OUGD405 - Wayfinding Evaluation

For this brief I was keen to improve on a current wayfinding system to make it more attractive and make it clear to understand, as I find current wayfinding systems can be unclear and confusing at times due to the use of too many colours and a distracting layout which results in a system that is unreadable. In this brief I tried to keep on top of everything however, I was a little pushed for time towards the end. This is because I spent a lot of time on the research, focusing on current and local signage, innovative designs and inspiration of how to engage the public. I also looked into specific artists, such as Ben Kelly, and the systems that they have designed which has influenced my own work.

I personally struggled with understanding the Trinity system as numbers were missing and stores were incorrectly labeled. The layout of information was overwhelming and quite complicated to process. For this reason, I was keen to use this location for my redesign. I wanted to make it easier as I was sure other people would have struggled to understand it too. I looked into innovative styles of design but preferred the more modernist clean approach. This style makes the information easy to read. Researching signage in local venues and centers, I took inspiration and decided a more simplistic approach was key to an eligible system. Receiving feedback was very important as it informed my designs and helped me to expand my ideas.

I decided to focus on creating a clear, simple and easy to follow design that is fully visible. This would mean no distraction from any unnecessary features and keeping information central. I believe my final design is successful as it clearly marks out important information and demonstrates a unique style; this has been carefully considered and continued through each development in order to not defer attention away from key features. My designs have developed and become more understandable through peer feedback and group crits. This helped me to ensure the system would work for the public and not just me. My map and plan system is different from current shopping centre designs and it intrigues and captivates the audience through striking simplicity, attractive colour and stylised pictograms.

From a distance my design has a striking quality, which is displayed in my contextual examples where I have visualized the column to be lit up, illuminating my design. Ordering information is tricky when there are lots of stores to number and list for the information points and I would of liked to have spent more time on researching different ways to process this information. As well as this I would have liked to design more signage instead of just a map and information column. However I am happy that my design is successful and that attention is focused on the information it holds.

I have included a light and calming colour system for each floor so that it is clear which level you are on and all necessary information has been included and structured. I am proud of my contextual photos, as they have made my designs appear professional and realistic; the designs suit the environment chosen and help to create an efficient wayfinding system.  

I enjoyed the entire process of the design as I enjoy being a perfectionist with my work. I most enjoyed recreating the pictograms for the shopping centre, as the current pictograms didn’t suit the environment. They felt commercial and more suited to other environments such as an airport or a train station. I enjoyed creating a set of pictograms that would be more suited to a shopping centre, trying to reflect my own style within. I also enjoyed creating the contextual photographs that demonstrates my designs in the environment. I think that these and the map systems are the most successful piece of my design as they follow a clear and simplistic approach, which prioritises content over form.