Digital Wayfinding Signage
AI, virtual/augmented reality and Internet of things might be stealing the tech limelight, but for wayfinding designers, the pace of change in digital screen technology is equally enthralling. The robustness and resolution seems to be accelerating along with a relative reduction in price (and increase in acronyms). Are we approaching a tipping point when it comes to the cost of incorporating digital screens in wayfinding signs? And how to you choose the best option for your scheme?
Inclusive Design – Wayfinding
Historically inclusive design has tended to focus on visual or mobility impairments, with minimal consideration for neurodiversity or hidden disabilities. Thanks to a series of high-profile campaigns by a number of charities and support organisations, things are changing. In the wayfinding world, the successful accessible toilets campaign by Crohn’s & Colitis UK is one that comes to mind. However we need to move beyond the mindset that inclusive design is about catering for 20% of the population with a diagnosed disability. The reality is that most of us are likely to be affected by physical, sensory or cognitive impairments during our lifetime
Biophilic Wayfinding & Environmental Graphic Design
What are the benefits of biophilic design and how can wayfinding and environmental graphic design contribute. In this post we explore the evidence and discuss the different components that make up biophilic design
How to Assess Wayfinding Schemes
When designing a new wayfinding scheme a range of methodologies can be used to test and shape the outcome. But how can we assess the contribution to the performance of the business or destination as a whole? Here we explore different ways for evaluating the performance of wayfinding schemes.
Sustainable Wayfinding Design: Taking a Whole Lifecycle Approach
A key sustainability challenge for anyone involved in commissioning, designing or manufacturing wayfinding signs, is to think well beyond day one. To future -proof and lengthen the operational life of the information, by really exploring what the likely requirements will be in 2, 5 or 10 years’ time and factoring these into the design. All the while recognising that at some point, the scheme will have outlived its useful life and designing sign forms so that component materials can be easily recovered to be recycled or repurposed.
Wayfinding Scheme Maintenance
When specifying a new wayfinding system, it’s important to factor in the ongoing maintenance costs. Beyond ensuring the physical infrastructure is safe and kept in good order, you need to think about how frequently the information may need updating; the extent of likely changes; how critical the response time will be and budget. Feeding these into the design process will help ensure that the scheme is affordable over the long-term.
Importance of Graphics in Urban Design
Why graphic design is a key component of urban design. It’s the graphic objects that give a place its colour; encourages us to explore; keep us safe; communicates its purpose and why we should be interested. It helps us to connect with a place and can inspire just as much passion as the architectural or landscape design.
Sustainable Materials in Wayfinding
Selecting truly sustainable materials for wayfinding signs is challenging. It’s rarely a clear-cut choice – with low carbon products or processes often having a negative impact on some other aspect of the environment. A holistic, whole life view is needed, where designers and fabricators work closely to reduce waste; explore latest materials; consider end of life disposal and focus on improving the environmental performance of processes.
Sustainable Wayfinding Design: It’s all down to the Strategy
When it comes to sustainable wayfinding design – material selection and dematerialisation strategies are an obvious focus. However, to ensure that the end result is fit for purpose, future proofed and contributes positively to the overall aesthetic and enjoyment of a place, the most important factors are the underpinning strategy and design.
Wayfinding Signage for the Fire Service
In November 2020, amendments to The Building Regulations 2010 came into force. Responding to the recommendations from the Independent Review of Building, following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, these new regulations cover wayfinding signage requirements for the fire service for all apartment buildings over 11m in height with specifications for location, position, typeface and nomenclature.
Getting Hairy with It
November is the month when normally clean-shaven males put those razors away and give the Mo a go – all in the name of charity.
The Velvet Principle’s Creative Director, Sean has been keeping us all entertained with daily updates
Celebrating 10 Years
Share on email Share on linkedin Share on twitter Share on pinterest June 2020 marked The Velvet Principle’s 10th anniversary. When we started developing plans for celebrating this milestone late last year, little did we imagine that our birthday
Icons, Pictograms And Symbols
Anyone involved in the world of wayfinding and sign design is likely to come across the terms pictogram, icon and symbol sooner rather than later. As jargon goes these terms, are pretty innocuous. But what’s the difference between an icon, pictogram and symbol? We give our view on their different uses in wayfinding design.
The Language Of Wayfinding Consultancy
Every sector, discipline and business establishes its own language. Using single words or acronyms to represent more complex constructs that act as communication shortcuts. It’s all very well if you’re in the know, but it can be a huge barrier to understanding if you’re not. So for anyone experiencing his or her first encounter with the world of wayfinding we thought it would be helpful to put together a bit of a checklist.
The Art Of Vertical Banner Sign Design
Vertical banner signs are frequently seen on the sides of buildings and shops or fixed to lampposts. For multi-storey buildings, applying high level, banner signs can help cut through the visual noise and increase visibility of the brand, destination or promotional message. When it comes to the layout should the letters read from the bottom to top or vice versa?
Importance Of Landmarks in Wayfinding
Highlighted in Kevin Lynch’s seminal book on urban planning The Image of the City, landmarks play an important role in helping us understand a place. Not only do they provide the datum points that help us build a mental map, we rely on them to find our way round. Therefore, an audit of the local context to identify potential landmarks should be a key input in the development of a wayfinding strategy.
The Science and Art of Human Navigation
From The Longitudinal Prize launched in the early eighteenth century to try and solve nautical navigation; to space exploration in the mid 1900s that paved the way for GPS and Satnavs. It is bizarre, that the most advanced animals on Earth, have had to use our superior intellect to develop technology, to do what comes naturally to turtles and the Monarch butterfly.
Wayfinding – It’s a Value Adding Discipline…
So often we come across wayfinding being erroneously equated as another word for signs. To put the record straight, wayfinding is a recognised, albeit niche design discipline. There is a raft of specialist wayfinding consultancies whose business it is to design solutions to increase legibility and help people find their way round buildings, towns and cities. Where signs may or equally may not be part of the solution.
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