WAYFINDING BY: RYLIE BICKNELL
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
WAY F I N D I N G SITUAT I O N TE STIN G FINA L SUMMARY
P R OJ ECT
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WAYFINDING DESCRIPTION REA DIN GS A RTIC L E S V IDEO
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WAYFINDING P R OJ ECT Wayfinding is a term coined by Kevin Lynch to describe the concept of environmental legibility. It encompasses how people get from one location to another and is identified by its skeletal elements of paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks. The architectural design of wayfinding builds spaces and products that facilitate movement. Susan S. Hunter describes successful wayfinding as systems that allow people to determine their location within a setting, determine their destination, develop a plan to take them from their location to their destination, and execute the plan and negotiate any required changes. In this project my group and I determined a location on campus that we deemed confusing. After choosing a location we devised a wayfinding plan, created a model, and then installed our final version.
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S I T U AT I O N DESCRIPTION In our original situation we explored a pathway from Daisy Hill to the Art & Design building. As a group we concluded that the Art & Design building was hidden from campus and was often confusing for new students to find. Since Daisy Hill houses the majority of new freshman, we thought this would be a good place to start. When we interviewed non Art and Design freshman students, only four out of ten could successfully tell us where the building was. From observation we saw that most students took the path up 15th street and along Jayhawk boulevard. At first we chose to wayfind through a hidden path that cut through a neighborhood because it wasn’t uphill, unlike the most commonly used path. We defined AEIOU as landing at the Art & Design building, the environment as outside, and the individuals as students and visitors. We defined the objects as nature, the neighborhood (path), Marvin (landmark), fountain (node), and the Jayhawk bookstore. The understanding of our wayfinding system was going to be through sculptures that formed into each other. After refining our design later, we chose a different model for a different path. We decided to lead our wayfinding system through the backside of the building up by Naismith and 15th street because of difficulties we would face putting sculptures in homeowners yards.
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M O D E L INSPIRATION After we decided to lead people to the Art & Design building we brainstormed different ideas for the models. We originally thought an art form,like a sculpture, would best represent the type of building we were leading them to. After more thought, we decided that we should create something that the university might actually be able to use. This past year KU implemented various rectangular signs outside of the campus buildings. We decided that our form would mimic those, but would also implement an element from the building itself. We were drawn to the transparent color blocks placed along the top of the entrance, so we combined both of these ideas to construct our model.
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SOLUTION T E S T I N G While we were testing our first solution the biggest problem we ran into was craft. Our model was actual size and took quite a bit of time to put together. I think the biggest thing we took away from this prototype was our spray paint technique. The first time around it looked splotchy and cloudy all over. Visually this was the area it lacked in most. To represent a building of art and design, of craft and skill, we needed signs that would represent that as well. The letters were also an obstacle. I first printed out paper stencils and traced around them. This created wobbly letters and uneven paint distribution. For our later refined model, I created cardboard stencils only to then realize that I could lay the plexi glass on top of the prototype and copy the letters by hand. We were unable to re-use this prototype because the spray paint couldn’t be fixed. When we messed up our larger letters on glass sheets we were able to scrap them off and start over.
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W O R K I N PROGRESS The group consisted of me, Jansen Wooton, and Mike Munson. Within our group, I focused on the craft of our project. I spray painted the plexiglass sheets and lettered the signs. I also photographed our process and created our group presentations. Mike built all four of our wooden bases and created slits inside each of them so that we could slide the plexi glass down. Jansen painted the wooden bases and worked through stability issues during our installation. After our first test we got the spray paint technique under control and used light, slow strokes repeatedly to get the right amount of layering. In our second round of testing we realized that the larger A & D letters wouldn’t fit in the wooden frames we had created. After taking it outside we had to screw nails into the wood for the sheets of glass to rest on. While we were setting up these prototypes a student came up to us and asked about our project. She was impressed by our signs and was excited that we were helping lead people to the Art & Design building. She was happy with our choice of location because she believed that the building needed a sign out front and our successfully did so. She wished that our signs could stay, as did we.
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F I N A L INSTALLATION Our final solution included six signs total, three of which led to a celebration. They lined up the stair case and transitioned in color each time. We also installed lights to the back so that they would light up at night.
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P R OJ ECT SUMMARY In this project I was challenged to think 3D and to execute a real world plan. Building things in this class is always the most difficult part for me because I don’t have experience in this area. I enjoy designing on the computer for print or web and 3D stuff always seems out of my reach. This project showed me that I’m capable of designing 3D and making something that could be seen on a real university’s campus. I also learned a lot about spray paint and patience with that. I had never really worked with it before and I was surprised at how difficult it was at first. I learned a lot about ethnography and how important it is to constantly receive feedback from people on your designs. I found this to be the most interesting aspect. Group projects can always be difficult because of conflicting opinions, but I was happy with how well my team worked together. We were able to decide on a plan pretty quickly and no one really slacked off in any area. The biggest problem we encountered throughout the project was craft and executing this plan well within our time constraint.
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READING RESPONSES THE CITY IMAGE AND ITS ELEMENTS:
Paths give the observer channels to follow and edges are the linear element that breaks the continuity of a path. Districts are medium-to-large sections of the city that is an area the observer can be inside of. Nodes are central points in strategic spots of the city. Landmarks also provide point-reference, but the observer doesn’t enter them. None of these exist in isolation and many times they can shift type in different viewing circumstances. Characteristics can give continuity to a path. People identified stronger with paths that had clear and well-known origins and destinations. I didn’t know there were so many different terms to describe things along a path. It’s interesting that the things people describe naturally— how to get somewhere, where something is located, what something is by—all have their own names and definitions. These things are second nature to us. This made me wonder why there are even areas that need improved wayfinding and why this isn’t implemented from the start of the design. Why would designers or builders ever create something that was hard to navigate? I feel like it’s an essential part that should be discussed at every design.
DESIGN MOVES:
Design has hidden moves. It solves problems and affects our future. It draws from many different disciplines and makes our solutions visible. Design is also connect to social science. Designers don’t need science to observe patterns, but they do need to experience the context in which their product is supposed to function. Prototypes allow designers to learn from real users. They provide an ongoing conversation between the design and the user. This was an essential part of our project. Testing, retesting, and getting feedback from the people who would be using it. This reading reminded me of how broad the definition of design can be. It encompasses a wide range of things, but at its core it solves problems. I found it interesting that the author focused on our responsibility to make sure design interacts well with the user. There are different types of prototypes and they each teach us something different when we observe them being used. I learned this is an important and vital step in the design process so that I am constantly making it better for the people who will be using it.
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COCOWAYFINDING:
In a wayfinding system the graphic information is the easiest way for people to find their location. Throughout these systems the graphic information should be consistent, use upper and lower case letter for highest legibility, and avoid single line spacing. Orientation devices help the viewer develop a mental map of the complex they are in. There should always be a “you are here� marker and the text labels should correspond to directional and destination signage. Directional information guides people along a route. The font size in these should be consistent as well as the arrow style. Destinational information is provided at the point of destination, which is usually seen in floor numbers or room identifiers. Room number signs should be beside doors and floor numbers should be detectable at each entrance. Situation and Object Identification provides information about local hazards or change of status. In situations where information is constantly changing you should use dynamic signange. Colors should be standard for specific purposes.
WAYFINDING PRESENTATION:
Wayfinding creates a public narrative and unifies language for witnesses to read and experience a space. Identification, Directional and Orientation are all types of wayfinding signage. Wayfinding gives the first impression of a space and appears at the beginning and end of routes. Directional signage provides cues for users to understand where they should move once they’ve entered. It should be obvious and recognizable to the viewer so that it is helping them. Orientation signage simplifies a complicated space and offers people an overview of where they are. This can be seen in maps, diagrams, or directories. The orientation signage has to coordinate with the other identification systems that are already in place within a space.
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A R T I C L E RESPONSES VERPLANK:
The process of design is changing as a result of computers, but sketches are still important. They are essential for capturing designers’ preliminary studies. McKim created an ideal of rapid visualization by imagining, shaping, and seeing all at the same time. McKim also emphasizes the importance of brainstorming. If an idea is criticized in its early stages, it dies too early. Interaction designers answer three questions: how do you do, how do you feel, and how do you know. Even the simplest of things require these three questions to be answered. Bill Verplank suggests a four step model for interaction design. He thinks that designers is motivated by an error, finds a metaphor that connects it, creates a model and develops a scenario to help create meaning. I was encouraged by the importance of brainstorming early and keeping those ideas in play. It reminded me of the IDEO video we watched last semester and how they never threw an idea out in the beginning stages. His three questions of how do you know, feel and do could help any designer. Interaction designing is important for the people who use will them. I had never heard of describing a design as hot or cold before this either.
ETHONGRAPHY
Good design always engages and connects with people. To do so, designers need to understand and have compassion towards their audience. They need to study the relationship between their product and what it means to the people who use it. Ethnography explains how people make sense of their world by observing people in their natural environments. By examining peoples’ artifacts you can see what they value. This then allows designers to make more compelling products because cultural norms also effect design decisions. I find this whole process fascinating. I really enjoy sociology and ethnography definitely plays off of it. In my journalism class the other day we had the CEO of the KC ethnography company come in and talk to us about what ethnography is and how it translates over into a job. This lady had worked for Disney World to dishwasher companies and traveled all over the world examining how different cultures interacting with the products the company she was working for a the time provided. For example, when she worked for Hasbro she studied the way families played board games in different cultures. Her results were incredibly interesting and I loved learning about all of the projects she had worked on with ethnography. I had never heard of this term before and then I read these PDFs and had a guest speaker over it all in the same week.
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V I D E O RESPONSES TIM BROWN TED TALK:
Design isn’t small and by focusing on just one thing he was limiting himself. Tim believes designers should focus less on the object and more on the design process as an approach to allow us to think bigger. Design is human centered. It starts with what humans need and what makes life more enjoyable. Designers must understand culture and context first. Prototypes speed up innovation. The faster we do this, the faster our ideas evolve. Human need is the place to start and prototypes move us along. The destination is important also. Design thinking is shifting from a passive relationship to an active engagement of everyone in experiences that are profitable. Design may have its greatest impact when its put in the hand of everyone and not just designers. In times of change we need new ideas and alternatives. He believes that this critical way of design thinking can change the world. The first step to all of this is to start asking the right questions.
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