Wayfinding System Toronto, Canada User Profiles Prepared by Yessi Arifin April 2013
USER PROFILE
Dara, Jim, and Kevin Kavanagh The Kavanagh family recently moved from Shanghai, China to the Kensington Market area, because Jim wanted to work in the import/export industry in Canada. Dara has little knowledge in English, since she only studied it until middle school in China. Jim was raised in Shanghai and speak Mandarin and English fluently. They are not very familiar with the area yet, but was attracted to it due to its proximity to Chinatown.
Sample User Journey The family decided to explore the area and grab a bite to eat one Sunday in a summer afternoon. Dara also thought that it was time for Kevin to get his teeth checked. They have not really explored the market before and do not know what it offers. Jim wanted to spend less than $20 for lunch, since the family’s budget is tight with him not working yet. Luckily, the map highlights which places are cheap and it is also bilingual, meaning Dara can also understand it.
Image from Spice City Toronto, http://4.bp.blogspot.com/RRn-tGOsNAQ/TdXHHnaCIFI/ AAAAAAAAAjM/lO4opwTSO6w/ s1600/DSC00103.JPG.
USER PROFILE
Agnes Jodeci and Sammy Castro Image from Street Style Fashion, http://www.paulhillier.com/3st/ wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ TSF-Oct2011-24.jpg.
Agnes and Sammy are visual arts students from the Ontario College of Art and Design University located in the downtown core of Canada. They are into the rave and punk scene of Toronto. Both Agnes and Sammy finds the skateboard, cannabis, and rave subculture in Kensington market appealing. They visit those particular shops to chat with the shop owners and update their gears. Sample User Journey Agnes and Sammy make their weekly trips to Kensington when they noticed that a new wayfinding system was installed. They decided to check out the map for fun, even if they are already largely familiar with the area. Browsing under the ‘Hobby’ section, they discover that there are so many other stores in Kensington that carry particular things they’ve been wanting for so long.
USER PROFILE
Palma Cavalcanti Palma is an interior designer who is working at a firm located on Spadina and Queen. She is always on the go and does not typically spend time to explore the city. She is only comfortable visiting places familiar to her. Palma actually thinks a lot of the shops in Kensington are too "weird" and "creepy" for her.
Sample User Journey She heard about Bungalow and Bungalow West from her colleagues as places with nice custom and vintage furnitures. She decided to check it out during her lunch break, since Kensington is nearby to her work. When she arrived at the map, she realizes that there are other furniture shops in Kensington Market. She never would have dared to go into stores like Funky Junky, because it doesn’t even look like it sells furniture from the outside, without the store front sign that indicates what the shop carries.
Image from TorontoVerve, http://1. bp.blogspot.com/-P6QeCOJ-ecE/ T6duKBWHOhI/AAAAAAAAFCM/ AGSkuMzzXdg/s1600/_DSC0717. jpg.
USER PROFILE
Leo Scopecesa Image from Samomatic, http:// samomatic.com/wordpress/ wp-content/uploads/2011/07/ Montreal_15.jpg.
Leo bought his business, Orbital Arts, fifteen years ago in the market when it was still desolate and empty. He and other artists helped to revitalize the area. Leo is great friends with other artists and old immigrant shop owners in the area. They make up a vibrant and tight-knit Kensington Market community. He is apprehensive about befriending the new incoming young professional shop owners, however.
Sample User Journey Leo closed his art shop early on a Friday night. He did not have plans, so he decided to kill some time by visiting his artist neighbour shop owner. He does not know a lot of the people in Kensington Market anymore, since many of the shop owners, primarily old immigrants and artists, have moved out. He noticed that there are a lot of new stores that carry art pieces like he does and decides to pay them a visit. He made friends with the new shop owners through his visit.