OUGD405: Wayfinding - What I need to provide

Liberty Park Wayfinding

21 / 01 / 16

So I have already outlined how to update Liberty Park's wayfinding system I need to provide signage...

- in the entrance: displaying directions to the reception, a visible map of the accommodation layout and then arrows pointing towards the laundrette and post-boxes

- on each block for easy identification

- for the Bike Shed and Bin Area

- An inside Floor Guide by all G Floor lifts

- Signage on each floor/in stairwell

I aim to design for each of these and through doing this provide a more efficient and easy-to-use signage system, which is visually more attractive and consistent with the companies new brand identity.

The first picture shows the new Liberty Living logo and beneath it is a screenshot of the new website. To ensure consistency across the brand identity I have decided to take my colour scheme from here, as it is already bright and vibrant, and attracting the right target audience to the accommodation. The purple provides comfort for students of both sex, allowing them to feel comfy with the services provided, whilst the orange and pink adds the playfulness and perkiness to the brand avoiding bland and boring. 

I've chosen to represent Liberty Living with a typeface called 'Keep Calm', as it is a simplistic sans-serif type with rounded consistency of form fitting perfectly between the bold type used in the logo as oppose to the slimmer type beneath. The type is very legible for use in a wayfinding system as at a glance the form provides functionality and an easy-fast paced read.

Each Block

21 / 01 / 16

Upon initial viewings of the buildings for each block, they are very irregular and inconsistent in shape of the architecture around it and the colour the buildings is. This makes it difficult to explore ideas of displaying each block number at a larger scale on the wall above/around the door. The only option is using vinyl stickers on each door as it is the best place that students will consistently be able to identify with which block it is. 

Trees in the courtyard area actually block out blocks 4 & 5 altogether from view so if its your first day at the accommodation, you may struggle to find them. But this where the entry map will aid the initial confusion and give visitors an instant idea of where specific resources/ blocks of flats are. The difficulty of viewing 4 & 5 has made me consider an extra piece of signage in the courtyard, pointing around the trees. But I will experiment this and decide if it is necessary once people have experienced my new entry map.

Using my selected typeface, I was looking at how I would approach the positioning of the number on each block door. I sketched it in numerous ways on the door but based on where the door handle is, it looks most suited in the bottom left corner slightly overlapping to give it that mounted look. The way each of the entrances to the blocks appear it is most suited and functionally does what I wanted - being simple but effective in supporting the map which I will also be designing. I played with colour scheme for a while, considering whether I should just adopt the Liberty Living colours or try and propose a more interactive colour scheme which wasn't too cliche, but fitted with the layout of the accommodation. I tried colour coding each block, taking into account the colour of that specific block, so colour coding didn't clash or look out of place. And then this could be applied to my map allowing me to explore ideas of colour routes marked out, etc. 

Block 1 - orange, 2 - red, 3 - purple, 4 - green, 5- blue

I did use some logic behind the colour choices based on the colour of the walls the block is and where it is situated. 

I tried mocking these simple ideas into Photoshop and they just aren't as effective as using the consistent Liberty colour scheme...

I got involved in a crit session in the studio and gave people the option to see which route I should take. The majority percentage said that they liked the idea of colour coding throughout the accommodation, however it has become too cliche in way-finding now and it makes it appear very child-ish, which is not a characteristic that I want present for my target market of university students. Everyone agreed the consistent colour scheme of Liberty Living would be much more appropriate in regards to colour theory and help me achieve my aims of it being quite a simplistic system which genuinely communicates way-finding in a quick and efficient way. Thus aiding the entry map. 

Here is how the colour scheme will appear...