Lost - Pedestrian Movement Through Busy Hubs by Hayley Branston

Lost?

Pedestrian movement through busy hubs.

legible cities Cities are large and diverse environments of people going about their daily business, interacting with each another in gatherings and events or simply passing each other on the street. We can help people get about and ďŹ nd things, by pointing at things or letting people know how and when to use public transport, or by providing a consistent system of visitor information that is used by all. What people come away with from visiting a new location is an immediate sense or experience of the place. Experiences could be pleasant or confusing, stimulating or dull, welcoming or unfriendly. These memories create positive or negative views about a place, and determine whether we return or choose not to bother.

but how can we achieve this...?

wayfinding what is it... Wayfinding is the science of navigation, singling out the important messages and determining how these are best communicated. It assissts people on their journey to and from a chosen destination. Wayfinding encompasses all of the ways in which people and animals orient themselves in physical space and navigate from place to place. Wayfinding is often used to refer to traditional navigation methods used by indigenous peoples. In more modern times, it is used in the context of architecture to refer to the user experience of orientation and choosing a path within the built environment. Sign elements that work together to provide orientation, directional information and destination identification. Signs, maps, and other graphic or audible methods used to convey location and directions to travelers.

communication

decision making Where am I? Where do I need to be? How do I get there? How long will it take?

why is it important? Enhances the visitors experience Improves operational efďŹ ciency Improves commercial opportunities

good wayďŹ nding Clear Concise Accurate Timely

hierarchy Information Direction IdentiďŹ cation

connected city Introduction to a pedestrian wayfinding proposal for Birmingham City Wayfinding signage is

sign elements that work together to provide

orientation, directional information and destination identification. This major category of signs is the key to the access and enjoyment of Birmingham and its many attractions. give people appropriate amounts of information at specific locations. Providing pedestrians with too much or too little information would create a flaw in the designs. By dividing the information and maps into categories, the wayfinding system becomes a lot easier to navigate. To wayfind around Birmingham, a strategy has been devised to

research sign strategy location initial ideas sign design ďŹ nal designs

research Human Scale Disabled Users Existing Signage Transport Developments Pedestrian Movement

sign strategy To wayfind around Birmingham, a strategy has been devised to give people appropriate amounts of information at specific locations. Providing pedestrians with too much or too little information would create a flaw in the designs. By dividing the information and maps into categories, the wayfinding system becomes a lot easier to navigate.

directional pointers

��

�

��

�

��

� � � ��

��

�

��

�

� � ��

� ��

��

� ��

��

� ��

��

area map

��

� ��

��

path supporter

��

�

city map

2b 3b

2a 3a

4b 5b

4a 5a ��

��

6b 7b

6a 7a �

�

8b 9b

8a 9a

10b 11b

10a 11a

12b

12a

��

node maps

location Placement of the signs is extremely important. The most beautifully designed signs will not make any sense in the wrong environment. Thorough site analysis has taken place to establish the correct placement of every individual sign.

initial ideas

sign design The design of the signs and how the information is displayed within them, is extremely important to the overall system and its success. They need to be concise and efficient in communicating to pedestrians, but also want to have their own personality and style that makes them individual and unique to Birmingham.

3000mm ��

��

typography Typography is a key element in information design and especially in the design of signs. The type must be clear and legible, whilst working with the designs of the sign. It must also consider people with disabilities, such as the visually impaired and those with dyslexia.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

�� Main sign text indicating street: Futura Medium 130pt Area of city : Futura Light 130pt

�� Pointer text on area and pathfinder signs: Futura Medium 200pt

icons Pictures are a great way of communicating an idea. Pictures have the potential to cross language or cultural barriers and can often be a quicker and more simple way of communicating an idea. Visual information often seems more welcoming and less daunting. Pictures will not work in every situation, but when they do visual information can be extremely effective.

final designs The final sign designs are important as they finally bring all the different elements of the project together. The typography, colour, icons, map design and all the research comes together in the final product. The placement of all the elements and information is a crucial stage in the wayfinding project.

��

�

��

�

��

� ��

��

Welcome to

Millennium Point Home of the TIC and IMAX

��

2b 3b

2a 3a

4b 5b

4a 5a

��

6b 7b

6a 7a �

�

8b 9b

8a 9a

10b 11b

10a 11a

12b

12a

��

�