People have always relied on visual landmarks or landmarks to help them navigate through an environment. Early humans followed hoof tracks and grass trails to track animals in search of food. Native Americans leaned over saplings tied to the ground as trail markers. You can still find large 800-year-old oaks in the south that have grown in a distinctive arched shape. Most indigenous civilizations used cave wall markings and large rocks to tell a story or mark a path for passersby.
In the northern hemisphere, the moss that grows on the north side of trees was used by early explorers to maintain their bearing in unknown territory. Trappers broke branches to mark where their traps were set. Some archaeologists believe that hoof prints or broken branches inspired the design of the first graphic arrow.
The oldest known maps are preserved on Babylonian clay tablets from about 2300 BC. C. They included graphic symbols that represented key landmarks. Mountains, rock formations, rivers, and coastlines served as landmarks, much like the signs of today.
As humans evolved and began to build towns and cities, their orientation requirements grew. Archaeologists have excavated evidence that civilizations from thousands of years ago had unique ways of instructing their citizens on how to get around.
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 within the 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, multi-directional signs were posted at intersections giving directions to cities and towns. The first modern road signs to be used on a large scale were for tall cyclists in the late 1870s. These signs communicated more than distance or direction. They warned cyclists of dangers like steep hills or hairpin turns.
As our cities and towns became great metropolises, architects and urban planners had to hire specialized designers and human behaviorists to develop environments where people could move in an organized way.
The Bauhaus movement began in the early 20th century. It has its origins in a school in Germany called Staatliches Bauhaus. The school was famous for its approach to design that combined crafts and fine arts. The German term Bauhaus literally means “construction house”, which means “School of Construction”. This era not only affected architectural design, it 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 developed dedicated to the study, development, and implementation of road markings for highways, cities, institutions, and retail environments. The development of Environmental Graphic Design (EGD) as a definitive discipline with its own specialized practitioners, accelerated the search for paths as 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 at many art schools and universities. If you search the Webster-Meriam dictionary, you will find a definition for the word Wayfinding. At least not yet. It is only a matter of time until someone realizes that it has existed 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 built environments, 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 mean “a consistent use and organization of defined sensory cues from the external environment.” In those days, this was a term used primarily by architects and town 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 orientation 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 markings, location identification, street design, landmarks visuals and various forms of environmental graphic design. “Environmental Graphic Design” is not something monitored 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 circulation and direct visitor dollars where they have the greatest impact. Retail environments thrive when visitors can easily find their way. Districts become popular destinations when a brand-supporting guidance system illuminates a clearly marked path for users.
Without guidance, the world would be in chaos. Tourists would be trapped on endless road trips eternally searching for their destinations, forced to endure the constant “are we there yet?” of their children. Hospitals would be full of patients who wandered endlessly through the corridors in search of exam rooms. Doctors couldn’t find golf courses. New York’s Time Square would become 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 depend on directional signs for navigation.
Bears and wolves mark their territories with a scent to identify their domain. Elephants use visual landmarks as a guide to watering holes and away from human populations. Ants follow the paths 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 a dense cloud cover, starlings navigate this way. Some birds can travel at night using the sun. Scientists theorize that they are either inspired by where the sun sets on the horizon or based on the polarization of its light. At night, some birds depend on star signals to know in which direction to migrate. Mountains, coasts, and rivers serve as basic navigation systems. For birds, this is especially easy from the air. Migratory whales and sharks that travel along the coast use land masses as signs of orientation.
There are several levels of communication within a community counseling system. The first level takes visitors to their community through road signs. Signs in these jurisdictions are administered by the United States Department of Transportation or the Canadian Department of Transportation. Unfortunately, little to no customization is allowed. The design of these signs is strictly controlled by the MUTCD (Manual on 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 be able to add custom signs within your jurisdiction, DOT will try to accommodate reasonable requests for message changes to existing signs or the addition of new signs at places where travelers must exit or turn to reach a community. Along the highways, in the areas where they are allowed, billboards serve as the first opportunity that signage can be used to promote your community with custom graphics.
The second level includes vehicular guide signs that guide visitors to definable regions such as historic districts, concentrated business areas, urban centers, and key attractions. Once you get visitors to 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 their car, the less time their wallet leaves their pocket. Once visitors are on foot to the fifth level, signs and pedestrian guide directories encourage them to explore areas within walking distance.
There are many reasons why people come to a town or city. It could be families on vacation coming to enjoy an attraction, grandparents visiting their grandchildren, or business leaders coming to attend a conference. They all have one thing in common: they expect a positive experience. An orientation system can help create a sense of memorable place if they are 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 orientation signage, it increases the value of the brand. If a community is packaged with well-designed branded graphics, a powerful emotional connection is achieved between visitors and their city. The more visual environment an area has, the fewer companies will have to compete with low prices. People are willing to pay more in places that offer a positive experience. Desirable areas bring traffic. More traffic means more profit for companies. As retail areas improve, new businesses are added and tax revenues increase. Community pride will grow due to the enhanced environment created by attractive signage. A robust retail sector means more jobs.
