Knowhere by samantha perkins

DESIGNING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING by samantha perkins DESIGNING TOOLS TO EXPLORE HOW ENVIRONMENTAL CLUES AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR INFORM AND INFLUENCE HOW WE NAVIGATE SPACES.

DESIGNING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING by samantha perkins

WE KNOW WHERE WE’RE GOING BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHERE WE’VE BEEN…

DESIGNING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY Samantha Perkins (unless otherwise noted) Exhibit Photography by Nomiki Frangopoulos and Samantha Perkins PUBLISHED Samantha Perkins as part of an MFA thesis in graphic design for the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California ADVISED Helen Armstrong, Marc English, Tom Rankin, Joyce Yu, Anitra Nottingham, and Jeremy Stout SPECIAL THANKS Miami University coworkers, who encouraged me to wander aimlessly throughout the full process. ©2012–2016 by Samantha Perkins. All rights reserved.

SEARCHING FOR WAYS TO TEACH YOUNG DESIGN STUDENTS ABOUT WAYFINDING WITH OUT BORING THEM TO TEARS… WAIT…MAYBE I SHOULD RESTATE THAT. THE JOURNAL AUDIENCE ARE A BUNCH OF MODERNISTS. GO WITH…

CLEAN & CONCISE.

FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING USING TOOLS THAT INVESTIGATE HOW CONTEXT AND BEHAVIOR ALREADY INFORM TO INFLUENCE NAVIGATION.

“PEOPLE MAY ‘FIND THEIR WAY’ IN THE EXISTENTIAL SENSE, BUT THEY… BECOME OVERWHELMED AND DISORIENTED IF THEY PHYSICALLY LOSE THEIR WAY.” —David Gibson

THIS BOOK MAPS OUT THE ROADS TO KNOWHERE, INCLUDING THE MANY HIDDEN CONTEXTS AND WEIRD BEHAVIORS SEEN ALONG THE WAY.

…INCLUDING, BUT LIMITED TO

IN NO WAY

GETTING LOST

as I see it speak to those in the know see how they do it question everything

HERE OR THERE

mapping ideas travel companions initial path wise ideas fixed points

KNOW HERE

now we produce road kit interaction setting sites the final frontier

134

NOW WHERE

uncharted territories study abroad spread the word grazie, and ciao

250

WHERE THE HELL DO I START

“IF WE KNEW WHAT IT WAS WE WERE DOING, IT WOULD NOT BE CALLED RESEARCH, WOULD IT?” —Albert Einstein

as I see it

speak to those in the know

see how they do it

question everything

THE PROBLEM? AS I SEE IT. While today’s mobile technologies offer the typical traveler multiple ways of finding their destination, sometimes people get lost. When they do, they tend to look for devices, such as signage or directories, that will orient them within their context and help them find their way. This is wayfinding. Because wayfinding deals with the communication of information using graphic elements (typography and symbols), it naturally falls within the realm of graphic design. But because it also deals with ideas of spatial arrangements, this means architects and interior designers weigh in too. So here we have three design fields, three different voices, all trying to give directions. Graphic designers are speaking with a unique understanding that layout and clarity of message communicate above all, while interior designers and architects have a clearer idea of how the actual spaces flow. At times, the message is hard to understand, and difficulties start at the educational level. Contemporary graphic design programs teach wayfinding from a layout perspective, while interior design and architecture programs ignore the potential of the field entirely. A new model of wayfinding education is needed. One that explains the how and the why behind navigation, regardless of the final where. But how do we teach behavior and context in the static environment of a standard classroom?

WE DON’T.

NO ONE SEEMS TO BE PAYING MUCH ATTENTION TO HOW PEOPLE NAVIGATE SPACES… PEOPLE RARELY FOLLOW THE PATHS WE WANT THEM TO.

“IF WE KNEW WHAT IT WAS WE WERE DOING, IT WOULD NOT BE CALLED RESEARCH, WOULD IT?” —Albert Einstein

HUB

AN AREA WHERE MULTIPLE

PATHS COME TOGETHER TO

ENCOURAGE ORIENTATION

AND REDIRECTION

TROLLING FACEBOOK ONE DAY…

THE REALIZATION. A few years ago, I started working as a wayfinding designer at an environmental graphics firm in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was told I’d been hired because they needed an architect on the team—someone who knew how to speak “talkitecture” when the time came to collaborate on wayfinding designs. Because I obsess over my work focus, I started watching and listening to people in an effort to figure out what tools they used to find their way through spaces. I figured it had to be signage. After all, everything I was doing at that moment pointed to this fact. Even my then-five-year-old son did this. One day, my sister posted something on Facebook that stopped me in my tracks, making me realize instantly that not all people navigate by signage…

WAIT… YOU MEAN PEOPLE USE MORE THAN SIGNAGE AND MAPS TO NAVIGATE?! This became an opportunity for me. The realization that people did not follow paths I might lay out for them, that they might use the clues surrounding them instead, opened new bright and shiny worlds. Thing is, most designers and, especially, clients didn’t get it. They understood signage. I was talking behavior. How could I share this new and exciting information?

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING GETTING LOST AS I SEE IT SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW SEE HOW THEY DO IT QUESTION EVERYTHING

06 / 07

I STARTED ASKING THE BIG QUESTIONS…

To get a better handle on the entire problem, I realized I would need to frame my research in a way that allowed for investigation beyond the easy questions. Since part of the point of a thesis is the establishment of a career path, and my career path is academic, then I needed to ask open-ended questions, mixed with some that could be directly observed. Just how do people navigate, on the whole? Do they use signage? When, how, and why? What happens if there are no signs? What happens if people cannot read the signs? Do they use their phones? What if the phones are broken, or if they can’t get a decent signal? WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THESE BEHAVIORS? What makes some spaces easier to navigate than others? What makes difficult spaces difficult?

WHAT TOOLS CAN WE USE TO PUSH THE LESSONS OF THESE IDEAS?

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THESE, AND OTHER, SPACES?

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING GETTING LOST AS I SEE IT SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW SEE HOW THEY DO IT QUESTION EVERYTHING

08 / 09

MAYBE I SHOULD SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING GETTING LOST

AS I SEE IT

SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW

SEE HOW THEY DO IT

QUESTION EVERYTHING

12 / 13

“REMEMBER, SAMANTHA. YOU ARE A GRAPHIC COMMUNICATOR. YOU MUST COMMUNICATE… GRAPHICALLY.” CATT LADY. Charleen Catt Lyon of Catt Lyon design gave me my first exposure to the joys and challenges of wayfinding design. Catt Lyon has worked on a variety of large-scale wayfinding projects, including Javits Convention Center, the Las Vegas Convention Center, a number of sports facilities, hospitals, hotels, and the like. One thing that Char stressed time and again during the course of our design process was that, while signs had the potential to become sculptural, beautiful pieces, they still had to lead people to their destinations. Practicality. That’s the key to successful installations. During my tenure with Catt Lyon, Char and I developed a series of projects around the idea of “intuitive wayfinding.” Here, we looked at using consistent colors, type, and diagrams to orient people within spaces. She pointed out that people tend to remember color, names, numbers, and / or images, and that any combination of these would hit the memory centers of a larger audience than the use of one alone. HOW CAN GRAPHIC ELEMENTS CLEARLY COMMUNICATE NAVIGATION IDEAS?

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING GETTING LOST

AS I SEE IT

SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW

SEE HOW THEY DO IT

QUESTION EVERYTHING

14 / 15

“ENVIRONMENT » » SPACE « » PLACE”

photo provided by Mark Lee MARKED-LEE. Mark Lee, architect at Cincinnati’s GBBN Architects, has done work on university design projects of large and small sizes. Because he’s a highly practical architect, he wants to make sure people understand how to navigate his buildings. Mark raised concerns with how contemporary wayfinding tends to focus on the appearance of the signage, rather than on how people encounter the signage itself. He pointed out that selling the services of a wayfinder to a client is a hard task, given that the universities tend to have “sign shops” in-house that can whip out door signs on demand, no designer necessary. He also pointed out that this remains one of the main reasons universities are notoriously bad at wayfinding. Furthermore, he added the idea that place-making is vital in understanding a building’s function, thus how they can be navigated. HOW CAN WE USE FAMILIAR CONTEXTS TO CLEARLY TEACH WAYFINDING?

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING GETTING LOST

AS I SEE IT

SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW

SEE HOW THEY DO IT

QUESTION EVERYTHING

16 / 17

“BRANDS ARE PART OF OUR LIVES. HOW WE CHOOSE TO USE THEM IS WHAT MAKES THEM RELEVANT TO OUR JOURNEYS.”

photo provided by Jett Butler JETT SET. Jett Butler, the son of a sign painter, began his career in Dallas as an architectural designer, working on retail and entertainment facilities. While his house is decorated with modern furnishings, he tends towards the postmodern graphic design style, layering meaning and metaphor into his work… On occasion. Jett always looks for connections and concepts. He no longer works as an architectural designer, but instead opened his own graphic design firm in Austin, Texas, developing branding and environmental graphics for clients of all shapes and sizes. In his explorations, he applies ideas of branding to all aspects of the project. What is the message of this brochure? This website? This signage? How can this message be conveyed in a subtle, artistic manner? CAN BRANDED ENVIRONMENTS IMPACT UNDERSTANDING AND NAVIGATION? CAN BRANDING AN EXPERIENCE CHANGE ITS POTENTIAL UNDERSTANDING?

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING GETTING LOST

AS I SEE IT

SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW

SEE HOW THEY DO IT

QUESTION EVERYTHING

18 / 19

“THINK… SEMIOTICS.”

photo provided by Thomas Dangerfield DANGERMOUSE. Thomas Dangerfield, environmental graphic and wayfinding designer with Cincinnati’s White Design Studio, designs branded environments using ideas of architecture—mainly because he studied architecture in college, and realized that he prefers the environmental graphics portion of space more than the space-making part. His insights pushed me to investigate branded spaces as an idea of place-making as wayfinding. Thomas’ ideas of semiotics and how they can play in integral part of “place” interpretation spurred further research into communication and meaning, and its impact upon design. HOW CULTURE, CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION FEED NAVIGATION?

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING GETTING LOST

AS I SEE IT

SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW

SEE HOW THEY DO IT

QUESTION EVERYTHING

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AND NOW IT’S TIME TO SEE HOW THEY DO IT

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING GETTING LOST

AS I SEE IT

SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW

SEE HOW THEY DO IT

QUESTION EVERYTHING

24 / 25

FLORENCE, THE HISTORIC CITY, organizes around a central landmark—the Santa Maria del Fiore. This large cathedral located in the center of the city is highly visible from most locations, making it simple to visually orient yourself within the area. Additionally, the Arno River establishes an easily seen edge, which divides Florence, again making it simple to locate oneself within the area.

The dome (duomo) of Santa Maria del Fiore towers above most of the city, visually orienting anyone upon sight.

The urban organization is based on a radial hub, with most roads converging upon the duomo (Santa Maria), setting this destination up as a hub for the full city. At the top of the duomo, or Giotto’s Tower, visitors can find a full view of the area, including pretty much all destinations. Using this like a map, many will descend and take off in the direction of their next stop.

CIAO

Light is used as an attraction element, calling attention to otherwise darkened openings.

TOKYO, THE TRADITIONAL AND MODERN CITY, consists of a number of districts. Retail, business, corporate, historic, entertainment, and other areas all bump up against each other to define the urban fabric of this modern location. Woven into this fabric lies the tradition of Asian architecture. Simplicity, truth in materials, pure lines all live side by side with glass and steel monsters.

Large-scale environmental graphic applications, such as this bulls-eye located at a park entry, stand as “meet me” signs.

Wayfinding within Tokyo is easiest when done using any of the Metro lines. Trains in Tokyo run quickly and efficiently, delivering people from all over the country to these different districts all day and night. If you stay in the train system, it’s very difficult to actually get lost. If you wander around, it’s pretty easy. A number of hub-based intersections makes it difficult to remain visually oriented along a path, and of course the signage typically avoids the use of Roman letters, making map-reading challenging for Westerners. But beyond this, Japanese architecture encourages high visibility and flexibility. Most spaces open to generate comfortable proportions, allowing views towards the natural landscape and interior spaces. Simply put, this means it is easy to see where you are headed, no matter where you start.

KONNICHIHA

Staggered installations of signage allows visibility of all information from multiple perspectives.

BUENOS AIRES, THE DECAYING MODERN CITY, built itself out in a rather linear manner. Near the turn of the 20th century, wealthy Argentines resided in the southern areas of the city, with the poorer citizens inhabiting surrounding areas. As the lower income residents moved into the city, wealthier residents moved north. The result is today’s Buenos Aires, where there is almost a gradient of wealth, support, and safety. Boarded entries and tight passageways prevent pedestrians from easy travel along the roadways.

The city itself finds its architectural roots in Belle Époque and Neo-Classical architecture, meaning you’ll find an interesting mixture of Art Nouveau detailing with Classical urban planning. Public parks intended to welcome community are closed off to discourage use by homeless after dark, leaving the city caged in bars and boxes. This results in a feeling that the city itself, as well as the government housed within it, are off-limits, impossible and undesirable to approach… About right, as evidenced by the opinions of taxi drivers. Walking alone is not encouraged, even in the more wealthy neighborhoods. Sad, since the parks and monuments there were designed with a sense of a shared community in mind.

HOLA

A mixture of signage and awnings restricts the pedestrian view along downtown streets, but set-back buildings provide clear views afar.

CINCINNATI, AN AMERICAN SUBURB GONE WILD, is composed of a traditional downtown area near the Ohio River, surrounded by different neighborhoods that started as townships, but were enveloped as the city grew larger.

CINCINNATI

Built around the existing landscape of seven hills and the boundary of the River, the city subdivides itself into districts based on the neighborhoods, with access to the various areas made easiest by the American Interstate System. You can get around town without a car, but it’s not fast. Faux texturing in Over-the-Rhine notates the entrance of a theater.

Each neighborhood has its own sense of place, its own definition of community, its own feel, if you will. Wayfinding here mainly consists of finding the main path, either a highway or a major road within each of the neighborhoods, off of which all roads branch. You can get anywhere within each district once you’ve found that artery. Travel along it will take you to the next district quickly. You know you’re in a different district when the scenery changes.

HELLO

A mixture of signage and awnings restricts the pedestrian view along downtown streets, but set-back buildings provide clear views afar.

AND NOW I QUESTION EVERYTHING

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING GETTING LOST

AS I SEE IT

SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW

SEE HOW THEY DO IT

QUESTION EVERYTHING

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A few passport stamps, multiple conversations, and a lot of reading later, I realized my initial questions were the ones to go with—how can design be used to speak the language of navigation. But other, larger questions came out in the process of this research that I believed needed to be answered within the realm of the final design direction. Namely… How does wayfinding work beyond signage? How does place (culture?) influence interpretation and navigation? Does this affect how people wayfind? Does it really need to? How do people interpret and use these ideas to navigate? What wayfinding elements do we use in our world today that are not based on signage, but are still based on navigation, such as in a website or in print?

HOW CAN I USE GRAPHIC DESIGN TO TALK ABOUT WAYFINDING?

HOW DOES WAYFINDING LEARN FROM NON-SPATIAL DESIGN? HOW CAN THESE INFLUENCE WAYFINDING EDUCATION?

BUT THE BIGGEST QUESTION WAS…

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING GETTING LOST

AS I SEE IT

SPEAK TO THOSE IN THE KNOW

SEE HOW THEY DO IT

QUESTION EVERYTHING

38 / 39

WHILE REMEMBERING THE MAIN OBJECTIVE

FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING USING TOOLS THAT INVESTIGATE HOW CONTEXT AND BEHAVIOR ALREADY INFORM TO INFLUENCE NAVIGATION.

ALSO KNOWN AS

SEARCHING FOR WAYS TO TEACH YOUNG DESIGN STUDENTS ABOUT WAYFINDING WITHOUT BORING THEM TO TEARS…

…AND MOVING ON.

“PECULIAR TRAVEL SUGGESTIONS ARE DANCING LESSONS FROM GOD.” —Kurt Vonnegut

mapping ideas

travel companions

initial path

wise ideas

fixed points

108

THE LOOK? MAPPING IDEAS. As research continued, the thesis focus became centered more on the development a series of immersive teaching tools which could be used to point out just how behavior and context can aid in navigation. The idea was to use these in an effort to point out the values of wayfinding design to students, and just maybe potential clients who question the necessity of this field. These tools needed to start a conversation between the observer and the context by calling out areas of decision-making, and questioning whether the context of these moments might help or hinder the decision process. Pretty boring stuff, probably. So it needed to be couched in a nifty package. It needed to orient the audience within the topic, then turn on its head and propose another view. Exhaustive investigations began into the look and feel of the project. Leading lines, extended type, points, and other visual elements were arranged, rearranged, deleted, redrawn, torn up, taped back together, printed, scanned, and ultimately finalized. That is, until the audience responded in a rather lackluster manner. So then, it started all over again. This time, with ideas of BEHAVIOR and SPATIAL DESIGN.

IT MUST APPEAL TO YOUNG AUDIENCES BUT ENCOURAGE ORIENTATION AND REDIRECTION TOO.

“PECULIAR TRAVEL SUGGESTIONS ARE DANCING LESSONS FROM GOD.” —Kurt Vonnegut

EDGE

LINEAR BOUNDARY USED

TO DEFINE A PATH, DISTRICT,

VOID, OR VOLUME

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE MAPPING IDEAS TRAVEL COMPANIONS INITIAL PATH WISE IDEAS FIXED POINTS

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THE TRAVEL COMPANIONS

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

MAPPING IDEAS

TRAVEL COMPANIONS

INITIAL PATH

WISE IDEAS

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DESIGN STUDENTS. A REALLY INTERESTING GROUP, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT. CURIOUS, DETERMINED, HARD-WORKING…

photo provided by Mary Dickerson

photo provided by Stephen Young

THE TRAVELER. Mary (Mary, quite contrary) spends much of her “down” time touring the planet in search of interesting architecture. She studies interior design and dreams of working within a large firm, making partner one day based on the merits of her incredible branded environments.

THE TREND SETTER. Stephen (Stephano) should have studied fashion, but found himself in architecture instead. He looks for ways of infusing brand and trend into each project he approaches, keeping up with the latest coolhunter finds. He sees himself launching the next great architecture style, dancing across the headlines of glossy magazines as he does so.

Facebook Friends: 563 Favorite Quote: “Everything has to do with everything, Ryan.” —Wilfred

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

Facebook Friends: 1059 Favorite Quote: “When I wake up in the morning, I feel just like any other insecure 24-year-old girl… Then I say, ‘Bitch, you’re Lady Gaga, you get up and walk the walk today.” —Lady GaGa

MAPPING IDEAS

TRAVEL COMPANIONS

INITIAL PATH

WISE IDEAS

FIXED POINTS

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…AND LACKING ANY LEVEL OF SERIOUSNESS. WHAT. SO. EVER.

photo provided by Liz Chmela

photo provided by Paul Weber

THE CRAFTY ONE. Liz looks for ways of bringing the tactile nature back into graphic design. And the over delivery. She pulls out her box of tricks and materials at the start of every project and finds that perfect “thing” that sings of inspiration. She wants people to want to look at her graphic designs, curious about the nature and meaning, intrigued about what it all means.

THE JOKER. Paul has a hard time taking it all too seriously. He sees each project as a means of infusing the world with his vision. He studied graphic design as it provided him the artistic freedom he wanted, without the fear that his ideas may result in someone’s physical injury. He sees his futures as a constant adventure, and willingly jumps into it each day.

Facebook Friends: 800 Favorite Quote: “I had all of my best ideas as a child and I have decided to spend adulthood trying to remember them.”—unknown

Facebook Friends: 1185 Favorite Quote: “If you have a dream, you have to protect it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”—unknown

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

MAPPING IDEAS

TRAVEL COMPANIONS

INITIAL PATH

WISE IDEAS

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I MUST GRAB THEIR ATTENTION… AND THEN HOLD TIGHTLY. The best manner of learning is through interactive exploration, especially in wayfinding. True grasp of the lessons taught cannot be learned by third hand experience and textbook recitation—this path leads only to a bleak and featureless place. Instead, lessons laden with real-world “what if” investigations provide students with opportunities to find their own creative solutions, which fuel their designs for years to come. THIS THESIS POSITIONS ITSELF AS A FRAMEWORK, OR STRUCTURE, IN WHICH SUCH EXPLORATIONS CAN TAKE FORM. It becomes a means of observation, as students are encouraged to seek the subconscious clues provided by their surroundings, the myriad of signs hidden within their visual landscapes that can become intentional wayfinding systems.

“NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST.”

All materials developed will be designed to prompt and promote wandering— a method of following seemingly pointless clues found in context and intuition. Hopefully along this path, students will find that…

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

—JRR Tolkien

MAPPING IDEAS

TRAVEL COMPANIONS

INITIAL PATH

WISE IDEAS

FIXED POINTS

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TAKING OFF ALONG AN INITIAL PATH

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

MAPPING IDEAS

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INITIAL PATH

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SKETCHY

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

MAPPING IDEAS

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WISE IDEAS

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KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

MAPPING IDEAS

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KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

MAPPING IDEAS

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+MOODY=

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

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KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

MAPPING IDEAS

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BUT WAIT… I’M NOT SURE THIS IS WORKING… “A JOURNEY IS LIKE MARRIAGE. THE CERTAIN WAY TO BE WRONG IS TO THINK YOU CONTROL IT.”

IT JUST DOESN’T RESONATE. The project was put in front of the audience from day one. Facebook updates and blog posts encouraged students to participate in shaping the visual direction. While I got lots of “likes” for the basic idea, no one cared to weigh in on the actual design itself. In the realm of social media, no comment means it was ignored. If it was ignored, it wasn’t working. MAYBE I SHOULD STOP BEING SO CLEAN.

—John Steinbeck

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

MAPPING IDEAS

TRAVEL COMPANIONS

INITIAL PATH

WISE IDEAS

FIXED POINTS

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CHANGE IS HARD. One of the hardest parts of rethinking a design is trying to figure out what was not right with the first rounds. In this circumstance, what was not working was the visual flatness. If a project considers how space impacts decision making, rendering visuals using flattened imagery and typography works against the idea. I realized that three-dimensionality needed to work its way into the design to allow the design to sing the concept song with volume. So I took a photography class. There, I learned how to frame images. I Learned how to straighten less than ideal ones. I played with injecting my own take on space in the design. And suddenly, the Facebook likes increased among my demographic.

I STARTED PLAYING…

REDEVELOP samantha perkins | gr800 group directed study | progress four

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

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I RETHOUGHT IT ALL…

I went back to scratch and started again. I’d been pulling different visuals for awhile, so I looked again at those, plus the new photographs I’d been taking all over town, to see if there were some common threads I could pull.

THEY “LIKE” IT

There were… SNAP-SHOT PHOTOGRAPHY POST-PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES SATURATED COLOR VISUAL LAYERING SIMPLIFIED TYPOGRAPHY

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

MAPPING IDEAS

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REWORK IT ALL

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

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photo provided by Marc English SMACK DOWN. At some point, I lost my way. Luckily, Marc English was there to point this out. Otherwise, who knows which crazy-mixed up town I would have ended up in. He pointed out that I’d developed a system of symbols that no one knew the translations of. I was disorienting, not reorienting. Time to reconsider, and ask myself… WHAT ON EARTH AM I DOING?

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

MAPPING IDEAS

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BETTER. MAYBE? So I started thinking again, but this time a bit more simply. I removed a lot of the extra “junk” from the design, and started thinking small. Instead of developing a full system to apply across all deliverables, what if I focused just on the poster. It seemed to help. But… While I was getting better feedback in terms of “this is looking cool,” I was still not happy with the direction. I had been using ideas of highlighting, hierarchy, reorientation, and a strict grid to develop the look and organization, but it was taking its toll. Things felt forced. And this was reinforced by the feedback I was receiving online from my current and former students. One student, Mandy, who had taken an international drawing studio with me previously, nailed it on the head in one simple phrase… “I THINK YOUR FEELING ABOUT THE SKETCHES NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED…” Sketches. Well, yeah. This is supposed to be based on individual exploration and discovery. Why not explore sketches? MAYBE I SHOULD AGAIN LOOK FOR INSPIRATION. SEE JUST HOW OTHERS ARE DOING IT.

GETTING CLOSER… BUT STILL NOT RIGHT. PUTTING IT TO THE AUDIENCE YIELDS SOME GOOD INSIGHT…

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING HERE OR THERE

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IN NEED OF A FEW WISE IDEAS

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POST

FRENCH “GRAFFITI” ARTIST. The true identity of JR is unknown. A famous photographer who posts his work as large bills upon public buildings, JR has established himself as a revolutionary through his appropriation of the environment and his call to the world to do the same. He sees the world as his own gallery, and hopes we will all join him in his efforts. Around the time I was really starting to get crazy, my husband, wisest man on the planet, took me out to the museum. He mentioned that there was a lecture that I would enjoy, and insisted, even taking my computer away from me, that I attend.

photos from jr-art.net

I’m glad I went. The Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center had just opened a new show, and had asked JR, the 2010 TEDTalks winner, to present his work, Women are Beautiful, at the opening event. Incredible. Large-scale photographic applications at different locations, all getting people to look at each other in a different light. The basic concept resembled mine (getting people to look at their surroundings in a different manner), and his video documentation style inspired me. Especially his film of the works completed in Brazil. This had strong influence on the video portion of my final exhibit.

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JAPANESE DESIGNER. Born in 1958, Kenya Hara, a Japanese designer and curator, concentrates his work on redefining, or more specifically redesigning, design. He is known throughout Japan for his simple, clean wayfinding applications, but also for his many curations of exhibits which encourage designers to look closely at the items they use daily, determining how to better design them. I learned about Kenya Hara years ago when working at an environmental graphic design firm. His clean use of line, simplicity of idea, and clarity of form inspired me in many design applications.

TOUCH

photos from ndc.co.jp

When visiting Tokyo, I came across a number of books about his work, and began looking at these as precedence for my concepts. He is known for his idea of haptic design, or design that relates to touch, as well as his use of materials, such as the signage system designed for a neo-natal unit in Tokyo. This system uses cloth covers for all signage to provoke a more tangible, approachable design. In re-finding his work, I realized that I should be designing for each application, much as he designs for the senses. Pages should have texture, video should visually lead, exhibits should activate space. That way, I could design for a sensory experience, developing teaching tools that go beyond the book.

KENYA HARA

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ARGENTINE SCULPTOR. In winter 2010, I traveled to Buenos Aires in search of more examples of how urban wayfinding is done.

LOCATE

While there, I found the work of Tomás Saraceno at the MALBA. At first, it didn’t impress me much. The exhibit showing at the time was his large-scale glass work, which was interesting, but these were much like many I’d seen before. But upon further research, his work with points, lines, and volumes created by these caught my eye. I realized, the glass was superfluous. The different connections between the sculptural elements, and their dependence upon each other and the system was far more important.

photos from bonnierskonsthall.se

Points, lines, together creating volumes. Just maybe there’s something in this that can translate to design.

TOMÁS SARACENO

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AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY. Shepard Fairey is an American designer and illustrator who became an overnight sensation with his depiction of presidential candidate Barack Obama in his “HOPE” poster. He had gained attention prior to this with his André the Giant has a Posse series (also known as “OBEY”) which started as a skateboard sticker campaign, taking imagery from the Weekly World News tabloid. During the Fall 2010 semester, I spent a great deal of time photographing downtown Cincinnati for a photography studio, trying to figure out how to handle my visual look in the process. After an hour one day, I realized that I was following artwork through the city.

OBEY

above image from obeygiant.com, right photo from tjartwalk.com

Shepard Fairey had just wrapped up an exhibit at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, which involved him installing murals in multiple locations around town. It was this that I had been following. It led me to the museum, where I found a book of his, which brought me to the idea of using texture, illustration, familiar typography, and flat color to highlight my ideas.

SHEPARD FAIREY

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LEADING THE WAY. It’s hard finding “new ways” to design wayfinding today. Many companies out there, such as Pentagram, Lucas Gerber, David Nagel, and Baldinger•Vu-Huu are all pushing the definition of leading design. Outdoing them would be impossible. Huge graphics, interesting materials, incorporation of the context to lead and inform—all of these were things I was interesting in pursuing as I started down the road of wayfinding education. These were the things that interested me, that tied into contexts and environments in exciting ways.

all photos from Left, RIght, Up. Down by TwoPoints.net

But how to compete? How do I design something that talks about wayfinding in a way that outdoes these incredible installations? Do I need to compete? Could I not embrace them instead? Could I not point out why and how they work, instead of reinventing these beautiful and well-defined wheels?

WAYFINDING

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POINT OF VIEW. Perception is shifting in the field of environmental graphics. Whimsy and playfulness are taking over as a means of identifying location and establishing place. The use of projection graphics have taken a more permanent place within the idea of perspectival environmental graphics. Designed to appear as if they have been flattened from one point, these graphics stretch and wrap around walls, columns, ramps, and floors, elongating and distorting as you approach and move around them.

all photos from Left, RIght, Up. Down by TwoPoints.net

These types of graphics provide a unique take on the idea of alignment, rendering perfectly when the viewer is on the right path. And the elongated shape left behind activates the space with patterns and dynamic textures.

PERSPECTIVAL

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HISTORIC. Ultimately, it was the past that helped me find a way forward. I stumbled across a vintage bound version of the 1933 National Geographic Magazine that provided a small “eureka” moment. In reviewing the periodical, I realized that they had done essentially what I was trying to do—render very diverse images as equal.

THIS COULD WORK

To do this, they used photography colorizing techniques available at the time—sepia prints rendered with photographic touch-up markers. COOL. A WAY TO PRODUCE IMAGES.

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NAILING MOVING PARTS INTO FIXED POINTS

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Ahhh, a name I can play with. When put to the Facebook crowd, everyone commented on loving the name of “knowhere” as a play on words. It got the idea across—no real destination required. Just a knowledge of where you are. Fabulous.

IDENTITY

The logo typeface choice mutated into an adjusted form of Museo 700, kerned tightly to encourage a motion from letter to letter, indicating a specific path. The outline extrusion provided a sense of spatiality to the design, indicating that this project considered more than the graphic application, but also one of space. SO WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT LEADS, SOMETHING WITH VOLUME, AND SOME WIT. COOL.

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C=47

rome

M=76

Y=82

C=47 C=47

C=47 M=76 M=76

rome rome

rome

K=70 M=76 Y=82 Y=82

C=61 Y=82 K=70 K=70

K=70

C=61 C=61

M=63 C=61 M=63 M=63

Y=70 M=63 Y=70 Y=70

K=64 Y=70 K=64 K=64

florence florence florence florence

KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE

COLORS

KnowHere KnowHere KnowHere KnowHere KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE

K=64

C=95

M=54

C=95 C=95

C=95 M=54 M=54

Y=59 M=54 Y=59 Y=59

K=43 Y=59 K=43 K=43

C=62 K=43

C=62 C=62

orvietto orvietto orvietto orvietto

C=62 M=78 M=78

M=78 M=78 Y=61 Y=61

Y=61

K=79

Y=61 K=79 K=79

K=79

national national geographic geographic national geographic national geographic

KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE

KnowHere KnowHere KnowHere KnowHere

KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE

KnowHere KnowHere KnowHere KnowHere

KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE KNOWHERE

25 25

EW COLOR INVESTIGATIONS

antha perkins | gr800 group directed study | progress module nine

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A series of symbols would be needed to act as shorthand by both students and the design. These symbols would visually explain ideas regarding navigation and wayfinding, and would have to communicate quickly and easily, across multiple languages (if only to be relevant to the overriding concept).

SYMBOLS

IN THE RESEARCH, FOUR MAIN WAYFINDING ELEMENTS CONTINUALLY POPPED UP: LANDMARK—a single, recognizable point EDGE or BORDER—an element that creates a visible delineation between areas HUB—multiple paths converging into a single location DISTRICT—an area or series of areas that have a recognizable relationship to each other Taking inspiration from points (stars, maps, a one-dimensional idea), each of these became represented using circles of differing sizes and colors, connected by lines as need.

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evaluate path landmark

hub

narrow in on target

district

begin

landmark alt1

hub alt1

district alt

points of interest

landmark alt2

hub alt2

edge

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Images were, by far, the hardest to figure out. Original designs had me using low saturation photos, turned in multiple directions to “disorient” to get the viewer to “look differently” at the ideas. It worked, but not really. I needed something more sketchy. A little more… personal. When I found the older National Geographic magazines, I found the system that could help me… Now, how to apply it? The image is converted to SEPIA-TONE to give equal feeling, regardless of where it had been taken. Layers of HAND-RENDERED COLOR are used to recreate vision of the area. Certain areas are colored, or left without color, to provide CONTRAST and highlight as necessary. Visible border with “coloring outside of the lines” provides a more loose, SKETCHY FEEL.

IMAGES

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EXTRUSIONS

While symbols, paths, points, and hand-colored imagery may be enough to develop a system, they may not be enough to get a point across. All of the images, though treated “equally” through this method, contained much visual information. If lessons were to be introduced, a method of applying text to the images was needed. A highlighting method, if you will. To do this, a series of EXTRUDED VECTORS, used to imply spatial relationships within the images themselves, was developed. Not only could these elements call attention to themselves quickly by standing out against the sepia-toned images, they also providing walls upon which I could write. Alone, the extrusions could become an implied space—a way of creating volume from the context found within the images themselves. Coupled with imagery, they became flags, waving beacons calling attention to specific ideas.

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SPATIAL SEQUENCE

KIT DESIGN:

Samantha Perkins for KNOWHERE: Mobile Italy, summer 2011 Miami University

LOOK AROUND

a cognitive mapping exercise

Oxford, Ohio

EXPLORATIONS

project cards that help you see the world in other ways

and Graduate Thesis, MFA in Graphic Design

SYMBOL SHEETS

transparent acetate sheets with wayfinding method

COLLECTIONS

fill it yourself with found objects you can use in the

School of Fine Arts

for use in tagging the world as you see it

Academy of Art University San Francisco, California PRODUCED BY: SPECIFICATIONS:

Exploration projects

Samantha Perkins typefaces

Museo 700, Gotham Rounded, Gotham Narrow

paper

Mohawk Loop Inkwell Digital, vellum 80 lb dtc, eco white cover

Compose a series of drawings that explore a connected SERIES OF SPACES using transparent solids and/or planes. In each drawing, illustrate the How does interpretation of the space change scale, opacity and proportion of each when direction is altered? space within the sequence. Take care to very carefully construct proper proportions and all connections. Each drawing should explore and convey a How does one space flow into another, and sense of direction and motion travelled what are the changes by people within the space, which can be illustrated in proportion between each? by how the view is constructed or by the use of human profile interaction.

CONTENTS

VELLUM

tear-out sheets for tracing, tearing or other project uses

SKETCHES

removable sketchbook for use in Exploration projects

Curious Skin Mocha 91 lb text endpapers Mohawk Loop Inkwell Digital, vellum 80 lb text, eco white body

INCLUDE:

figure void

MAY INCLUDE:

flattened or gradient tonal color human profile simple symbols indicating motion

FOCUS:

proportion alignment movement overlapping volumes at thresholds

AVOID:

arrows

Neenah UV / Ultra II Translucent Radient White Smooth binding

Samantha Perkins

Use this Field Notebook along with the tools included in the Drawing Kit to explore new places and learn how context and human behavior might

help influence wayfinding and navigation.

This series is intended to provide insight into how proportional relationships of volumes can change direction, movement or behavior of people within each space.

Complete no less than two drawings per location, taking at least fifteen minutes per drawing before moving to a new space.

Type is a funny thing to nail down. If too serious, I ran the risk of losing my audience before they picked up the materials. If too playful, there was a possibility of coming off as trying too hard. So what’s a designer to do? How about starting with something known? The logo worked. And from the first round, so did a rounded typeface… If I could get them working together, things would be great.

TYPOGRAPHY

Main titles were to be set in Museo 700, similarly to the logo, but only extruded if they appear without the logo itself. This gave a sense of importance, of “look here” that was immediately recognizable. For the supporting type, I needed something classic, but still quite friendly, well proportioned and innately familiar. Gotham seemed a good start, since it was based on hand-painted signage, and the project was about … well, the start of signage. Luckily, it has a rounded typeface. Perfect. All caps, medium weight for big stuff. Book for all the rest. Finally, when necessary to call out additional information, Gotham Narrow Italic would be used in a knock-out shape to act as highlighting.

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Experience KNOWHERE, as we explore MOBILE ITALY, a six-credit hour design studio offered through the Miami University School of Fine Arts, and find new ways of exploring, explaining and defining urban spaces. Four weeks, six credits. Orvieto, Florence,

d to tag

a city yo

u’ve neve

KNOWHERE: MOBILE ITALY 2011

let

ever wan te

how you see it?

o ther s

Have you

know

Rome, Verona, Milan, Como.

r seen t o

HERE IS KNOWHERE

wander, explore, question, learn

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IT SHOULD RECALL THE MAIN OBJECTIVE…

FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING USING TOOLS THAT INVESTIGATE HOW CONTEXT AND BEHAVIOR ALREADY INFORM TO INFLUENCE NAVIGATION.

WILL IT WORK???

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…AND BREATHE, AND LEAP, AND…

“I LOVE DEADLINES. I LIKE THE WOOSHING SOUND AS THEY GO BY.” —Douglas Adams

and now we produce

134

road kit

158

interaction 184 setting sites

198

the final frontier

214

THE PIECES? AND NOW WE PRODUCE. The pieces are many. The timing is minimal. How does one produce so much for a thesis in so little time? And just what will each part of the overall identity translate to? Keeping in mind the objective (finding new ways of teaching wayfinding… ways that consider how context and behavior can really influence navigation), each piece becomes a teaching tool designed to educate through exploration. THE PIECES… An road kit for exploring the clues of knowhere. This should include assignment cards to provide prompts for investigations, a set of transparent symbols to use in photographing or video tagging wayfinding clues in the field, and a field notebook to use in documenting these. An iPhone / iPad app version of the same kit, to appeal to a wider audience. A community website that encourages sharing of exploration findings from the kit and apps. A book that provides access to more traditional learning methods, but using an accent more common to the current undergrad population. And an exhibit that uses its venue to point out clues of wayfinding within a specific context, inviting curiosity and exploration while showing how design can activate space to orient and create place. Each element should be able to work together as a system, or individually on their own. But at the same time, each piece needs to feed off of the others, completing each in innate ways. And by all means, they should look good…

DAMN GOOD.

THEY SHOULD THINK ABOUT HOW DESIGN CAN MOVE AND ORIENT.

“I LOVE DEADLINES. I LIKE THE WOOSHING SOUND AS THEY GO BY.” —Douglas Adams

DISTRICT

AN AREA OR AREAS WITH

UNIQUE DEFINING QUALITIES,

OVERLAPPING OR RESIDING

NEAR OTHER ZONES WITH

SIMILAR / DIFFERENT TRAITS

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photo provided by Joyce Yu GET IT ORGANIZED. And now, I figure out how to the full design works across multiple systems. A bigger challenge than originally anticipated. Luckily, I had my handy Joyce Yu available to help. I think she’d anticipated a smaller project when she agreed to help me reign it all in. But she was a trooper, pointing out that maybe the pieces didn’t have to work exactly the same way all over the system. Maybe, just maybe, they could adjust for context. WAIT. WASN’T THIS THE POINT I’D BEEN TRYING TO MAKE?

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TRADITIONAL LEARNING. Because I started this project to teach wayfinding ideas. I figured I’d start with a book. Made sense, as this thing would set me up on a research path, help me organize my ideas, and give me something substantial in my portfolio as I started interviews at universities. So I did a little bit of designing. Printed up some mocks of what the cover may look like. But mostly I wrote. And wrote. And wrote…

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50,000 WORDS

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realities of wayfinding designers. If we understand how people interpret and interact with their environments as they move from place to place, we can better design for those experiences. In this, the first book of the KNOWHERE series, we begin our wayfinding journey by opening the topic of how human behavior and perception play into current navigation decisions. In other words, what makes the human wayfinding experience what it is, and how we use it to find our way.

by samantha perkins

and ultimately wayfinding as a design strategy. Over the course of four books, the series explores human behavior, environmental clues in context, and up and coming ideas in wayfinding in an attempt to better define the dreams and

ii / iii

[[[ TAKE PHOTO OF WAYFINDING ROLLED PAPER WITH BREADCRUMBS ON IT. APPLY SEPIA TONE EFFECT. EITHER LEAVE COMPASS ARROW AS IS, OR HAVE IT INTERACTING WITH THE IMAGE USING EFFECTS. ]]]

ARE YOU LOST, LITTLE GIRL? BREADCRUMBS. Well, visual breadcrumbs to be more specific. Many people consider wayfinding elements— signage, directory maps, arrows and other navigational symbols—to be a series of visual breadcrumbs that help people figure out where they are and where they need to go. Much like the story of Hansel and Gretel, where

THE BEHAVIOR OF WAYFINDING

The KNOWHERE series looks in depth at how leaving safety to forage for food, then returning home again laid the foundations for human navigation

WAY…FINDING?

INTRODUCTION ORIENT YOURSELF

OR WHY YOU CAN REMEMBER THE WAY HOME? OR HOW HANSEL AND GRETL CAME TO BE SUCH A TERRIFYING TALE?

OH, BEHAVE!

EVER WONDER HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE?

two small children toss breadcrumbs while being lead along a wandering path, wayfinding elements lead people from place to place, point to point, crumb to crumb, until they safely find their desired destination. It’s there to help. It’s there to lead. It’s there to keep people from feeling lost.

“WAYFINDING IS A DYNAMIC AFFAIR.”

THE BEHAVIOR OF WAYFINDING by samantha perkins

Down and dirty, we hold an understanding of how the space around us is arranged. Typically, this system uses a hierarchical SPATIAL ORGANIZATION—

In a hierarchical spatial organiazation, we navigate knowing

local, regional, national, universal—in relation to our location and things located around us.

how the world lays out around us, and we find our

destination relativeto our location, wherever that may be.

I am here. That path is over there. It leads me to the main intersection that takes me to the grocery store and many other destinations that wind in and out of the

—Romedi Passini

landscape surrounding me. That mountain in the distance is much further away than the stream I can see snaking around its base and through the valley below me. I can get to that stream by following a number of different paths,

WHERE ARE WE, AND HOW DID WE GET HERE? 01 survival, curiosity, and consumption

CONTENTS

01 xx

02 learning to read the signs

03 literacy changes everything

04 planning an execution

05 designing for decisions

FINDING OUR WAY 06 the human navigation system

xxx xx

07 breadcrumbs vs bird’s eye

08 step by step

09 surrounded on all sides

MAKING MAPS 10 a map is a map is a map 11

memory maps

12 cognitive maps

xxx

15 a practical example

AN INTRODUCTION TO WAYFINDING. Humans are alone in their complex understanding of space. Only we

SURVIVAL, CURIOSITY, AND CONSUMPTION

can leave our home, find food, and get back safely. We are truly a unique and glorious creature. Yes?… No. When you think about it, simple navigation, sometimes called wayfinding, is not unique to the human species. There are countless examples of animals and insects that can leave safety, go out and locate a specific destination, then return to their point of origin time and time again. Packs of wolves, prides of lions, salad bowls of hamsters, even the solitary bear can leave their “home” to hunt, returning at the end of the day to the welcoming cries of their offspring. But these are small feats. Simple routes out and back, taking less than a day to complete in most cases. Nothing requiring highly complex brains like we have…

—Marcel Proust

xx xx xxx

RE-ORIENTATION 14 learned intuition vs wayfinding strategies

FORAGING FOR FOOD LAYS A PATH FOR NAVIGATION

INFORMED NAVIGATORS VS THE CITY by Thomas Rankin

13 types of travel

AND HOW DID WE GET HERE?

“THE VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY IS NOT IN SEEKING NEW LANDSCAPES BUT IN HAVING NEW EYES.”

02 / 03

CHAPTER ONE WHERE ARE WE, AND HOW DID WE GET HERE?

some of which I can see, others I can’t.

xxx xx xx xx

EIN CONCLUSION

xxx

INDEX

xxx

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NO. NO. NO. THIS DOES NOT FIT THE BIG IDEA. “IT TAKES A TOUCH OF GENIUS— AND A LOT OF COURAGE TO MOVE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.” —Albert Einstein

NON-TRADITIONAL MEANS NON-TRADITIONAL. The book had been a vital component in the original proposal, but after awhile it made less and less sense. The project research had led me from traditional book knowledge towards a more immersive, explorative series of deliverables. A book no longer made sense. Not that I planned to ignore this teaching tool. It helped me learn and organize massive amounts of information. And I had these cool covers designed. But since I was trying to stay concise and consistent, I realized that a book sent a different message, standing out of place in the series. SO I MOVED IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.

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A ROAD KIT FOR EXPLORING KNOWHERE

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KNOW HERE

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KITTIN’ IT OLD SCHOOL. I put the book aside and started on the kit. For a reason. I had been asked to teach a summer drawing studio for Miami University, leading design students in and around Italy for a month. I felt the kit would be useful for this purpose. And that had the most pressing deadline. Plus, it had smaller pieces. A video camera, drawing tools, assignment cards, a field notebook, and then something to hold it all in.

EXPLORE

It started pretty easily. I developed designs for the assignment cards during Marc English’s Fall 2010 DS course, getting great feedback from my peers. I went on to develop the Flip Cameras. Of course, these had to be replaced before all was said and done, since Flip closed shop in April 2011, just two weeks after I ordered the cameras for the studio. The first round of designs had me sketching like mad for a few weeks. This was around the same time I was getting slammed by Marc for not knowing how to decipher the symbols and design elements. Eventually, though, it all worked out and I developed a clam shell container with interior compartments to firmly hold each piece.

CAPTURE

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KNOW HERE

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SIGN OF THE TIMES

FRAMING THE IDEA

INVESTIGATE ARCHITECTURAL CLUES that provide some hints into public access. These might be doorways, arches Do not just look for signs, but consider elements that gateways or larger landmarks that note the location of public spaces in a distance. The are not directly labelled. use of signage details may be used, but only in relation to other architectural indicators.

INCLUDE:

MAY INCLUDE:

tonal color

FOCUS:

perspective OR elevation-oblique sketch relationship of “signs” (architectural clues) to the context scale/ proportion

AVOID:

photo-realistic detail, especially on signage elements gradient concentration on actual signage

Compose a series of drawings that carefully capture the HUE AND TONE of a façade. Accomplish this by carefully How does simplifying complex color change the reading constructing a line drawing of a façade or space? of the elevation and overlay a grid of at least ten units by eight units upon this. Fill each square / rectangle of the grid with a single color found within that area.

Carefully construct a series EXPLORING THE SHAPES of apertures, or openings, found within an area. These might be windows, doorways, People understand that openings provide clues about the programs of buildings, skylights or openings in and will interpret spaces accordingly. a floor condition. They can be large or very small. Be aware that craft and proportion are important in this set.

shapes of gateways/ doorways letterforms and shapes of visible signage detail necessary to explain how each element is a “sign”

MATRIX OF COLORS

detail necessary to exactly provide the opening shapes (remember, there may be sculptural elements obstructing some openings—draw the openings as if this element are included in the original design)

To achieve the best color, use layered build-ups. In each square, use the dominant color found in that location. How does ambient lighting affect the overall color, as well as minor details within? Provide enough detail of the background elevation so that the context is recognizable behind the color grid.

MAY INCLUDE:

gateways eave profiles

INCLUDE:

FOCUS:

precision proper proportion perspective shape layering (apertures seen through apertures or reflections) alignments

detail flattened tonal color through careful color mixing

FOCUS:

gradual build-up of color relationship of hues within a context

AVOID:

over-simplification gradient perspective

INCLUDE:

AVOID:

This assignment should help illustrate how elements in architecture can influence behavior and understanding of place/ location, and how signs works to highlight these. Complete no less than two drawings per location, taking at least fifteen minutes per drawing before moving on to a new location/ space.

mirrors reflecting ponds

drawing the full frame of the opening—concentrate on the opening, their shape and their relationship to other openings

Exploring different openings, their locations and sizes, helps determine how architecture informs people and influences navigation decisions.

Frequently a sense of place is determined by the materials, lighting and color of the elements found within a space. Looking closely at how color is made using layered and adjacent hues and tones can assist in defining the quality of that place.

Complete no less than two drawings per location, spending no less than thirty minutes per drawing.

This series is intended to aid in that understanding, as well as how mixing different colors can achieve compositional harmony. Complete at least two drawings per location, taking on each your time to achieve color mixing techniques.

REAL HIGH PROFILE

Construct a series of QUICK RAPID-FIRE EXPLORATIONS using profiles of elements in view. Consider all rooftops, silhouettes, and connections. Look at the figure / ground relationships between the buildings, objects and What are the primary shapes these result in? the backgrounds the are housed within. INCLUDE:

foreground (dark line weight) middle ground (medium line weight) background (light line weight)

FOCUS:

perspective OR constructed orthographic projection abstraction of SPACE (3D) into SHAPE (2D)

AVOID:

photo-realism tone detail

DAVID AND GOLIATH

Design a series of drawings using PROFILES OF PEOPLE in the space. Consider the differences between group dynamics and individual motion. Starting How does a space change when people with a quick Leading Lines assignment, become involved? select a person or group of people to observe and track.

Document in a series of quick, but detailed sketches, the USE OF SCALE AS AN ORGANIZING METHOD in an urban environment. Block out the volumetric How does each element influence human elements, such as buildings, doorways, interaction within a context? gateways, in this environment using isometric or perspective drawing techniques. Combine with human profile drawings, showing through repeated symbols how often one element encourages human interaction.

This assignment is designed to help you explore how lines in an environment (natural or man-made) can define shape, space, and lead the eye. Complete no less than five drawings per location, spending no more than fifteen minutes on each.

OPTION ONE: Sketch (in no more than five minutes per drawing) how a single person moves through the space, capturing keyframes of their interactions. OPTION TWO: Sketch how a group of people interact within a space, capturing a single instant—how does the group fill the volume?

INCLUDE:

figure foreground (dark line weight) middle ground (medium line weight) background (light line weight)

MAY INCLUDE:

flat tonal color gradient spliced photo-collaging to represent human interaction

FOCUS:

scale accurate proportion perspective -OR- constructed orthographic projection

AVOID:

photo-realism detail photography to represent architectural elements

This series should explore how scale within a context sets up a sense of hierarchy in that space, and how this hierarchy can be used to call attention to certain elements and influence interaction.

KNOW HERE

AND NOW WE PRODUCE

ROAD KIT

INCLUDE:

figure foreground (dark line weight) middleground (medium line weight) background (light line weight)

MAY INCLUDE:

spliced photographs

FOCUS:

movement (and notation for this movement) shape sequence

AVOID:

gradient detail

This series should explore how the dynamic nature of human interaction alters a space, and analyze how people move through the area—is it quickly, slowly, direct, meandering, etc.?

Construct no less than five drawings per location, spending no more than fifteen minutes sketching and thirty minutes (total) in completing the composition.

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PEOPLE WATCHING

Complete no less than five drawings per location, capturing the motion in each—fast sketching is key.

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SPATIAL SEQUENCE

INCLUDE:

flattened or gradient tonal color human profile simple symbols indicating motion

FOCUS:

proportion alignment movement overlapping volumes at thresholds

AVOID:

arrows

construction lines foreground (dark line weight) middle ground (medium line weight) background (light line weight)

MAY INCLUDE:

tonal color gradient

FOCUS:

accurate proportion scale alignments shape precision

AVOID:

photo-realism drawing the full plan of a space—concentrate on only the area required to reflect the section/elevation investigate

flattened and tonal value

FOCUS:

abstraction of shape (2D) into form (3D) accurate depth interpretation precision and proper proportion of shape alignments

AVOID:

inclusion of façade detail beyond shadows

tonal color precision and proper proportion form alignments ornament as necessary to properly describe the volume

AVOID:

gradient over-simplification

This drawing series is designed to provide a greater understanding of the details and elements that are used in the true definition of a space’s volume. Complete no less than one carefully constructed drawing per location, spending no less than thirty minutes per drawing before moving to another location or volume.

A SPACE FOR PLACE

INCLUDE:

figure void simple symbols detail necessary to explain purpose of each element

MAY INCLUDE:

human profile if appropriate

FOCUS:

relationship of elements to each other scale/ proportion

AVOID:

over-simplification photo-realism

Construct a series of sketches that develop building shapes using only HORIZONTAL OR VERTICAL lines. Use only one directionality within each investigation. Choose How does the directionality of a building influence each directionality based on the movement around it? primary elements found within that particular location. OPTIONAL: Overlay human profile sketches to indicate how each direction influences behavioral movement within each location.

Materials, sounds, lighting and other elements help to establish a place within the enclosed space of walls, and that “place” defines the behavior of those who interact that location. By looking at what elements within a given context encourage this understanding, it helps define how those elements might be used in other contexts for similar results.

Shadows provide insight into depth of façade when detail might be otherwise absent, and they will change across the course of a day, as the sun moves across the sky and redefines their shapes. Elements that were visible might become obscured, while unseen details may now come to the light. This series is intended to investigate how shadows can be used to define shape, space and to lead the eye.

LINEAR ATTITUDES

Document elements within a location that aid in its DEFINITION OF PLACE. These could be items of people, How do elements of place inform movement decoration, noises, or other. For each within a space? element, develop a symbol that can be used to exemplify how and where that element exists within the location. Develop a map of the space, adding the symbols of these place-making elements as appropriate.

shape / form foreground (light) middle ground (medium) background (dark) void (darkest)

MAY INCLUDE:

detail (consider column ornament, sculptural elements, eaves, etc.)

FOCUS:

Complete no less than two drawings per location, spending no less than thirty minutes per drawing.

Construct a series of well crafted elevation drawings investigating the SHAPES OF SHADOWS as they fall upon an exterior façade. What are the How can shadows be used to provide insight into the potential of primary shapes of these shadows, and how do wayfinding within a given context? they help in the interpretation of the façade upon which they are found? Look at sizes and shapes for each shadow, and how they inform the overall reading of the façade.

INCLUDE:

INCLUDE: MAY INCLUDE:

This series intends to investigate how relationships between plan, section and elevation reveals logic behind the construction of that space, and how these relationships can be used to influence spatial reading and navigation.

Complete no less than two drawings per location, taking at least fifteen minutes per drawing before moving to a new space.

LAND OF SHADOWS

Develop a series of very carefully constructed drawings EXPLORING SPATIAL VOLUMES through a plan-oblique analysis of the negative spaces. To What are the boundaries and limits of the space? What happens at do this, imagine filling the space you thresholds, openings,or other types of borders? are in with massive amounts of jell-o, then removing the “formwork,” or walls and other elements that make up that space.

INCLUDE:

This series is intended to provide insight into how proportional relationships of volumes can change direction, movement or behavior of people within each space.

LAND OF SHADOWS

A WORLD OF JELL-O

Carefully construct a PLAN AND ELEVATION / SECTION of a space at proper proportion, aligning the two studies How can you construct a two-dimensional to allow for ease of assembly. Use representation of a construction lines to insure the proper alignments, given three-dimensional space? scale, spacing and proportions.

figure void

MAY INCLUDE:

MAKING THE PLAN

INCLUDE:

shape void foreground (dark line weight) middle ground (medium line weight) background (light line weight)

MAY INCLUDE:

varied spacing of lines to indicate opacity

FOCUS:

scale / proportion directionality of overall building elements relationship of these elements to surrounding context

AVOID:

color detail over-simplification

Vertical elements inspire one to look skyward, while horizontal elements encourage the eye to move towards the horizon. Learning to read the elements of a context can help influence interaction.

Complete no less than five drawings per series.

Complete no less than five drawings per location, with no less than fifteen minutes spent per drawing.

Complete no less than four drawings per location. Visit the site more than once at different points throughout the day to get a more complete series.

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MOCK ONE

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RETHINK IT ALL. There were some inherent issues with the initial kit design. It needed to be portable, hold everything, and easy to use. It met these three challenges. For the most part. The clamshell design allowed for easy storage of the stuff. And it also provided a drawing surface for students on the go. But it was rather bulky, and would need yet another container to carry it in to be truly portable. That, and it looked like an ice cream sandwich. This will not do. I felt I needed to rethink / redesign the whole thing. When travelling to Buenos Aires, I came across a felt handbag design that I thought might be the right direction. I researched it online, resketched it, and discussed it with my muse—my husband, who would be teaching the summer studio with me. He knew what the kit ultimately needed to do. He was also aware that it needed to kick ass, design-wise, while staying simple in construction. Especially since he was going to have to help me make 18 of them. We had a contest—we each spent an hour designing small models of a bag design that might work. I won. But he helped me revise to a smaller, simpler idea.

REDUEX

Afterwards, I spent the better part of a day figuring out the pattern, maximizing the material to reduce overall waste and construction time. Then, I started the real work. My sewing machine hated the felt. But it kept sewing. One piece of felt. One stitch. Two straps. Thirteen holes. Seven grommets. Ten days. Eighteen bags. A MILLION SORE MUSCLES.

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8x10 3 units

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200 AWARD-WINNING WORDS. The Road Kit for Exploring Knowhere is a teaching tool aimed at increasing visual literacy used when traveling to unfamiliar places. Intended for mobile design investigations, the kit needed to include several elements to facilitate both hand and digital media capture techniques. During early testing, a couple of great opportunities emerged. The first: a realization the those requesting the product were not the intended users. The clients have a well developed sense of visual literacy. The users of the product were young people who were new to traveling and looking critically at the world. The second: there was a need to contain supplies needed while traveling. Rather than providing the equivalent of a fancy pencil case, the Road Kit fully supports a mobile design course within a single-piece felt container. Beyond raw supplies, the piece includes vibrant assignment cards which prompt certain ways of seeing and generating student-specific documents, encouraging the use of multiple media, while still allowing students to work in new, yet familiar ways. Supporting custom tailored tools, and electronic media devices were also included, all housed within a hand-made bag, original and rugged, not so fancy as to attract thieves.

LET’S GO

INTERACTION IS THE KEY

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TECH TOOLS. When I finished the kit, I had a huge problem. Flip Video, producers of the video camera component of the kit, folded. They realized that the product was cool, but also that everyone with a smart phone had a better camera built into that. How could they compete? So I had to rethink. Additionally, part of the full teaching idea needed to use aspects of sharing and social media to remain relevant to current students. I knew a website was needed, and tried to find a means of combining this with other elements of the design deliverables.

INTERACT

The site was originally intended to augment only the book. But now, there was a chance to make it something more. If I combined the video capturing capacity of the Flip camera with the interactive / social networking ideas of the site, I had a chance to develop a tool that could work both inside and outside of the class (and thesis) environment. So, I started working on apps. And the site.

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YoureHere, Italy Via Della Quattro Fontaine

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PEOPLEPEOPLE ARE ARE INTERESTING INTERESTING NAVIGATORS. NAVIGATORS.

“KNOWHERE” would “KNOWHERE” like to We take wouldinlike to We clues on how taketo in clues on how to use your current location use your current location behave from the environments behave from the environments Don’t Allow

TARTSTART HERE HERE

n how people Learn navigate how people as navigate as

use this tool you touse explore this tool and to explore and

ment Knowhere. document TAGKnowhere. your TAG your

undings, MAP surroundings, the journey, MAP the journey,

ORE new EXPLORE contexts, SPEAK new contexts, SPEAK

bo jumbo.mumbo Then gojumbo. onlineThen go online

SHARE your andfindings SHAREwith your findings with

nowhere community. the Knowhere community.

that surround us, that and surround use that us, and use that OK Allow OK Don’t behavior to orientbehavior ourselves. to orient ourselves.

A NICE,ACOZY NICE, COZY SPACE helps SPACE us feel helps us feel

WHILE OPEN WHILE OPEN stop us stop us SPACESSPACES

confident, comfortable, confident, and comfortable, and

in our tracks as we in realize our tracks just as we realize just

sure that we are indeed sure that onwe theare indeed on the

how small and lost how wesmall are. and lost we are.

right path…

To better grasp how To better peoplegrasp use how people use their world to orient their themselves world to orient themselves both physcially and both emotionally, physcially and emotionally,

MAYBE MAYBE WE WE SHOULD… SHOULD…

In doing so, we subconsciously In doing so, we subconsciously recognize that… recognize that…

SHOW, DON’T TELL. How can we show students that navigation is affected by context and behavior, but in a way that is relavent to them. Even more importantly, how can we get the tools for learning about wayfinding to them in a more portable method than even the Road Kit provides?

Home

CHECK CHECK THE MAP THE MAP TAG your surroundings TAG your surroundings MAP your journey MAP your journey EXPLORE newEXPLORE contexts new contexts

Maybe by using the tools they carry with them everywhere already? And use this to tie into a larger community where they can discuss ideas of wayfinding and navigation with their peers? The Knowhere iPhone / iPad app, allows students (or other designers, or even clients) to tag various wayfinding elements on the road as they explore their own surroundings. Electronic tools mimic their Roadkit counterparts, allowing travelers to photograph, draw, or map their journies using specific in-phone tools and their own images. Additionally, travelers can upload their findings to the Knowhere website to share their experiences with other travelers. Using these tools, travelers are more able to discuss ideas of wayfinding using their own explorations, and to plug into a larger dialog with other travelers.

SPEAK mumboSPEAK jumbo mumbo jumbo SHARE with Knowhere SHARE with Knowhere

CONNECT

Home

Tag

Explore

Explore Explore

LOOK AROUND YOU

REVIEW YOUR STUFF REVIEW YOUR STUFF

Tag

WHICH TAG?

TAG, YOU’RE IT

WHICH TAG?

LANDMARK

HUB

DISTRICT

EDGE

NOT SURE?

TAG, YOU’RE IT

Use wayfinding symbols to tag elements you see. Then

be sure to SHARE your images and notes with others

online at the Knowhere community.

TAG your surroundings

observe how people move, interact, and behave in their surroundings LANDMARK

a fixed point that can be used as

SPATIAL ORDERS

a reference from multiple areas; may be a recognizable building

WHICH WAY?

TAG your surroundings MAP your journey VIEW your tags EXPLORE new contexts TELL us more SPEAK mumbo jumbo SHARE with Knowhere

HUMAN BEHAVIOR

TAGTAKE your surroundings A PHOTO OR VIDEO

consider how existing architecture

or visible landscape feature.

clues influence your navigation

HUB

VIEW your tags CANCEL

TELL us more

GRAPHIC IDEAS consider how design, symbols, culture, and meaning influence perception

BY CATEGORY BY CATEGORY review review your stuff on tagson tags yourbased stuff based made along way made the along the way

BY DATE BY DATE maybemaybe you don’t it was, it was, youknow don’twhere know where but you’re sure it sure was last week but you’re it was last week

BY LOCATION BY LOCATION

SHARE with Knowhere

SHARE with Knowhere FIND others

look uplook your maps to upprevious your previous maps to see your and travels seetags your tags and travels

DISTRICT EDGE

CHOOSE FROM LIBRARY

BY MAP BY MAP

sort bysort country, county,county, city, orcity, or by country, other geographic areas areas other geographic

WHERE WHERE PALACAPALACA DEL MAYO DEL MAYO Buenos Aires, Argentina Buenos Aires, Argentina

WHEN WHEN 31 December 2010 31 December 2010

MORE INFOINFO MORE GOLIATH. This monumental GOLIATH. This monumental opening opening marks the entrythe to entry to marks

FIND others

a main government building.building. a main government DAVID. Smaller to DAVID. openings Smaller openings to either side leadside to security. either lead to security.

WHICH TAG? LANDMARK

TELL US MORE ABOUT IT HUB

DISTRICT

NAME THIS MAP

EDGE The Catacombs NOT SURE?

WHERE LANDMARK

Rome, Italy

a fixed point that can be used as

a reference from multiple areas;

MORE INFO

may be a recognizable building

or visible landscape feature. Nearing the River, around Campo del Fiore. HUB DISTRICT EDGE

PEOPLE ARE INTERESTING NAVIGATORS. We take in clues on how to behave from the environments thatINFO surround us, and use that MORE behavior to orient ourselves.

Lots of examples of HUBS and LANDMARKS in the area. Of course the typical

NowHere, Italy

Roman monoliths are everywhere, helping me figure out where I am in relation to the overall city.

Via Della Quattro Fontaine Rome, Italy

Multiple paths converge at the piazza, allowing

access to new locations around the city.

In doing so, we subconsciously recognize that… Check out this cool HUB we

shot near Piazza del Fiore. VIEW TAGS

S Z

123

D X

F C

G V

H B

J N

K M

! ,

Tag

? . 123

A NICE, COZY SPACE helps us feel confident, comfortable, and sure that we are indeed on the right path…

SETTING SITES IN A SOCIAL WAY

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KONNICHIWA! Gateways, such as this one in Tokyo, Japan, are used to separate different areas from each other, marking visible locations between DISTRICTS in the area. Beyond this gateway, glass and steel structures reach for the sky in a modern urban setting. But behind us, a traditional Japanese shrine sits quietly away from the city, removing visitors from the rush and hassle of the traffic outside the garden. Up the steps, through the trees, we remove ourselves from the daily grind and find ourselves in another world.

ORIENT about

IN THE WORLD WIDE WEB. To further the idea of education in an immersive environment, a social network website was designed to exploit many of the tools found within the kit and app. I knew that the design needed to fit within the given system, and that the navigation had to be… unique, but easily followed. The challenge was in finding a design that didn’t seem like more of the same, and would allow for exploration beyond simple finding of facts.

contact

TANGLED

Here, the Bell Tower and Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, stands tall, shining the way home to all within her sites. Even those of us across the river, where this image was taken.

Something that would encourage social interaction, participatory design, and (of course) learning. LEARN find the pros

learn the language

study standards

read the book

CONNECT

CAN’T GET IN HERE Yes, these are bars. Obviously, you’re not going to get into this portion of the building… Ever. This building houses the Argentine Congress. The national government meets here to discuss the affairs of the country, to consider laws, budgets, and the overall welfare of the citizens of Argentina. So security and grandeur should be considered in the design of the main entry. Which means you may think that the main entry is through the amazing statues. But it isn’t. It’s actually through these bars. So weird. Perhaps it’s a political statement.

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To better grasp how people use their world to orient themselves, both physically and emotionally,

MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST START EXPLORING… SHARE Gain access to Knowhere’s online community, share your navigation discoveries with others, explore your surroundings, get a kit, or find local Knowhere events.

FINDING THE WAYS WE WAYFIND by exploring how surroundings and people’s behavior affect the ways in which we navigate.

ORIENT

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING

KNOW HERE

EXPLORE

LEARN

AND NOW WE PRODUCE

ORIENT

ROAD KIT

INTERACTION

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EXPLORE

LEARN

THE FINAL FRONTIER

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ORIENT

WHAT WE DO WHERE WE DO IT

EXPLORE

WHAT WE DO WHERE WE DO IT

“THE ONLY REAL VALUABLE THING IS INTUITION.”

LOOK KIT FIND

Investigate the world around you using prompts of three very different perspectives. Each Explore category helps you see the world in unique ways, allowing you to determine how different ideas aid in wayfinding.

“WE'RE ALL PILGRIMS ON THE SAME JOURNEY— BUT SOME PILGRIMS HAVE BETTER ROAD MAPS.”

We want to know. At Knowhere, we spend our days pointing out what clues we use to do navigate the world so that we can help designers better understand human navigation. That way, they can design better systems to help you do this.

—Albert Einstein

EXPLORE

LOOK KIT FIND

Just how do people navigate new areas? Not just spaces, but websites, books, and other environments? Do you wander aimlessly? Check a map? Ask directions? Follow your nose? Find clues provided in the designs around you? Point and go?

Here at Knowhere, we help you find the ways you wayfind by providing exploration tools, learning opportunities, and a chance to share your findings with our online community. So EXPLORE, LEARN, and SHARE your world.

HUMAN BEHAVIOR prompts suggest how to observe how people move and interact with their surroundings. SPATIAL ORDERS help you consider how clues in the context and spaces around you influence your choices.

GRAPHIC IDEAS show you how design, symbols, culture, and meaning influence your perception of space and place.

—Nelson DeMille

ORIENT overview contact

EXPLORE

LEARN

ORIENT overview contact

EXPLORE

LEARN

ORIENT

EXPLORE look around get a kit find local explorations

EXPLORE LOOK KIT FIND

This convenient travel kit comes complete with a field notebook for sketching and notation, a series of Exploration Cards with ideas on how to look at the world around you, a compact printer, video camera, pens and watercolors, and water bottle to help you stay hydrated while out, all in a handmade durable felt and leather bag.

HUMAN BEHAVIOR LEARN FROM THOSE AROUND US

Suggestions on how to observe people HUMAN BEHAVIOR prompts suggest and their interactions with the things how to observe how people move and interact with their surroundings. around them. Sketch, photograph, or write ideas in response to the prompts. SPATIAL ORDERS help you consider how clues in the context and spaces around you influence your choices. SPACE FOR PLACE: how culture might

A B C D E F GH I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

achromatic color. Neutral colors without apparent hue such as gray, white, or black. (Reath and Biesek) additive color. Red, green and blue, colors produced by light which, when added together equally, produce white light. (Reath and Biesek)

AIGA. American Institute of Graphic Arts. An organization devoted to the development of professional standards and ethics within the graphic design profession.

Email us for ordering options.

kit@findingknowhere.com

inform wayfinding GRAPHIC IDEAS show you how design, LINEAR ATTITUDES: how directionality symbols, culture, and meaning influence pushes us along your perception of space and place. DAVID AND GOLIATH: how scale and size influence navigation

AIA. American Institute of Architects. An organization devoted to the development of professional standards and ethics within the architectural profession.

—Oscar Wilde

LEARN

LOOK KIT FIND

PROS SPEAK STUDY READ

There are times when learning a new language helps us understand the locals better. The following terms are only a few of the many used within both the design and behavioral sciences fields when discussing ideas of wayfinding, navigation and orientation.

“EXPERIENCE IS ONE THING YOU CAN'T GET FOR NOTHING.”

EXPLORE look around get a kit find local explorations

EXPLORE

LEARN

PROS SPEAK STUDY READ

ORIENT

LEARN

Also available in a convenient iPhone APP.

PEOPLE WATCHING: how space changes with population

ambient light. The general light level in any given environment. This light may be natural or manmade, and will affect the readability or visibility of any material or signage within the space. (Reath and Biesek) ANSI. American National Standards Institute. ascender. A portion of any letter that extends vertically above the x height. Letters such as b, d, f, h, k and l all have ascenders.

ORIENT

EXPLORE

LEARN find the pros learn the language study standards read the book

ORIENT

ORIENT about

EXPLORE

LEARN find the pros learn the language study standards read the book

ORIENT

ORIENT about

contact

EXPLORE look around get a kit find local explorations

LEARN

ORIENT

EXPLORE look around

contact

Just how do people navigate new areas? Not just in spaces, but websites, books, and other environments? Do you wander around aimlessly? Check a map? Ask directions? Follow your nose? Find clues provided in the designs around you? Or just point and go?

Gain access to Knowhere’s online community, share your navigation discoveries with others, explore your surroundings, get a kit, or find local Knowhere events.

LOOK AROUND Investigate the world around you using prompts of three very different perspectives. Each Explore category helps you see the world in unique ways, allowing you to determine how different ideas aid in wayfinding.

We want to know.

So EXPLORE, LEARN, and SHARE your world.

LEARN

get a kit

WHAT WE DO

At Knowhere, we spend our days pointing out what clues we use to do navigate the world so that we can help designers better understand human navigation. We help you find the ways you wayfind by providing exploration tools, learning opportunities, and a chance to share your findings with our online community.

EXPLORE look around get a kit find local explorations

WHERE WE DO IT

HUMAN BEHAVIOR prompts suggest how to observe how people move and interact with their surroundings.

We started in Dallas, wandered up to the Ozark Mountains, then wound our way towards the Ohio River Valley. But our journies continue around the world.

SPATIAL ORDERS help you consider how clues in the context and spaces around you influence your choices.

You can find us out and about, exploring, people watching, singing the praises of navigation wherever you find a good internet connection.

GRAPHIC IDEAS show you how design, symbols, culture, and meaning influence your perception of space and place.

Shoot us an email. Find out where we are today.

findus@findingknowhere.com

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…A NICE, COZY SPACE MAY HELP US FEEL CONFIDENT, COMFORTABLE, AND EVEN SURE WE ARE INDEED ON THE RIGHT PATH…

PEOPLE ARE INTERESTING NAVIGATORS. We take in clues on how to behave from the environments that surround us, and use that behavior to orient ourselves.

In doing so, we subconsciously recognize that…

FINDING THE WAYS WE WAYFIND by exploring how surroundings and people’s behavior affect the ways in which we navigate.

(skip it—I know the way)

SOCIAL WAYFINDING. The website design ties together the Road Kit and App pieces of the design by providing more than another venue through which to gain access to the tools.

Use your scroll wheel or arrow keys to move about.

LEARN Find experts in the field, learn the language, figure out the standards, and get access to the Knowhere wayfinding education line.

Click the dots to see new scenes. Click the Knowhere Man to reorient yourself.

ORIENT about

WHAT WE DO

ORIENT about

contact

We started in Dallas, wandered up to the Ozark Mountains, then wound our way towards the Ohio River Valley. But our journies continue around the world.

Do you wander around aimlessly? Check a map? Ask directions? Follow your nose? Find clues provided in the designs around you? Or just point and go?

You can find us out and about, exploring, people watching, singing the praises of navigation wherever you find a good internet connection.

We want to know.

SHOOT US AN EMAIL. FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

At Knowhere, we spend our days pointing out what clues we use to do navigate the world so that we can help designers better understand human navigation.

findus@findingknowhere.com

So EXPLORE, LEARN, and SHARE your world.

Four main sections provide access to different tools within the structure. The Orient link gives basic “who we are” information. The Explore section gives pdf versions of the Exploration prompts and an online venue to purchase the Kit or Apps. The Learn area acts as a hub to other wayfinding designers, terminology, and will ultimately contain readers for further wayfinding learning. And the Share section provides a social network outlet where visitors can see what others have uploaded, leave comments, or even share their own Knowhere results. ORIENT about

contact

Here, all of the Knowhere information you could desire is found within one happy web.

WHERE WE DO IT

JUST HOW DO PEOPLE NAVIGATE NEW AREAS? Not just in spaces, but websites, books, and other environments?

We help you find the ways you wayfind by providing exploration tools, learning opportunities, and a chance to share your findings with our online community.

The site acts as a hub where participants can log in, find new exploration prompts, upload drawings, photos, or videos, and discuss with other travelers the ideas that have helped them navigate.

HERE I AM! All around the environment you’ll find these… Huge volumes, easily recognizable and visible from multiple directions, that seem to orient you within the setting no matter where you are. These are LANDMARKS, our most understood urban wayfinding device. Here, the Bell Tower and Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, stands tall, shining the way home to all within her sites. Even those of us across the river, where this image was taken.

…A NICE, COZY SPACE MAY HELP US FEEL CONFIDENT, COMFORTABLE, AND EVEN SURE WE ARE INDEED ON THE RIGHT PATH…

PEOPLE ARE INTERESTING NAVIGATORS. We take in clues on how to behave from the environments that surround us, and use that behavior to orient ourselves.

In doing so, we subconsciously recognize that…

FINDING THE WAYS WE WAYFIND by exploring how surroundings and people’s behavior affect the ways in which we navigate.

(skip it—I know the way)

…WHILE OPEN SPACES STOP US IN OUR TRACKS AS WE REALIZE JUST HOW SMALL AND LOST WE ARE.

This site presents ideas of wayfinding and navigation, to help you better grasp how people use their world to orient themselves both physically and emotionally.

MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST START EXPLORING…

(skip it—I know the way)

SHARE Gain access to Knowhere’s online community, share your navigation discoveries with others, explore your surroundings, get a kit, or find local Knowhere events.

EXPLORE

Use your scroll wheel or arrow keys to move about.

Find experts in the field, learn the language, figure out the standards, and get access to the Knowhere wayfinding education line.

Click the dots to see new scenes. Click the Knowhere Man to reorient yourself.

ORIENT about

WHAT WE DO

ORIENT about

contact

We started in Dallas, wandered up to the Ozark Mountains, then wound our way towards the Ohio River Valley. But our journies continue around the world.

Do you wander around aimlessly? Check a map? Ask directions? Follow your nose? Find clues provided in the designs around you? Or just point and go?

You can find us out and about, exploring, people watching, singing the praises of navigation wherever you find a good internet connection.

We want to know.

SHOOT US AN EMAIL. FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

At Knowhere, we spend our days pointing out what clues we use to do navigate the world so that we can help designers better understand human navigation.

findus@findingknowhere.com

So EXPLORE, LEARN, and SHARE your world.

ORIENT about

contact

WHERE WE DO IT

JUST HOW DO PEOPLE NAVIGATE NEW AREAS? Not just in spaces, but websites, books, and other environments?

We help you find the ways you wayfind by providing exploration tools, learning opportunities, and a chance to share your findings with our online community.

Go here to find prompts that help you see how you navigate, to get your very own exploration kit, or to find local Knowhere events happening near you.

LEARN

EXPLORE look around

contact

get a kit

“WE'RE ALL PILGRIMS ON THE SAME JOURNEY— BUT SOME PILGRIMS HAVE BETTER ROAD MAPS.” —Nelson DeMille

EXPLORE join the journey

local explorations

UPLOAD YOUR STUFF TELL US MORE. Where did you find it? Just what is it? How did it help you figure out the city you were in? The more you put down, the better we can all learn from your explorations. PHOTO TAGS Photograph different wayfinding elements around you, noting which type of element they are and how they help orient you in the area.

These are LANDMARKS, our most understood urban wayfinding device.

EXPLORATIONS Look at different environments through specific filters to see how context helps you navigate.

Here, the Bell Tower and Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, stands tall, shining the way home to all within her sites. Even those of us across the river, where this image was taken.

MAPS Use your KNOWHERE app to follow your travels and tag landmarks, districts, edges, and hubs.

UPLOAD FILE

community posts

get a kit

local explorations

upload your stuff

COUNTRY USA (501) Argentina (21) Britain (96) France (65) Germany (24) Italy (499) Japan (235) Malta (56) TAG districts (125) edges / paths (341) hubs (233) landmarks (546) EXPLORATIONS

localfile://samperk/rome/wow.jpg

NAME IT The Catacombs

WHERE Rome, Italy

MORE INFO Nearing the River, around Campo del Fiore. Lots of examples of HUBS and LANDMARKS in the area. Of course the typical Roman monoliths are everywhere, helping me figure out where I am in relation to the overall city.

MAPS

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“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” —Douglas Adams, author

ACTIVE SPACE. Ah, the exhibit. I had not proposed an exhibit in the midpoint review, and didn’t intend to do one originally. Jeremy Stout convinced me, somehow, that it would be a good idea, making my final set of deliverables well rounded. I reluctantly agreed, and added it to the list. And then I avoided it. I booked a space, then cancelled. Booked it again, and backed out once more. Eventually, I re-booked, and was told if I backed out again, I’d lose the spot entirely. Fair.

EXPLORE

WALK

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING

and learn how people encounter, investigate and experience place.

But first, to build some buzz.

OCTOBER 12 TH–21 ST. Explore KNOWHERE

So, then I just needed to figure out how the elements in my identity would work in a dimensional space.

CAGE GALLERY. ALUMNI HALL. MIAMI UNIVERSITY

One day, in the shower, epiphany. Perhaps I should develop a system that uses the building to point out how different elements within the venue intend to lead people to the space, where videos of the Italy summer studio would run. These videos could show the main ideas in a more interactive method than any physical walls ever could. I just needed to design the leading system, the video, and the tables on which to put the computers that run them. Easier…?

WHO:

I had decided to make the exhibit a summary of my findings, but kept finding different things to include. At one point, I had divided the space into different zones, hanging panels to divide it physically, with each zone explaining one aspect of my findings. I avoided the thing because it was huge, and I didn’t know if I could pull it off.

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CAGE GALLERY. ALUMNI HALL. MIAMI UNIVERSITY

OCTOBER 12TH–21ST.

Explore

KNOWHERE

and learn how people encounter, investigate and experience place.

KNOWHERE. Where graphic design, spatial design and human perception overlap to help inform the navigation decisions that lead travelers to familiar locations.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”

Explore KNOWHERE and learn how people encounter, investigate and experience place.

—Tartin Buber, philosopher

WHERE:

CAGE GALLERY. ALUMNI HALL. MIAMI UNIVERSITY.

WHEN:

OCTOBER 12TH–21ST. Opening Event Wednesday, October 12th 5–6:30

WHAT:

An exploration of space, place and orientation.

WHO:

GET THE WORD OUT. The exhibit involved more than the actual space. It needed to be advertised. Since I’d had success starting small on previous deliverables, I thought this should be a good place to start here. I decided to develop postcards and posters to send out to different people. Those I really wanted there would get a poster. Everyone else, a postcard.

Your Long Name Here XXXX Full Street Address City in the Sky, ST XXXXX

CAGE GALLERY. ALUMNI HALL. MIAMI UNIVERSITY. OCTOBER 12TH–21ST KNOWHERE: An MFA investigation into space, place and navigation. Opening Event Wednesday, October 12th 5–6:30

So I worked out a mailer design. One that could fold to match the same size of my assignment cards from the kit design, and unfold to poster size. The cool thing about the folding was that the form meant I had a sequence of events to design within the invitation itself. A narrative, walking the receiver through the information, tempting them to come and find out more in the process. Of course, as soon as I had the designs worked out, printing was an issue. Apparently the original size (13x18) was not one that printers liked dealing with in small, less than 100 copy runs. It almost got cut for timing issues.

CREATING BUZZ

KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING

Luckily, a Facebook friend suggested a number of printers in her town, and one was able to help.

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SPATIAL SEQUENCE. I know that scale iterations are necessary for all spatial design elements. Years as an architectural designer taught me that it helps to see what a design will look like before the big, expensive work begins. So I printed and developed models of all elements to be incorporated into the final design. Scale, legibility, buildability all come into focus if you can see what it will “really” look like. My cat helped. After much study, some of the design pieces had to be cut. The computer tables, originally to be three dimensional interpretations of the information flags in my flat work, became too difficult to build on time. Instead, I installed a circular table was installed with a computer monitor running multiple loops. Though I was upset about cutting these pieces (especially after spending so much funding and time on them), the lack of walls became more powerful, which set up the space as an environmental experiment. The videos designed to run the loops became lost when the motherboard of my laptop died. The display video ended up being only half of what I wanted to use. The vinyl, which was to be printed as a single, long sheet, became chopped up for reduced waste and overall printing costs. The backing surface, which was to be the built-in tackboard already found in the space, proved to be too fuzzy to take the vinyl, though my test pieces had worked fine previously. I substituted a kraft paper background instead, which worked better. Its texture contrasted the smooth vinyl, showing how different textures cause different responses within behavior. Many students touched the walls because of its presence. But in the end, it came together.

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PRINTERS. OY. The design required access to technology I simply did not have. I needed a large format printer that could produce beautiful work, on vinyl. Well, adhesive-backed vinyl. For that, I needed a commercial print service. Because the installation was to happen at Miami University, I had access to their print services, which were MUCH less than commercial printing companies. By over half. And because I knew how printers really work (they only help if they like you), I figured I should start playing nice. Things went great. Then bad. Then okay. Then…

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WOO…HOO!!!

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ANOTHER 200 WORDS. The exhibition points out how behavior and environmental context can aid in navigation decisions, in an effort to determine a better method of teaching wayfinding design to students and potential clients. By using the building in which it’s housed as a teaching tool, the exhibit does something never done within the context of this academic setting before—it pulls itself out of the confines of the gallery space, and lets the design overrun a full level in the Department of Architecture and Interior Design at Miami University. The exhibit starts a conversation between the visitor and building by pointing out moments of decision making, while questioning whether the context of these moments works. This encourages people to look at their surroundings and determine what has influenced their understanding of location and sense of place. By turning the venue into part of the installation, and by encouraging the interaction of visitors with the spaces, this exhibit asks the question of how can graphic design influence how people respond to and move through space. It further challenges visitors to make their own decisions about how graphics can activate a space, and how that in turn influences behavior and navigation in that space.

EVENTFUL

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PHEW. GLAD THAT’S FINISHED.

“THERE’S A CITY IN MY MIND—COME ALONG AND TAKE THAT RIDE.” —The Talking Heads

uncharted territories

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study abroad

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grazie… and ciao

284

WHERE TO NEXT? UNCHARTED TERRITORIES. The pieces are in place, and all are built and ready for promotion. Now, is there anyone out there willing to listen? Only one way to find out… Actually, before I had completed the full series of deliverables, I put the work to the community for full evaluation. I ran a studio testing the kit, asking students their thoughts on the design, and what they would do to improve the overall piece. The resulting feedback was then used in the final iteration development. During the studio I was invited to present results of the full trip to Innenarchitektur HS Rosenheim, near Munich, Germany. This let me put the kit pieces, and the results of student investigations in front of other students. Looks of excitement washed across their faces. A few “ahh”s filled the air. So many questions, so little understanding of German to answer. I opened the exhibit in the middle of a semester, well before beginning the interactive pieces. This helped me understand how the system might adjust to fit its context more flexibly. And it allowed me to submit the design for multiple design awards, placing in two of these. I submitted the kit for the same design awards, taking places with this deliverable as well. In one instance, the exhibit took first and the bag third, in another the bag took first and the exhibit third. I must be doing something people like. And finally, a random Google search for “teach wayfinding” led the academic board leader from the Society of Environmental Graphic Designers (SEGD) to my email address, which he used to start a dialogue about my efforts, and would I like to present them to the SEGD conference attendees in June. Why, yes. Yes, I would.

NOW. TO FIND A JOB…

DO THEY LIKE IT? YES, THEY DO.

“THERE’S A CITY IN MY MIND—COME ALONG AND TAKE THAT RIDE.” —The Talking Heads

LANDMARK

A FIXED POINT THAT CAN BE USED AS A REFERENCE FROM MULTIPLE AREAS; MAY BE A RECOGNIZABLE BUILDING OR ANY OTHER HIGHLY VISIBLE LANDSCAPE ELEMENT

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HIT THE ROAD TO STUDY ABROAD

SEARCHING FOR WAYS TO TEACH YOUNG DESIGN STUDENTS ABOUT WAYFINDING WITHOUT BORING THEM TO TEARS…

GET LOST IN ITALY. In Summer 2011, my husband, son, and I led seventeen art and design students throughout Italy, showing them ways of getting lost in order to see if they could then find ways of seeing and navigating this unfamiliar terrain. Each student was given a full exploration kit, along with thirteen assignment cards and a field notebook with a mapping project. For the first few days, we led them around, showing them architectural sites and playing tour guide. After a week, we walked them to the middle of Rome and said “see you at the hotel.” It was up to them to determine where they were and how to get back. And they should also have excellent drawings based on the card prompts when they returned. Students looked at landmarks, shadows, how people moved through spaces, where large congregations were found, how the sun moved across the sky, the architectural clues that could help them figure out the buildings and city, and more. After a few hours, all returned safely. After another few weeks, none wanted us to lead anymore—they’d figured out how to navigate without maps or guides. And their projects showed a basic understanding of what elements worked best in this task.

FOUND

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student work by Katie Schmidt

student work by Tiffany Fry

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student work by Catherine Berry

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above by Aaron Schordock, below by Caroline McNulty

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above and below by Sharon Peng

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MAKE A NAME AND SPREAD THE WORD

project information aia ……

x iida/asid…… segd ……

entry number category

asla ……

c. mag ……

open ……

S-4 ……………………………………… ……………………………………..

SEGD built work ……………………………………… ……………………………………………

Knowhere: New Ways to Wayfind project name ……………………………………… ……………………………..……… Oxford, Ohio location ……………………………………… …………………………………….……… 10.10.2011 date completed ……………………………………… ………………………….………

design8ed designer of record ……………………………………… ………………………….......... 513/ 560-5975 phone ……………………………………… ………………………………………..………. Samantha Perkins, segd, aiga project team ……………………………………… ……………………………….………..

John Humphries, Kimberly Atkinson consultant ……………………………………… …………………………...………………. 513/ 560-6021 phone ……………………………………… ………………………………………..………. KNOWHERE: FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING NOW WHERE

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TWO THESIS DELIVERABLES RECEIVE REGIONAL AWARDS

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GRAPHIC DESIGN PIECES GET INTERIOR DESIGN ATTENTION

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I’M INVITED TO PRESENT MY WORK AT THE SEGD ACADEMIC SUMMIT

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SO MANY TO THANK. GRAZIE… AND CIAO

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THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO HELPED ME AS I WANDERED ALONG THE ROAD TO KNOWHERE.

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FOR MY SON, WHO REMINDED ME THAT LEARNING WITHOUT PLAY IS REALLY BORING.

DENVER. My son was nine when I started back to college. He’ll be thirteen by the time I complete this degree and present my thesis. He took most of the international trips with me, with the exception of the one to Tokyo (which was the one he really wanted to take). Along the way, he managed to find his way into well over sixty-percent of my “unusable” photos. Ah, blurry faces. In doing this, he made sure that I saw the world through his eyes. He made me eat (since I had to feed him too). He reminded me to stop. He reminded me to play. He found small nooks and crannies into which he would crawl and discover hidden mazes. He jumped in alarm at Argentine fireworks at midnight on New Year’s. He hunted for cats in absolutely every single town we visited, making fast friends with all of them. And he lived for an entire month on nothing but cheese pizza and Orangina. This project would have not been nearly as fun without him. So thank you, denver. And yes, we can stay home and play with the cats this summer.

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FOR THE STUDENTS, WHO ASKED THE QUESTIONS THAT CHALLENGED IDEAS.

THE GUINEA PIGS. Thanks for signing away all rights to your work, ideas, and even your physical image so that I could embarrass you on-screen and live. Your efforts, untainted vision, questions, and fresh ideas on just what qualifies as a “landmark” helped fashion a new academic direction for this project. I have appreciated your time and participation more than you will know.

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FOR MY REAL KNOWHERE MAN, LIVING IN OUR KNOWHERE LAND…

JOHN. My husband. Thank you for allowing me to stress when I needed to, and making me stop when I was getting crazy. For cooking dinners that rivaled international chefs. For helping me write project statements, sew bags, rethink materials, figure out applications, write proposals, for dealing with broken student ankles, and making sure the summer trips stayed under budget. For color coordinating your workshop wardrobe with my thesis colors so that I wouldn’t have to use photoshop to do this. For helping me lead clingy undergraduate students into the wild jungles of Italy without losing your cool… Much. For presenting the kit with me at design conferences, adding a bit more flair to the whole thing than I might have had alone. For putting aside your own list of tasks to do all of this and more. For keeping me grounded. Without your help, I could never have accomplished my task of…

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FINDING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING USING TOOLS THAT INVESTIGATE HOW CONTEXT AND BEHAVIOR ALREADY INFORM TO INFLUENCE NAVIGATION.

JUST REMEMBER,NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO,

THERE YOU ARE.

DESIGNING WAYS TO TEACH WAYFINDING DESIGNED ON Apple iMac and Apple MacBook Pro SOFTWARE Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 IMAGES TAKEN ON Canon EOS Rebel T2i with Sigma 28–80mm Aspherical Macro Lens TYPEFACES Museo 700 designed by Jos Buivenga Gotham, Gotham Narrow, and Gotham Rounded designed by Tobias Frere-Jones PAPER STOCK Mohawk Loop Antique Vellum, 80 lb cover, jute cover Mohawk Loop Antique Vellum, 80 lb cover, birch section openers Mohawk Loop Smooth, vellum 70 lb text, pure white body Curious Skin Mocha 91 lb text endpapers PRINTED ON HP Indigo by Arnold Printing of Cincinnati, Ohio LETTERPRESS PLATE MADE BY Boxcar Press of Syracuse, New York BINDING AND LETTERPRESS BY Samantha Perkins