Course content

Signage and wayfinding for buildings and outdoor environments.

Course topics:

• What is wayfinding?
• Human factors in wayfinding
• Consequences of bad wayfinding systems
• Multi-level strategies for developing wayfinding
• Readability, legibility and positioning of signs
• Locational, directional and directory signs
• User-centered methods for wayfinding
• Universal design in wayfinding
• Digital and multi-modal wayfinding
• The role of wayfinding systems in strategic design
• Maps for wayfinding

Learning outcome

After completing the module, the student shall be able to:

• analyse existing wayfinding and sign systems.
• suggest new wayfinding systems for the users of man-made environments, like for example a university campus, a hospital, a shopping mall or an airport.
• The student shall be qualified to account for psychological, cognitive, typographical, form and material-related issues in the design of wayfinding systems.
• The students shall be trained in the design and presentation of wayfinding systems, and shall be aware of universal design considerations in wayfinding design.
• The student shall be informed about the use of and relation between traditional and new technology in wayfinding.
• The student shall be familiar with the importance of a systematic, holistic analysis in the process of designing wayfinding solutions and shall be trained in the use of user-centred methods like personas and scenarios, prototyping and user testing and involvement in the design process.
• The students shall have developed an increased awareness and competence about how the UN's sustainability goals can be included in the design of signage and wayfinding systems; specifically, how well-designed systems can:
  • reduce inequalities and contribute to the accessibility of man-made environments through principles of universal design (UN Sustainable Development Goal 10: "Reduced inequality")
  • take into account Sustainable Development Goal 12: "Responsible consumption and production" through the choice of materials and assessments of necessary design interventions.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, exercises, and group project with weekly supervision (formative-iterative evaluation). Sketches, the design process, and the end result must be documented.

This course is offered to exchange students. Language of instruction is English.

Specific conditions

Required previous knowledge

Admission to a program of study is required: Graphic Design (BMED) -

• IDG1101 Typography 1
• IDG1010 Typography 2
• IDG2015 Strategic design

Course materials

• Gibson, David (2009). The wayfinding handbook: information design for public places. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Lynch, Kevin (1960).
• The image of the city. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
• Miller, Colette, and David Lewis (1999). Wayfinding: effective wayfinding and signing systems: guidance for healthcare facilities. London: NHS Estates and Stationary Office. (The campus library has five copies).
• SUPPORTIVE LITERATURE:
• Black, Alison, Paul Luna, Ole Lund, and Sue Walker (eds) (2017). Information design: research and practice. London og New York: Routledge.
• Mollerup, Per (2013). Wayshowing > wayfinding: basic and interactive. Baden: Lars Müller Publishers.
• Relevant klassenummer i NTNU i Gjøviks bibliotek: 302.23 Infodesign, 526, 720.103

Credit reductions