The onset of the pandemic resulted in a seismic shift of how we experience our world. In an instant, navigating our neighborhood sidewalks, grocery stores, and pharmacies was suddenly as unfamiliar as exiting a taxi in an unknown city center. As designers of wayfinding strategies and systems which provide information for users to feel secure and confident in their journey, we’ve been thinking a lot about the fundamental differences in how security and safety means moving forward: how can we alleviate the uncertainty for users navigating ever-changing spaces and rules, while also acknowledging our interactions with familiar spaces will likely be evolving for the foreseeable future?
We continue to explore possible answers to this complicated question, and in times when the path doesn’t readily present itself, we find it’s helpful to return to our foundations and build from there. I originally wrote this piece in 2015, exploring the three fundamental elements of a wayfinding program. As we adjust the methods, tools, and language we use to commute with users, we continue to return to the People, Brand, and Architecture of a space to inform our design.
Wayfinding programs can appear overwhelming. With so many components to consider, including destinations, routes, materials, ADA code, architecture, branding and technology… many ask, “Where do we begin?”
The most important aspects in any wayfinding project can be boiled down to three things: architecture, branding and the people. That’s it. Everything else fits into one of those buckets.
Architecture
Navigation of architecture exists in its own finishes, sight lines and features. Ceiling heights, decision points, sight lines and technology integrations are all considerations for where information is placed, what it looks like, and how people will interact with it.
Branding
Wayfinding is an extension of the brand by incorporating typography, color and other branding attributes. This helps the visitor to confirm they are in the right location, can be used in placemaking and creates recognition of brand through consistency.
People
The people that use the space are the focus of any wayfinding system. They may need printed maps, digital solutions, static signage or company representatives to give them direction. Many of these answers are based on how they approach the location, the architecture of the space and what technologies are available.
Ultimately, information can be communicated in many different ways, including print, signs, or digital, but by understanding your audiences’ needs, what formats will best communicate the information, and the environment they will be navigating, the wayfinding strategy and design solution will be unique to the location and effective for its visitors.