People have always relied on visual landmarks or landmarks to help them navigate through an environment. Early humans followed hoof prints and trails in the grass to track animals for food. Native Americans leaned over young trees tied to the ground as trail markers. Large 800-year-old oak trees can still be found in the south that have grown in a distinctive arched shape. Most indigenous civilizations used markings on cave walls and large rocks to tell a story or mark a path for passers-by.
In the northern hemisphere, early explorers used the moss that grew on the north side of trees to keep their bearings in uncharted territory. Hunters broke branches to mark where their traps were set. Some archaeologists believe that hoofprints or broken branches inspired the design of the first graphic arrow.
The oldest known maps are preserved on Babylonian clay tablets from around 2300 BC. C. They included graphic symbols that represented key landmarks. Mountains, rock formations, rivers, and coastlines served as landmarks, as do the signs today.
As humans evolved and began to build towns and cities, their orientation requirements grew. Archaeologists have unearthed evidence that civilizations thousands of years ago had unique ways of instructing their citizens on how to move.
As more people relied on written language to communicate, typographic signs were used to direct, identify, and warn. Written signs as orientation tools became important as humanity entered the age of mass transportation. The need to move large masses of people created many challenges not only on the streets and highways, but also inside buildings and public gathering areas where business was conducted. The first man-made road signs were called milestones. They communicated distance or gave direction. The Romans placed stone columns throughout their empire giving the distance to Rome. During the Middle Ages, multidirectional signs were placed at intersections giving directions to cities and towns. The first modern road signs used on a large scale were for tall bicycle cyclists in the late 1870s. These signs communicated more than distance or direction. They warned cyclists of dangers such as steep hills or sharp turns.
As our cities and towns grew into large metropolises, architects and urban planners had to hire specialized designers and specialists in human behavior to develop environments in which the population could move in an organized way.
The Bauhaus Movement began in the early 20th century. It had its origins in a school in Germany called the Staatliches Bauhaus. The school was famous for its approach to design that combined crafts and fine arts. The German term Bauhaus literally means “building house” meaning “Building School”. This era not only affected architectural design, but also influenced the way architects were taught. Typography, color, and composition became essential elements of the curriculum. Finally, graphic design was introduced to support spatial navigation through architectural environments.
In the mid-1970s a new industry evolved dedicated to the study, development, and implementation of wayfinding for highways, cities, institutions, and retail environments. The development of Environmental Graphic Design (EGD) as a definitive discipline with its own specialized practitioners, accelerated orientation as an art and science that was executed through a strategic process. Since then, EGD has developed into a highly specialized design discipline with a specific curriculum in many art schools and universities. If you look in the Webster-Meriam dictionary, you won’t find a definition for the word Wayfinding. At least not yet. It is only a matter of time until someone realizes that it has been in our vocabulary for many years.
The word has been used by planners and architects for more than five decades. Today it is used by professionals who understand the importance of guiding people through the built environment, such as tourism consultants, graphic artists, sign makers, and theme park developers.
Wikipedia offers a definition of Wayfinding as an organized system that “encompasses all the ways that people and animals orient themselves in physical space and navigate from one place to another.”
In 1960, an urban planner named Kevin A. Lynch used the term “orientation” in his book Image of the City, to refer to “a consistent use and organization of definite sensory cues from the external environment.” In those days, this was a term used mainly by architects and urban planners. More recently, wayfinding is a term to describe the use of signage and environmental graphic design as a method of public navigation.
I define wayfinding as the art and science of moving people through an environment to a desired location using a series of visual cues including, but not limited to, guide signage, place identification, urban landscaping, visual landmarks, and various environmental graphic design shapes. “Environmental graphic design” is not something overseen by the EPA or Green Peace. EGD is the design and application of visual communications in the world of construction. It uses the combined disciplines of graphic design, architecture, storytelling, industrial design, and landscape architecture.
The word wayfinding has become an integral part of urban planning and the creation of places that offer unique and memorable experiences to the public. Wayfinding improves traffic and directs visitor dollars where they have the most impact. Retail environments thrive when visitors can easily find their way there. Districts become popular destinations when a brand-supporting wayfinding system illuminates a clearly marked path for bosses.
Without guidance, the world would be a chaotic mess. Tourists would be stuck on endless road trips forever in search of their destinations, forced to endure the constant “are we there yet?” of their children Hospitals would be full of patients endlessly wandering the corridors in search of exam rooms. Doctors couldn’t find golf courses. New York’s Time Square would be known as “Time Where?”. Instead of “Gateway to the West”, the St. Louis Arch would be nothing more than an extremely short tunnel.
Even in the wild, animals rely on orientation cues for navigation.
Bears and wolves mark their territories with a scent to identify their domain. Elephants use visual landmarks to guide themselves to watering holes and away from human populations. Ants follow trails left by explorers to find food or migrate to new colonies.
Animals use visual cues to guide them through their habitat in the same way that we use cues to guide us through ours. Many birds use the position of the sun. Even when there is thick cloud cover, starlings navigate this way. Some birds can travel at night using the sun. Scientists theorize that they take their inspiration from where the sun sets on the horizon or rely on the polarization of its light. At night, some birds rely on star signals to know where to migrate. Mountains, coastlines, and rivers serve as basic navigation systems. For birds, this is especially easy from the air. Migrating whales and sharks traveling along the coast use landmasses as orientation cues.
There are several levels of communication within a community counseling system. The first level leads visitors into your community via road signage. Signs in these jurisdictions are administered by the United States Department of Transportation or Transportation Canada. Unfortunately, little to no customization is allowed. The design of these signs is strictly controlled by the MUTCD (Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices). This is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). Specifies the standards by which traffic signs, road surface markings, and signs are designed and implemented. While you will not be able to add custom signs within your jurisdiction, DOT will attempt to accommodate reasonable requests for message changes to existing signs or the addition of new signs at locations where travelers must exit or turn to reach a community. Along highways, in areas where they are permitted, billboards serve as the first opportunity where signage can be used to promote your community with custom graphics.
The second level includes vehicle guide signs that guide visitors to definable regions such as historic districts, concentrated commercial areas, city centers, and key attractions. Once you get visitors from a specific region, a third level of signs will guide visitors to specific destinations within that region. The fourth level guides drivers to parking opportunities. The longer someone stays in your car, the less time your wallet is out of your pocket. Once visitors are on foot on the fifth level, pedestrian guide signs and directories encourage them to explore areas within walking distance.
There are many reasons why people come to a town or city. They could be families on vacation coming to enjoy an attraction, grandparents visiting their grandchildren, or business leaders attending a conference. They all have one thing in common: they expect a positive experience. A wayfinding system can help create a memorable sense of place if it is designed to convey a theme or support a regional brand.
Themed signage can enhance the visitor experience. When a community brand is supported through the design of wayfinding signage, the value of the brand is increased. If a community is packaged with well-designed brand graphics, a powerful emotional connection is made between visitors and your city. The more visual atmosphere an area has, the fewer businesses will have to compete with low prices. People are willing to pay more for places that offer a positive experience. Desirable areas bring traffic. More traffic means more profit for businesses. As commercial areas improve, new businesses are installed and tax revenues increase. Community pride will grow due to the enhanced environment created by attractive signage. A strong retail sector means more jobs.