Wayfinding in Leeds - Primary and Secondary research

Walking around leeds during both the shooting of our video, and going about my general routine, I gathered research into the existing wayfinding systems that have already been implemented in Leeds city. They vary in shape and form, and 2d and 3d, as well as imagery and text. 
When text is used it is evidently san-serif and in its more basic and readable form. Triangles are common as they can represent both an arrow and a sign with depictions inside, which is evident from this research too. 

Primary evidence & research:

People interacting with the wayfinding systems.

Thus, it is evident that throughout leeds there are wayfinding systems in place that accommodate and help masses of people every day. whether it be pictograms showing the toilet gender, where the food is available, the direction of an escalator, or even where is designated for a disabled person to park. 

Secondary research:

After exploring myself, I thought to research the design generation and application of the wayfinding system which Leeds operates. Named 'Leeds Walk It', the system supports the regeneration 'of a great northern city'. The city centre in Leeds is one of the largest retail centres in UK with out 1,000 shops and restaurants. As it has a vast variety of retailers, ranging in price and standards, consumers had polarised views of the shopping experience, as it was unclear what was on offer. 

The wayfinding strategy developed by 'Applied' identified the fragmented centre, highlighting the disconnected arrival points and retail clusters. the approach was simple; 'knowledge of one centre = knowledge of all'. As such it was established that each retail cluster would act as a gateway for the entire city, describing what the city had to offer and allowed visitors to plan their visits. 

The first realisation of the project was the development of the Leeds printed walking map which at a glance gave people an understanding of the structure of the city and on more detailed inspection revealed the retail offer in each centre. It allowed people to plan journeys using connections through each shopping mall and arcade.

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Study Task 1: Wayfinding Video

Study task 1

https://vimeo.com/192971222

Key considerations when approaching this task:

-       Is it interactive?

-       Will it be static?

-       Can it move or change?

-       What were you testing/ trying to achieve?

-       Would people react to something out of the ordinary in an everyday space?

-       How did it stand out, was it obstructive, was it playful?

Our video set out to be both playful and non-static. We wanted to create an environment that was distorted from an ordinary in a simple and low-cost way. The balloons perfectly enabled this 'random' environment where nothing was planned out or predictable in terms of its placement and peoples interaction. Due to it's interactive and playful nature, it was expected that some people would indulge and others wouldn't, however, against general stereotypes, this was not dependant on age as shown in the video. 

Semiotics of signs

Frutiger analyses shapes  to look at the psychology on how we respond to them in the form of signage. We used circles in the context of balloons, with the basis that Frutiger analyses that a viewer feels a sensation of claustrophobia with a sign that is inside a circle.  As they were outside the circle in this context, the audience may have felt a stronger freedom and confidence in some places (which led them to kick or header the balloon/circle). This may also be due to the separate set of connotations surrounding a balloon – it’s playful and not static, its always moving in all directions due to its lightweight nature. It could be considered nostalgic for some, or annoying for others depending on their own association with this common figure.

Audience, scale, contrast impact and clarity:

Was it tested in the right places – how would reactions vary in different locations – up and down or horizontal plains?

Due to the weather conditions, and the very heavy rain, it was hard to try out a lot of places with our concept. We were originally kicked out of trinity centre as balloons were considered a hazard there, this left up with very few options for how we could produce the type of wayfinding. With bad weather also effects the moods and attitudes of the public and thus their scale of interaction. Pathetic fallacy, I feel, did play a big part in affecting the scale and type of interaction we had.

Critique response:

Comparing and contrasting with other groups, and spotting trends in wayfinding for additional research

It was evident that…

-       Girls and boys signs seem very applicable; people have strong subconscious associations with the gender symbols and their own doors or paths that an individual identifies with and thus feels is directed at them as it is all-inclusive and not specific to certain people.

-       No entry signs or signals people take more seriously. A physical obstruction means people have no choice but to go around or avoid this is what was seen in all videos that included this sort of wayfinding obstruction.

-     People found it generally hard to get the public to interact, and that most likely, a more professional outlet would attract more people. 

Study Task Briefs

Study task 2: Abstract Pictorgrams 
Objective symbols or subjective things

Pictograms – universal, removes language, communicating just with image, no cultural specific 

Developmental photographs, dynamic poses that summarise something subjective

Subjective words

Erco’s system for the Olympics 

Numeric games grid system

Mexican Olympic grid system 1968

Simplified imagery – colour and form basic level

Fragmented/cut up

Column grip

One letter manipulated, repeated 

Amin Hofman 

Printing, stamp, scan, invert  - Neubau Berlin 

Selecting 2 or 3 of the words on the list provided, create an abstract interpretation that can be placed in a grid format and used for wayfinding, whether that be through supergraphics or signage. 

Study Task 3:
Using black lettering to redesign hospital signs

- Design a set of pictograms and a signage systems for a hospital that uses blackletter 

typefaces and calligraphic flourishes as its foundation

- The aesthetic of blackletter must inform the design of these pictograms

- They must be distinctively contemporary and should avoid visual clichés and historical pastiche

- Wayfinding systems tend to be aesthetically aligned to notions of clarity and conciseness, with san-serif typeface usually used next to wayfinding symbols when type is necessary 

- The reduction and purity within these designs are understood as ideals in a modernist system – simplest form, thus by replacing we are able to question the system as a whole 

Outcomes:

- All the arrows and 5 other pictograms  

- Sticking with original sign but changing the aesthetic – completely opposite – would never be used but why

Research:

- VOLK – the people / nation

Used in Nazi Germany

- Fractkur

- 1941 Juddenettern – the Jewish letter

- Sharp, Straight Angular lines – high degree of breaking lines that don’t connect, especially in curved letters – parts don’t meet

- David Rudnick
- Eric Hu

Characteristics:

- Compression – tall and narrow

- Sharp and ornamental finials (the terminal of the letter that tapers / tapered ends) often a swash or ornamental flourish – extended serif etc

- Biting – when a letter with a bowl is followed by another (de/ po) they overlap and the letters are joined by the same straight line  

- High contrast between stoke widths