Wayfinding

Earlier this month, I had the honor and privilege of being asked to speak about Wayfinding for the Fashion Institute of Technology Graduate in Exhibition Design class.

The students were working on a project that challenged them to create a new Wayfinding system for the Central Park Zoo. Many museum or zoo visitors probably never think about Wayfinding. That is until they get lost!

An effective Wayfinding system will Identify, Inform, and Direct. It's not all just words and arrows. Wayfinding can be architecture, lighting, color, icons, images, landscape, and signage.

Think about who your audience is. For instance, if you're developing Wayfinding for an airport, people are coming from all different parts of the world and speak many different languages. Instead of using words, use color and symbols. Many symbols are universal and can be easily understood no matter what language you speak.

Make sure your design is universally accessible. If you follow ADA guidelines, your signage will be readable by people with a wide range of abilities. Not just those of us with 20/20 vision. Think about placement. Can a small child or a person in a wheelchair see the sign from their perspective? Do the colors you chose have enough contrast? Is your font legible?

Consider the look and feel of your location. If you are developing Wayfinding for the Central Park Zoo, you want to incorporate their brand and image into the design. For example, a Wayfinding system for a hospital will have an entirely different look and feel than a Wayfinding system for an amusement park or museum. Make sure your design is consistent with the brand.

Though most people don't give them much thought, Wayfinding systems are extremely important. And if designed well, people shouldn't have to give them any thought. Navigating a foreign location should be effortless. As someone who is a frequent traveler and has to constantly navigate my way through unfamiliar cities and airports, I know how helpful a well designed and user-friendly Wayfinding system can be. I also know how confusing and frustrating it can be to encounter a poorly designed Wayfinding system.

Nobody likes to get lost and Wayfinding helps us find our way. It keeps us out of danger, it informs us and directs us and gets us to where we need to go.

What do highway safety and exhibits have in common?

Designing exhibits for outdoors presents a whole new set of challenges. Things like rain, snow, insects, and UV exposure need to be carefully considered when sourcing appropriate materials for an outdoor environment.

Many museums use floor graphics to help their visitors navigate throughout their spaces. Arrows, footprints, and lines can be used to clearly mark the right path, making it easier for the visitor to find their way around a large museum. Floor graphics are a great use of space but what if your exhibit is outside? Painting is an option but between weather conditions and heavy foot traffic, you'll find yourself repainting every few months. 

This was a problem I was faced with at the Bronx Zoo Tiger Mountain exhibit. Visitors could come to watch the tigers being fed at scheduled times throughout the day. Tiger paw prints were stenciled on the ground with paint indicating the point which visitors were not allowed to cross once the feeding began. After a few months, the paw prints would start to wear away. Not only did this not look nice, but it was ineffective as a safety barrier. 

Presented with this challenge, I was determined to find a solution that would literally "stick."

I made a call to 3M and was told that regular Scotchprint floor graphics would not work for outside but they did recommend using their 3M Stamark highway marking tape. I figured if this tape was designed to withstand a snowplow then it should (hopefully) be able to hold up against Bronx Zoo visitors. All I needed to do was send a CAD file to them of the paw print and they were able to cut them to shape. Of course, you can get the standard pre-cut arrows and lines as well. The ground surface needs to be above 40 degrees to apply the tape and I would also recommend power washing first. The colors are limited to white and yellow but my hope is that 3M will broaden their color palette and not limit the use of this material to just highways. This can be a great wayfinding tool for large outdoor venues like zoos, aquariums, and amusement parks. 

Click this link for more info on 3M Stamark products: http://www.3M.com

AnodizedArt for exhibit graphics

AnodizedArt (also known as AluImage) anodized aluminum graphics are a great alternative to typical phenolic or vinyl graphics.

AnodizedArt is a high-resolution graphic image embedded in aluminum. Graphics can be printed as large as 3' x 3' and larger murals can be tiled together. Like phenolic, it's grease, scuff, wind, sand, graffiti, and UV resistant but the color is more vibrant and the cost is more affordable. 

Another great product is Aluminarte. Recommended for indoor applications, this product is even more affordable than the anodized graphics and can be printed on a variety of substrates including aluminum, steel, wood, and plastic. Unlike the AnodizedArt, Aluminarte can print white and with a high gloss finish looks very much like porcelain.

The best part about choosing this product was working with the staff at AnodizedArt. President, Douglas Funderburk was a pleasure to work with and always follows up to make sure that you are satisfied. So if you want graphics that will outlast vinyl without the high expense and faded look of phenolic then I would recommend giving AnodizedArt or Aluminarte a try.  http://www.anodizedart.com