OUGD405 - Wayfinding Evaluation

OUGD405

Wayfinding Evaluation 

The brief was approached in a varied way. A large amount of experimentation took place from the start which ultimately helped shape the final design.  The system is subjective in design as it considers style and aesthetics. Much of the foundation of the systems design comes from work produced in study task 2 which involved creating objective symbols from subjective things. Therefore, the wayfinding system has been developed from subjective ideas. The system does have some objective characteristics as it is uniform in colour and design. The pictograms could become universally recognized, an objective trait, if learnt and where in use for an extended amount of time, however, the system itself is restricted as it is limited to the English language.

The map for the system is strongly influenced by the work of Harry Beck. The map is not accurate in terms of the path to follow and is very stylised. It is subjective. This decision worked for the overall design, however, it could be confusing for the audience. This means the arrows and pictograms are very important to the system as they give the most direction. The arrows only change in direction and not design, making them recognizably part of the same system. The pictograms used a grid system to ensure uniformity. This could be considered an objective approach. The same colour is used for all pictograms and arrows to reinforce the uniformity of the system. the colours chosen are swatches from a photograph relevant to the system. the colours are muted and earthy which suit the feel of the system. Some may argue that brighter colour may have worked better, especially in a city environment as there are so many things competing for attention. The colours are appropriate as they represent the character of the system and create intrigue. 

 Critique from peers has been essential in the development of the wayfinding system. Suggestions made by others have helped with initial ideas through to final details. It was especially useful when it came to deciding how to present the wayfinding system in context. Giving feedback on other designers’ work has helped with idea generation and inspired the creation of a publication to complement the wayfinding system. 

The consistency in the design of this wayfinding system is successful. Every aspect of the design is linked back to one shape and the colours are justified and appropriate. The limitation of the design is in the display. The system was pitched as being spray painted on the ground as it plays with the idea of not displaying signs at eye level and adds originality. On reflection, this may not be successful as it will be easily overlooked especially during busy times of day when the streets are busy. It may have been more successful to displaying the arrows and pictograms in acrylic, back lighting this would draw even more attention. Cost of the system would have to be considered if this idea was implemented.