Visit Wiley.com to save 20% on Place Advantage by Sally Augustin, PhD, editor of Research Design Connections. Your discount will be applied automatically upon checkout. If you do you not see the discount being applied, please enter code aff20 in the Promotion Code field and click the Apply Discount button.
Kaiser, a principle with Perkins + Will, has integrated his own professional experiences with material from rigorous studies of effective (and ineffective) navigation tools to identify features of successful wayfinding systems. He summarizes his suggestions, stating ”Not unlike nature, it is key to reinforce orientation, provide simple vistas, and accent the destination point to convey arrival.” Kaiser suggests using views within and outside the building, materials, lighting, and furnishings to define areas and pathways – consistencies in materials indicate a continuing area, changes indicate decision points, for example. Also, “To use contrasting light to accent a destination point or important intersection, the lighting in that area must be at least twice as bright as adjacent ambient lighting [30 foot-candles as opposed to 15 foot-candles] to create a visual contrast.” Right-angled turns are suggested, because they are easier for people to understand and remember, “non-right angled turns are confusing and disorienting.” Windows near elevators are recommended so that when people exit the elevator they can quickly reorient themselves by looking at landmarks outside of the structure. Kaiser concludes by stating that to move people through a complex facility “it is vital to develop a more intuitive architectural sign language in the design of wayfinding paths and landmarks.”
Dennis Kaiser. 2010. “Architectural Sign Language.” Medical Construction and Design, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 30-33.
