creates mixed feelings, as some visitors felt it would be limited, whereas others felt it would help not to look constantly at the screen. Moreover, the senior visitors might need assistance in order to navigate their way around muse ums by using their smart-phones.
LEVEL BSPECIAL EXHIBITIONS LEVEL CPARK LEVEL MeymandiExhibitionGallery PopeExhibitionGalleryPhotography Photography Video AtriumGalleryExhibition Elevator Elevator African 1AStudio 1BStudio 2Studio AuditoriumSECU SECUCourtyard MembershipTicketsand CenterLearningDistanceSECUEastCaféPatio
Audubon’sofTheBirdsAmerica GalleryExhibition How often does one end up lost in a museum? To some, not knowing where they are can feel far less pleasurable if they are trying to locate a particular object, gallery, or exhibition. Worse still, what if they can’t even find the museum or its entrance in the first place? Multiple of challenges come into play when attempting to design an effective wayfinding system in order to ensure the visitors’ experience in a museum. Faherty, an award-winning researcher, points out one of the problems in museum wayfinding is “because museum sites and buildings are often agglomerations of very different pieces of archi tecture, and museum terminology can be incon sistent and obscure, and because visitors behave in myriad ways within museum spaces.”
CURRENT PROBLEMS OF
Even though there are many current wayfinding systems offered inside and outside museums, several problems are proposed due to the differences in museum building architecture and the inconsistent layout. WAYFINDING
It is a challenging task for the designer to create a wayfinding design system that is consistent throughout the indoor and out door space.
Activities are goal-di rected sets of actions. What are the path ways that people take toward the things they want to tionsincludingaccomplish,specificacandprocesses?
A I O E U
Users are the people whose behaviors, pref erences, and needs are being observed. Who is present? What are their roles and relationships? What are their values and biases to the space?
Objects are the building blocks of the environment, key elements or even unintended uses, pos sibly changing their function, meaning, and context. What are the objects and devic es people have in their environments, and how do these relate to their activities?
Environments include the entire arena in which activities take place. For example, what describes the atmosphere and func tion of the context, including individual and shared spaces? Interactions are between a person and someone or an object, and are the building blocks of activities. What is the nature of routine and special interactions between people, between people and objects in their environment?
Megan: We’ve had touchscreens, you know, interactive pieces and exhibi tions for a long time. COVID Stopped that. Arguably, before this new surge, the Omicron surge, we were bringing touch back, you know a lot of our touch screens were coming back online, we opened up an interactive exhibi tion. It’s called Participate. And it’s encouraging people to interact and touch.
Quynh: Do you think the art installation outdoors will attract more visitors to the museum because of the pandemic, not a lot of people want to be inside?
Quynh: So besides indoor exhibitions, do you do any like outdoor activi ties, like outdoor exhibition or like art installation?
Megan: Once everything shut down and people found that like they felt safest outdoors, you know, socially distancing, we had a record number of visitors come through the park. For the first time, I think in the Museum’s History, we saw 1 million visitors in the year, come through the park. And you know, we’re of course hopeful that people will also come indoors and not just for the restrooms. But just having that audience walk through our sculp ture park and enjoy our natural spaces, it was really a really big deal for the museum. Because of this record number of visitors, we want to make sure the park does look its best and is you know, as engaging as possible. And you know, the community, the Wayfinding, our graphics, and our park maps, you know, hopefully all of that, you know, is as good as it can be.
Megan: Marketing is a huge necessity. But I would say it’s really, I think all the working parts of the museum, all the working departments coming together, collaborating, communicating, and working as a team to see the exhibition through.
Megan: I think we have a pretty solid exhibition program, we’re always looking for something new, something different, something maybe we hav en’t done before, or you know, a new take on old or old-ish theme, though, I feel like in that way, we’re always looking for the best fit and for the NCMA. Also, in addition to all of our exhibitions, we’re reinstalling the permanent collection this year, so entire museum is going to change, every work of art is moving.
Quynh: Could you introduce yourself in the role you have at the NCMA?
INTERVIEW WITH MEGAN OLLIS
Director of Collections and Exhibitions
Quynh: How do you envision the NCMA progressing to design more en gaging exhibitions to attract more visitors and stakeholders in the future?
Megan: To a certain degree, I report to the chief curator Linda Dougherty and she oversees most of the installations out in our sculpture park, you’re probably aware we have 164 acre park, which includes art, sculptures and art installations. My team will work with the manager of the park sculptures and collections. But as far as deciding what works or going out in the park, my chief curator is usually the one to arrange with the artist what those will be. And then my designers will work with the artist and the park team to decide where those installations should go, best place for them.
Anabel: How do you building envision the exhibits becoming more inter active and how has that been done in the past?
Megan: Sure. My name is Megan Ollis, and I am the director of exhibitions and collections at the North Carolina Museum of Art.
Megan is an Experienced Project Manager with a demonstrated history of working in museums and non-profit institutions. In this interview, Megan explained how the museum has grown over the years and what changes they are planning to create more inclusive experience for all the visitors.
Quynh: What do you think is the main factor that creates a successful exhibition?
Quynh: Would you mind introducing yourself?
Quynh: Do you think more wayfinding signage will help people to navi gate the museum better? Ian: Yeah, I wonder how like something like color coordination or some thing that will help signal people something that matches with what they’re looking at. I look at my map and it matches up with the color and like that’s where like the restrooms are or something.
Quynh: Do you know those interactive pieces inside a museum? Do you think it’s helping the customers feel more engaged with the exhibition?
Ian: I think of a couple of different things, navigation to like the restrooms and facilities like that so people can be comfortable in the museum. I think that when somebody is in the middle of art gallery, if they don’t have a map already, then it’s like, hey, where do I go? Which way there’s not a lot on that respect, like to find the bathroom whereas if you needed to go back to like the counter, you could at least just backtrack the way that you came. But aside from that, I wonder if like more seating in certain parts of the museum would be helpful.
Quynh: How do you think the museum could improve in giving visitors a positive experience?
Ian: Yes. My name is Ian Bailey, a sophomore in College of Design, graphic design. Quynh: When visiting the museum, could you describe how you go about exploring the area? Ian: I guess it starts in the parking lot. And then I walked down and enter the permanent collection. I believe like when you walked on the path, it was the one on the left and the one on the right, the newer building, or I guess the more modern looking one, because the other ones like bricks, I go into the newer one first and I usually just kind of follow my interest.
Quynh: When visiting the museum, could you describe how you go about exploring the area? Ian: I guess it starts in the parking lot. And then I walked down and enter the permanent collection. I believe like when you walked on the path, it was the one on the left and the one on the right, the newer building, or I guess the more modern looking one, because the other ones like bricks, I go into the newer one first and I usually just kind of follow my interest.
INTERVIEW WITH IAN BAILEY
NC State Student - NCMA Visitor
Activity Interaction Object User Environment
Ian is a North Carolina State graphic design student and also has been a regular visitor at the museum of art for several years. During the interview, Ian mentioned about how he involved and participated in the museum ac tivities and what he hoped to see more from the museum in the future.
Ian: One thing that has helped people feel more comfortable or more engaged is having exhibitions that involve visitors more. So, a lot of that has to do with the way that people are using it, it seems like that’s sort of my experience is that. It’s like people would normally in the past, go to an art museum, to go look at a painting and just kind of like contemplate it. I feel like there’s sort of this movement to go in a more engaging direction where people are wanting to like take photos with the artwork. And so having like installations that you can walk through or that sort of surround people or they’re just like bright or they’re situated in a particular spot where it sets up like an opportunity for somebody to be inside of it or a part of it as like either an immersive experience or like maybe it’s like a photo opportunity.
Anabel: What visitor experiences and activities are the most popular at NCMA? In what environments do these take place in?
Janis is the Director of Visitor Experience at the NCMA. Her job is to en sure that every visitor that comes through our door has a welcoming expe rience. In this interview, Janis explained what it took to create an inclusive experience and interaction for all their visitors.
Anabel: How do visitors know about these kinds of events that are taking place outdoors?
Anabel: Could you please introduce yourself in the role you have at the North Carolina Museum of Art?
Janice: social media, then I would say just the website traffic, we also do emails, it’s really knowing your product and what to connect to what visitor.
Anabel: Are there any digital interactions that take place in the outdoor space?
Janice: We have made a lot of efforts to do research and meet standards by working with Arts Access for paths of mobility as you go through, wheth er you’re in a wheelchair, whether you have low vision, low hearing, you know, whatever it is that we need to work on. Making sure you’re safe in our galleries. And that also includes wall labels, restrooms.
Janice: I am Janice Treiber, and I am Director of Visitor Experience and Retail.
Director of Visitor and Retail Experience INTERVIEW WITH JANIS TRIEBER
Anabel: What makes the museum an accessible space for visitors with impairments or disabilities?
Janice: So anything from a concert, to a movie, to a play, to Tai Chi ,yoga, impromptu poetry or dance, we have a lot of community based or statewide partnerships that bring performers and artists to the park and it just allows you to have a more immersive experience.
Janice: Mainly not digital, but I think there’s a lot of benefit, so I think we’ll see a lot of growth with that.
Anabel: Are these same implementations taking place in the outdoor space as well? Janice: It can be very tricky outdoors. I think it’s harder. Like if you look at our amphitheater - concrete walkways, they crack they could be danger ous for somebody walking a child. It is an ongoing issue having enough restrooms. One of the reasons we’re opening the Welcome Center, it will be 24-hour access to restrooms, which is huge if you’re out and you want to come enjoy the park. But that’s something you’re worried about.
Janis: Things have changed with the pandemic; I’d say our park visitors has just grown in the millions. I think it opens up ideas for us, for program ming that we never thought of -- things out there for outdoor exhibitions, which we haven’t done, which can be really interesting. Otherwise, a typical day might be locals who come in to have coffee, use the internet and sit in the cafe. It’s not just an art gallery.
Anabel: What kinds of activities take place in the outdoor area of the museum?
Wayfinding design has always been a challenging task for any designer because wayfinding is much more than just signs. In order to create an effective and successful wayfinding design system, designers have to take into consideration elements of architecture, landscape, landmarks, and additional visual cues such as lighting, user interaction all as an intercon nected scheme. For a specific place like a museum with very different pieces of architecture, and museum terminology, designers have to be more careful and take the visitor experience into consideration Moreover, museums nowadays are not just a place for people to come and contemplate artworks; it also offers people many new services and activi ties. Therefore, designers have to design a navigating system that not only guides the visitor to their desired location but also does not disrupt the visitor’s immersive experience.
WHAT’S NEXT... FOR WAYFINDING
