The session takes place on Sunday, September 25, 2011 from 3:45pm to 5:00pm.

Corbin Design’s President, Mark VanderKlipp, is privileged to share the stage once again with Rachel Downey of Studio Graphique. While she will be covering the Experience Design portion of the presentation, Corbin will be demonstrating, via the use of videos, visuals and articles, how cities and institutions are making connections between physical and digital wayfinding.

Following is a list of companies and individuals we’ve contacted to help create the presentation. Colleagues all, they’ve expanded our view of the possibilities of the digital realm in terms of what’s being done today to enhance visitor experience by pushing the edges of technology, and what’s coming tomorrow. A list of relevant articles also follows each section header, where appropriate.

Thank you for attending the session and please let Mark know if you would like more information, or to see the entire presentation.

Links to Physical Environment

Reference: Geocentric

Contact: Jim Blakeslee <jim.blakeslee@geocentric.com>

Raleigh, NC Mobile App

QR Tags

Article: QR Tags Can Be Rigged to Attack Smartphones

Washington DC BID Mobile App

Augmented Reality

Reference: Winfield & Co

Contact: Vijay Mathews <vijay@winfieldco.com>

Location-Based Services

Retail Innovations: 3rd Ward Shopbox
- Retail Experience of the Future
- Despite The Hype, Smartphone Users Aren’t Buying

Coupons: Groupon

Check In: Foursquare
- Foursquare Baseball Article
- Creative Review Article: Location, Location, Location

Games: Loopt

Big Players: Google Latitude

Mapping: Map Doodles

Reference: Forge Media + Design

Contact: Gregory Neely <gneely@forgeinc.ca>

NFC: Near Field Communications

Reference: Mitten Communications LLC

Contact: Rob Franzo <rob@mittencom.com>

Gartner’s Hype Cycle Places NFC at ‘Peak of Inflated Expectations’

To read the entire article, click on “Demonstrating Return on Investment” on the cover page

Excerpts:

“Early on in the project, even before we retained Corbin to assist in our wayfinding initiative, we tried hard to find data, measures, metrics that we could use to validate our business plan. We had to come to terms with the fact that we couldn’t put a value on the patient experience, or our success in managing the degree of change we anticipated. We had to ask ourselves ‘Is it the right thing to do conceptually? Is it going to benefit our patients?’”

“We knew that we should be concerned with the amount of staff time spent giving directions, but maybe we weren’t going to find a piece of data to validate this. Instead, we saw the potential improvements to the patient experience as an important part of our outward value proposition, and our internal core values. We then proceeded with managing costs and maximizing the value of the outcomes as the design process rolled out.”

Gundersen Lutheran's wayfinding system includes an interactive physician directory and static directories for wayfinding support

Once the team and tools were in place, a system of wayfinding signage could be designed and implemented. Rather than using old technology consisting of vinyl sign materials and considerable labor costs, Corbin designed a new system of interior signage using printable inserts. With this in-house capability, Gundersen Lutheran has seen significant improvements since the initial installation: Houser estimates that at least 50% of the original signage inserts have been redone at least 2 or 3 times. “If we hadn’t had that ability, we would have paid for new signage 2, 3 or 4 times over.”

Theresa Besse, an interior designer, adds: “The biggest time and money saver has been the methodology that was implemented for updates to signage. Prior to this new program launch, we used to try every way imaginable, hoping to stumble across a solution. Today, when a signage change is brought to our attention, we have the necessary tools to help identify weak points in communication, and make improvements to the systems that support communication rather than attempting to reinvent the program.”

“I can tell you that our customer service department finds the results of your work PHENOMENAL” Kari Houser, Director of Construction and Facility Planning, Gundersen Lutheran

Directional signage works in tandem with visual landmarks on patient floors

To quantify the return on the investment from an interior signage standpoint, supporting the old program using their internal sign shop was costing in excess of $55,000 annually for materials alone. In 2009, the first year the program was fully implemented, materials costs dropped to just over $15,000. But materials costs are not the only indicator of success; Houser says that “the methodology put in place is delivering a qualitative value far in excess of what we ever spent on signage.”

The success of the wayfinding program has had broad implications throughout the organization. Armed with the proper knowledge and tools, the Wayfinding Team works each day to build awareness of the importance of multiple communications to support the patient experience.

With all of the changes that Gundersen Lutheran has been making, it’s difficult to quantify the specific benefits of the wayfinding system. But the success of this program is due to the broad approach that the team took to the entire range of wayfinding communications, and the individual responsibility of people within the organization to build on the patient experience. The Gundersen Lutheran team has built a flexible infrastructure to manage the intricacies of massive change while always staying true to their mission and values. And that, for them, is priceless.

For more information on the Association or the conference, go to www.michigandowntowns.com

While the majority of contributors to this article are vendors, Corbin’s point of view on design and integration of these elements into the bigger picture is critical to understanding the role of digital signage elements for healthcare facilities.

In fact, with our clients, we stress that healthcare facilities should be in the business of providing better content, not in purchasing expensive digital infrastructure which is often quickly outdated. Now more than ever, the tools that will allow users to create their own journey to a healthcare facility are in the hands of consumers; it’s the institution’s job to assure that proper information is given at all points of decision, whether before, during or after the visit is complete.

Excerpts from the article:

Most experts agree that integrating digital and conventional signage requires careful planning. Mark VanderKlipp, president, Corbin Design (www.corbindesign.com), Traverse City, Mich., offers the following suggestions to facilitate the design process:

Use consistent terminology. Make sure that every tool used for wayfinding consistently speaks to the visitor regardless of its format.

Use materials that match other wayfinding information in the hospital. By doing that, facility professionals create a pattern of elements that people learn to access for information. Use of color, typography and accents such as wood or aluminum should keep the wayfinding system visually consistent.

Update content on a regular basis. A team should meet regularly to keep electronic signage updated, by creating content based on patient needs and projecting a positive message as part of the hospital’s brand.

“Interactive elements provide almost limitless opportunities to put information in the public realm,” Vander Klipp says. “This information can become visual noise if not managed properly.”

Link to the article here.

Link to the full article here (PDF format).

Excerpts from the article:

It’s important to note that wayfinding is a communication challenge as much as it is a signage task. Certainly signage plays a significant role, but there are many potential ways to reach a visitor prior to their arrival with relevant, reassuring messages. Verbally, each of these must be speaking in the same way. Visually, use of a similar graphic approach to mapping and the presentation of information will build familiarity with the program and make wayfinding tools recognizable, whether online, in a mobile device or on a sign.

Regions are realizing that a shared approach to attracting business, resident and tourist dollars will be a net benefit. Overcoming competitive obstacles is always a difficult part of the process, since towns and destinations may have been competing for the same tourist dollars, sometimes for generations. It is important to shift thinking to the old adage that “a rising tide lifts all boats”: if more visitors are drawn to the region, everyone will profit. This can be a significant cultural hurdle, one that must be overcome by all stakeholders at the beginning of the process.

A consolidated approach to wayfinding unifies a region both verbally and visually, and gives visitors the tools they need to navigate successfully. Most importantly, the information provided to a visitor can make them feel like an “insider:” if they feel competent and confident, they are able to discover unique events, attractions and destinations on their own. When they do this, they’re much more likely to share this positive experience with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors. At the same time, wayfinding can build awareness among residents to all that their region has to offer – tools used in wayfinding programs are not only intended for visitors from far away! In most instances, local and regional visitors (within 30-50 miles) are the primary audiences for wayfinding.

Link to the article here.

This is the third in a series of interviews with Colin Ellard, author of “You Are Here – Why We Can Find Our Way to the Moon but Get Lost at the Mall.” When the book came out in 2009, we first read it cover to cover, then sent an email to Colin to ask more specific questions about wayfinding in general. We hope you enjoy these excerpts from our interview.

Corbin:
We know that different environments call for different types of wayfinding, given the typical visitor’s need. What research do you have that speaks to a vistor’s state of mind, and thus their ability to accept wayfinding information?

We all know that our emotional state has a huge influence on our ability to navigate.

Ellard:
This is an area that interests me greatly and that we’re just getting started with. We all know that our emotional state has a huge influence on our ability to navigate (as design professionals, you know this better than anyone). We call this a “positive feedback loop;” as we become more anxious, our wayfinding skills deteriorate further still. This is compounded by the fact that there is huge variability in natural wayfinding abilities, and we know that people who are weak navigators are more likely to become anxious.

In certain environments we’re going to be anxious anyway:

• In a hospital, very few visitors are in a happy or relaxed state of mind
• In an airport, we’re typically worried about security checks, finding the right gate and staying on schedule
• In an unfamiliar city, security might be an additional concern

We know all of these things at an intuitive level, but what we don’t know yet is how different affective states might influence wayfinding abilities. Does anxiety make it less likely that you’ll notice landmarks? That you’ll lose track of how far you’ve walked? Does it make you less able to interpret a “You Are Here” map? Maybe all of these things, but maybe some more than others. These are critical things for an environmental graphic designer to know, and we can find answers to those kinds of questions with the tools we’re using in my lab.

Corbin:
We know there is wide variety among humans in their ability to navigate. How does one design for the mean, rather than the exception? And how do we determine that mean?

Ellard:
We’re just beginning to look at variability in navigational skills among average urban populations. The first step is to get some numbers to measure that variability; the next is to see what its constituents might be. There’s already some evidence that different individuals might be better or worse at using particular kinds of wayfinding tools.

For instance, if a person does well with landmarks, they will thrive in a complex setting that is brimming with easily distinguishable features. But that same person might fail in a more sparse environment where it’s necessary to develop an understanding of the geometry to navigate. Conversely, if a person is the kind of navigator who relies more on geometry, then a cluttered environment with lots of features might serve as a distraction. So I think a part of the answer to your question hinges on our understanding of where that variability comes from.

Corbin:
Many people assume that we’re losing the ability to navigate because of the “crutches” we’ve created. In the future, is this ability something we can rebuild as a society, or do we as designers just need to be more thoughtful – and more aware – to compensate for these deficiencies?

Did you know that there's a difference between true north and magnetic north?

Ellard:
I’ve been asked about this a lot. There is at least one brain scientist who argues that GPS is the worst thing to have happened to the human brain since mercury. Well maybe that overstates it a bit, but there’s this idea that we are building more and more supportive environments and so we’re freeing people from the need to look after themselves, to know their place and understand their way as the ancients did.

I think there’s probably some truth to this. I respond by noting that we can think of many clever ways to subvert that kind of technology to our own ends if we want to. We design location-based games – geocaching for example – that might actually help people better navigate space. How many people knew that there was a difference between true north and magnetic north until the iPhone compass offered them a choice between the two? That’s one very simple example. Editor’s note: here’s how you find true north.

I’m not sure how relevant this is to environmental graphic designers, however. I suppose an argument might be that sometimes you should mess with people — get them lost on purpose just to encourage them to figure it out.  Maybe there’s a place for that, but certainly not in an airport or a hospital

Corbin:
So what’s next for you and your research team?

Ellard:
I think we’re really going to be pushing hard at our evidence-based design agenda: we want to get immersive visualizations of proposed buildings into the design loop in an entirely new way.  As I see it, the biggest challenge will be to define the limits of how well behaviour in virtual reality can predict behaviour in real world settings.

We have one project underway now where we’re measuring the behaviour of users of a real space (a student centre in Toronto) and then we’ll follow up with measurements of behaviour of users of a virtual rendering of the same building.  It’s ambitious, but I think if we can map out the similarities and differences between the two, and we can develop a nice, fine-grained portrait of what happens in both types of spaces using both traditional psychological tools and souped up physiological ones, we’ll have proof of principle for an incredibly powerful new approach to design.

I know. That sounds a bit like a grant application!

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Colin Ellard is a professor in the psychology department at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He has been conducting research and writing about the psychology of spatial perception for the last 25 years. Check out Colin’s blog here.

“We don’t solely consider ourselves sign designers,” Mark VanderKlipp, the firm’s president and senior designer, said. “Our real value lies in our ability to consult with clients to resolve their communication issues in various ways, with signs often serving as a primary medium for developing wayfinding.”

New Signs for Tourists Ignore Location Attractions that Couldn’t Pay

Given the spirit of the article and the public comments associated with it, we feel it’s important to add our point of view. It is instructive for any urban wayfinding program that seeks funding sources for wayfinding signage. The article showcases the difficulty inherent in a “pay to play” system: while we helped our clients design an equitable formula for inclusion, still most non-profits are simply unable to participate given the steep cost of entry relative to their budgets. From the standpoint of an STL taxpayer, the author’s point of view and many of the comments may seem justified – but need to be qualified.

First, the article focuses solely on vehicular wayfinding signage, and the primary destinations included on those signs. Given the constraints placed on signage in a public right of way (where the majority of these signs appear), it is physically impossible and technically not permissable to include many of the smaller destinations that the article mentions. Any sign that contains more than the federally-mandated 3-4 destinations will be visually overwhelming to a driver moving through space, focused both on the tasks of driving and navigating. Thus, we direct to the primary generators of visits within the St. Louis region: stadiums, The Arch, casinos and the like, of which 95% are represented in this system.

The abundance of natural, cultural, historic and entertainment options in the St. Louis Region require some physical tools to provide the “connective tissue” within and between destinations in the region.

But the program is designed for the first time visitor. So we’ve identified primary “Attraction Corridors” along which the majority of destinations reside. Any smaller destination need only communicate their location relative to one of these corridors, or one of the primary destinations noted on the signage. The ability to piggyback on the system is part of the design, but as always the need to communicate correctly falls on the destination. So, for instance, the article mentions the Campbell House Museum. Using the new wayfinding logic, one could direct visitors in this way:

“Exit I-70 or 40/64 on the Broadway Attraction Corridor. Turn west on Locust to 1508 Locust Street.”

There are many other sign types included in this system, designed to support wayfinding. Trailblazer signs to outlying destinations (e.g. Grant’s Farm), secondary vehicular guide signs, and a host of pedestrian-oriented signs to give both cyclists and walkers a sense for where they are, and what they might see and do in the area.

Commentary from the public mentions the Internet and GPS-based wayfinding devices. We wholeheartedly agree that visitors to St. Louis and surrounds will be using these tools as well, so one of our recommendations to the CVC is to create a single Web-based resource for wayfinding to which a destination of any size can link from their own Web site. This will be a low-cost way for those within STL to consistently direct to their location; any information related to single-vehicle, transit, cycle or pedestrian wayfinding would be disseminated through this site. It would also show parking opportunities in the vicinity of a given destination.

The abundance of natural, cultural, historic and entertainment options in the St. Louis Region require some physical tools to provide the “connective tissue” within and between destinations in the region. But the wayfinding signage is only one part of the visitor’s experience; by providing a physical and virtual infrastructure to communicate to visitors, the plan proposed to the CVC will allow destinations regardless of size to take advantage of the system with appropriate tools in the array, meeting their visitor when and where they most need the information. The task is one of building awareness among these destinations.

With this new wayfinding infrastructure in place, each venue regardless of size can locate themselves relative to the foundational elements: primary highways, attraction corridors and primary destinations. Drawing on these relatively permanent referents, the wayfinding system is at once comprehensible, infinitely expandable and simpler to maintain. In the long run, the goal is to give St. Louis residents, regional visitors and a host of other audiences simple tools to help them navigate this complex environment.

While wayfinding information directs an experience, it does not define it. The latter part is up to each destination; and this is where the true “Spirit of St. Louis” can shine through.

And now, the rest of the story:

An editorial posted in the January 6, 2011 Post-Dispatch clarifies and adds information to the article referenced above:

Pointing the Way: Help Visitors Find Everything St. Louis Has to Offer

This is the second in a series of interviews with Colin Ellard, author of “You Are Here – Why We Can Find Our Way to the Moon but Get Lost at the Mall.” When the book came out in 2009, we first read it cover to cover, then sent an email to Colin to ask more specific questions about wayfinding in general. We hope you enjoy these excerpts from our interview.

Corbin:
In your book you mention that, as humans, there is a cognitive gap between what we think we can accomplish and what we actually can accomplish in an environment. Typically during that span of time, the things we do to solve the problem can further disorient us. Our rule of thumb is that people prefer reinforcement every 300 ft. walking, and every 600 ft. driving in an exterior environment. Can you comment?

Sometimes our best efforts to orient ourselves can result in greater confusion.

Ellard:
What you’re describing is certainly a problem for human beings exploring natural environments. There are all kinds of examples: Polar explorers mistakenly thinking they could keep their bearings and walk in a straight line without instruments; people staggering off a trail in the woods and dying of exposure, etc. Of course things are very different in built settings where we can become convinced that we’re better at maintaining orientation than we actually are, at least in part because of the skills of Environmental Graphic Designers in producing supportive environments.

As to your rule of thumb, the first thing I notice is that it scales differently for speed. With an average walking speed of 3 miles/hr, your 300 ft rule translates into roughly one reinforcement per minute. But your driving rule (if my rough and ready math is right) amounts to one reinforcement every 10 seconds, assuming urban driving at around 40mph. Editors note: we base typical road speeds in urban environments on 25-35mph, though we compensate for the reality that people exceed posted speeds.

That’s a big difference, but you can account for it because when driving, much of your cognition is engaged in things like collision avoidance, so you have fewer resources to devote to tracking location. Also, walkers are much more nimble and flexible when it comes to things like scanning, backtracking, pausing, etc. all of which helps them successfully navigate.

Corbin:
In our projects we find that, regardless of age, people tend not to look up for information. Why is this?

Ellard:
The answers might lie in our evolutionary heritage. Unless you’re the kind of critter that is preyed upon from the overhead (think of mice and birds of prey) then the upper part of visual space tends not to be as closely scrutinized as the lower field. The other thing that occurs to me (and this is wild speculation on my part so meant to be taken with a grain of salt) is that some studies show that our lower visual fields are specialized for visuomotor control. Think of brain activities that need to control our interactions with things that we see: from stepping over obstacles to reaching out to grab things.

The upper visual field tends to be more involved in processing far distance information, but even there we’re talking mostly about information that might be at or near the horizon line which, for average posture during walking, is in the upper field.

Corbin:
A designer’s job is simplifying a complex environment. In the classic example of Harry Beck’s London Tube map, relative distances and physical accuracy were sacrificed to create a more helpful cognitive map. In your book, you say that people’s mental maps are generally very inaccurate, leading to confusion. Using the Tube example however, can’t you argue that even an incorrect mental map can be adequate to the task?

Harry Beck's London Tube Map

Ellard:
Yes, absolutely! It depends entirely on the task you’re trying to solve. In a tube map, you have a beautifully delineated set of nodes and connectors; provided you can only use the connectors that are shown to get from node to node, that map will not steer you wrong. In fact, it does a great job of giving you only the information you need to navigate.

But think of a situation where you’ve developed that kind of mental map but you need to do something different: imagine that you’re in a city that doesn’t have a consistent grid design. Your simplified mental “tube map” might be able to get you from place to place, but not efficiently. The reason? You’re cognitively limiting the connections you perceive between nodes. You don’t have a good sense of the geometry, and thus you make incorrect assumptions.

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Colin Ellard is a professor in the psychology department at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He has been conducting research and writing about the psychology of spatial perception for the last 25 years. Check out Colin’s blog here.