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That is certainty a self serving title and its fraught with many definitions of term 'fans' but it is also a chance for me to understand something about my readership.
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Opportunity, timing and position are well know cornerstones in capturing fleeting moments. Sometimes it's even a suggestion.

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The post Fintech uses Design but not in the way it should appeared first on Design Sojourn. Please click above if you cannot see this post.

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The post Why Technology Alone Can’t Solve Problems: The Importance of Human-Centred Design appeared first on Design Sojourn. Please click above if you cannot see this post.

The book describes everything you need to know to get started as graphic designer in the world of environmental graphic design. The writer David Gibson is a highly respected wayfinding designer and principal of graphic design firm Two Twelve, New York

A manual for students, teachers, professionals, and clients.

This is exactly what this book is about, easy readable and recognizable for everybody to read and learn wayfinding design. I have read this book with great pleasure and using it as a reference manual in my daily activities.

Information Design for Public Places

In the first chapter the book describes the history of wayfinding and the spectrum of projects, which you will learn about the different areas wayfinding designers work in. There are several great examples of wayfinding projects shown and Gibson takes it deeper into the structure of projects and where the wayfinding designers fits in. Every chapter features a page written by people from the industry, making this book great fun to read and you will get different perspectives on the topics.

Design Process

As wayfinding designer there are many different kind of signs needed in a project, from small toilet signs to large boxed letters on the roof of the building. To enhance the wayfinding system all signs need to interact which each other in order to let them work together effectively. The book describes many different type of signs and explains about strategic planning and information graphic design. With several examples on how to document a wayfinding system this part really stands out in the book.

Wayfinding design

In the section wayfinding design, Gibson talks about typography, layout, symbols, color, materials and media. This section is a great learning experience to create signage & wayfinding design. With an very interesting page from Jonathan Hoefler on type design, legibility, purpose and wayfinding design these chapters will make you want to create wayfinding design!

Practical tips

The last section of the book takes you into how wayfinding projects are initiated and what the requirements should be in order to select a wayfinding designer. I especially enjoyed the part about documentation and fabrication, one of the most essential parts of creating a good manual for a wayfinding project.

Conclusion

Personally I enjoyed reading this book very much, it is easy to read, recognizable, short stories but with an edge to keep it clean and simple. Each chapter starts with a small introduction and a line about Learn About, where you quickly see what to expect from this section in the book. As said above the different insights from other people in the industry makes this book a great reference guide into wayfinding design. What I love about this book that it is written for everybody. If you are into environmental graphic design, signage/wayfinding than this is the book for you!

The Wayfinding Handbook is a complete guide to the discipline, from planning and design to practical considerations, such as setting up teams and managing projects.

Opinion: Sander Baumann

Every design organization faces a similar issue in 2020/2021. Physical events and conferences are restricted due the corona pandemic. Basically every organization from small to large have transformed into virtual events.

Larger design conferences such as The Next Web did a 2-day live event on Hopin. Hopin is a virtual venue with multiple interactive areas that are optimized for connecting and engaging. You can join different rooms and stages depending on your interests. Other platforms such as Creative Mornings went all in on virtual events.

The events in our wayfinding community also transformed to virtual events. From podcasts, Zoom chats to full day virtual conferences.

The purpose of conferences (pre-corona)

Over the years I had the pleasure of going places for design conferences. Either as participant or a speaker, I went to conferences about typography, technology, wayfinding or design in general.

Conferences bring together the curious like-minded designers in one place. The conferences usually have a mix of speakers, workshops and meetups on small and large stages. In my opinion a unique experience to meet people at conferences which let to business and friendships.

The psychology of going to conferences (pre-corona)

When looking at the experience when going to a conference you enter a mind-set focused on maximizing time and effort out of a conference. When you make the choice going to a physical conference this usually results in creating free time of enjoy a conference. Ranging from 1 to multiple days of physical conferences allows you to connect to peers, have time to reflect on things you heard or learned during these times.

In my opinion physical conferences offer the opportunity to really connect to like-minded people to get new insights or perspectives on the multidisciplinary fields of design.

The now: Virtual events and conferences

Over the last years I have attended anything from virtual meetups to online talks and one day virtual conferences. Also tried many of the available platforms, such as Zoom, Teams, Meetup, Hopin, etc.

Without leaving the house or studio I was able to enjoy the conferences in a virtual way. Although at the start of the pandemic this was a great way to connect to peers and to share thoughts, ideas and reconnect again. Over time I have noticed a lower attention span during the virtual conferences. Even with Hopin, I caught myself being distracted and started doing other things again.

Attention span

During the challenging covid times the (wayfinding) design industry also changed and shifted a bit more towards digital services. Regarding the time spend on physical conferences vs. the time spend on virtual conferences I noticed that virtual conferences does not really excite me in the same way as physical events.

The virtual events are squeezed into the tight schedule and I seem to jump from working with clients to conferences in an instance. This let me to think about how I perceive the information and what my key motivation would be for attending either virtual or physical events.

Main takeaway

Virtual events/conferences are here to stay. I believe a hybrid mix of physical and virtual events will push forward in our design community. On the one hand, virtual events are convenient to keep up with peers in the network. On the other hand meeting in person makes the memory.

The road to a physical conference and spending time with peers in a venue is in my opinion a great way to absorb information in a lively ambiance where you can be free to enjoy content and people.

For future physical conferences, I can imagine it to be more an experiential experience. A mix of meeting in person and connecting digitally would make the best out of both worlds. Physical conferences would take place lets say once a year and periodically supported with virtual events.

Support your design organization

If you want to learn more about wayfinding, information design, typography and design in general. Please take a look at the following design organizations as they have regularly virtual talks/events at the moment.

• SDS Sign Design Society, the have monthly virtual talks.
• IIID The International Institute for Information Design have virtual drinks and talks
• SEGD Society for Experiental Graphic Design organizes virtual talks, summits, conferences and more
• BNO Beroepsorganisatie Nederlandse Ontwerpers have virtual talks usually only in Dutch
• Creative Mornings have virtual breakfast meetups around the world
• Aiga American Institute of Graphic Arts have virtual talks and conferences

The future is bright and I look forward meeting you soon at an upcoming virtual or physical event.

• Where are you?
• Where are you heading?

The human mind observes and stores the journey as a mind-map. Distances, locations and time may be remembered differently than as they appear to be in reality. Signs, landmarks and directions are interpreted as signals and helps to guide along the way.

We use our personal knowledge, look at inference for common patterns and use previous experiences to find destinations. This article explores a history of navigation and view a on the general understanding of ways in which we all tend to navigate in terra incognita.

Early wayfinding polynesian navigators

Between 500 - 700 BC explorers began sailing the sea and started their travels towards finding new land. Sea is not as big as a barrier if you know where you are heading to and able to find your way back… Interesting enough early sea explorers didn't have maps, compasses, clocks or sextents to navigate. The new land was yet to discover and no information on how to get there, or return home, was available.

The discovery of the Polynesian islands by, from origin, Asian inhabitants tells a story on how they found those islands in the middle of the South Pacific. Voyages would take up to months and they sailed over 2000 km to discover new land, but how did they navigate? And how can we learn from their knowledge in the ancient way of getting around?

The Polynesians traveled over vast expanses of open ocean across the Pacific. In order to locate directions they memorized at various times of day and year the important facts of their surroundings. The traditional Polynesian navigation methods included memorizing the motion of stars; rise and set of the sun on the horizon; the direction, size and speed of ocean waves; gathering of clouds that cluster at specific locations; direction of winds and the following of wildlife of the ocean such as birds and fish.

Understanding how these explorers used their senses and ways of memorizing their surroundings can help us understanding how to design effective wayfinding systems today and tomorrow.

The traditional navigation by the Polynesian is also called non-instrument navigation — which means finding your way without the usage of modern tools. Instead, looking at the characteristic patterns in the surroundings they could build a mental map and used that to navigate. Those 'fingerprints' on the open ocean could well be referenced as todays 'landmarks'. History describes how the navigators kept a mental log of their journey, maintaining a sense of distance from where they started along their way. The structure that the navigators used in ancient history is similar as we apply in wayfinding strategy today.

• Planning, what is the strategy?
• Setting the course, which way to go?
• Holding the course, how far we need to travel?
• Finding land, are we there yet?
• Returning home, which way to head back?

Although the traditional Polynesian ways to navigate is almost extinct. The wayfinders of Polynesia traveled over one fifth of the surface of the planet and largest culture sphere in human history.

Navigation is not about you, or your mind, or what you can do. It's not about the sun and stars. It's really about everything. Shortly Bertelman, navigator

Holistic approach to wayfinding

Important steps in developing a wayfinding strategy is to look beyond a specific environment, space or building. Wayfinding doesn't start or stop at specific places. A wayfinding system comprises communications that may involve multiple media to help people navigate an environment. This emphasizes the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts, also referred as the Holistic Approach.

The Holistic Approach defines a wayfinding process that is researched and analyzed for the needs of the user. The objectives may include virtual and physical communication tools such as websites, signs, information systems, organizational goals, increasing customer satisfaction, placemaking or media support. Overall goal of the Holistic Approach includes to provide a better user-experience. Taking time to research the objectives will ensure the resulting wayfinding system goals are managed for optimal results. The boundaries between the abstract digital world and the real physical world starts to blur and the way that we experience wayfinding is starting to change.

Key takeaway

Wayfinding could well be put into a wider objective, today we live in a global economy and as a result we should re-think how we communicate. Wayfinding can act as stepping stone to connect people, movement and places efficiently. Taking wayfinding beyond 'signs with arrows' and an integrated communication system will emerge.

The concept is relative simple — show the right message at the right time. Make use of integrated communication systems to allow the user to have seamless journeys and engaging discoveries.

References

• Dragons, Memory & Navigating the Globe Using Only Your Wits Link

Why people get lost

Navigating through hospitals can be a challenging task and stressful experience for patients, visitors, and even staff. With the increasing complexity of hospital layouts and diverse user needs, there is a growing demand for effective and accessible wayfinding solutions.

Misinformation and not up-to-date information are among the most common issues why people get lost. The lack of quality information across platforms allows for disorientation, a feeling of getting lost, and not knowing which source to trust. Some of the issues include:

• Getting lost, high stress levels
• Not on time for an appointment
• Unable to orientate/navigate
• Information not correct/up-to-date
• No holistic wayfinding approach

Costs of Getting Lost

Wayfinding issues lead to significant costs due to staff time spent on assisting lost individuals, delays in patient care, and missed appointments.

A Deloitte report showed that medical staff spends on average 4,500 hours in giving directions every year. That is a considerable amount of time wasted just on giving directions.

Lost patients and visitors disrupt hospital schedules and workflows, leading to inefficiencies and increased workload.

Navigational difficulties heighten stress and dissatisfaction among patients. Efficient wayfinding is crucial for patient safety, especially in emergency situations.

Three Main Reasons Why People Get Lost in Hospitals

1. Complex Hospital Layouts: Hospitals often have intricate, sometimes maze-like structures with long corridors which look similar and multiple wings, making navigation challenging for patients, visitors, and even staff.

2. Inadequate Signage and Wayfinding Systems: Traditional signage and wayfinding tools are frequently insufficient, leading to confusion and difficulty in locating destinations within the hospital.

3. Lack of Pre-Visit Information and Real-Time Guidance: The absence of effective pre-visit directions and real-time navigational assistance exacerbates the confusion, especially for first-time visitors.

Assessment of the Costs of Getting Lost in Hospitals

• Financial Impact: Wayfinding issues can cost hospitals significantly, with studies showing expenses up to $500,000 annually at due to staff assisting lost individuals and other related inefficiencies. Missed appointments due to navigational difficulties add to this burden, with the NHS losing almost £1 billion annually.

• Operational and Staff Impact: Staff spend substantial time assisting lost patients, leading to lost productivity and increased workload. This can result in staff burnout and compromised patient care.

• Patient Experience and Safety: Patients experiencing stress and confusion due to poor navigation can have longer hospital stays and increased health risks.

In summary, inefficient hospital wayfinding systems lead to significant financial costs, operational challenges, and negative impacts on patient experience and safety.

Case for wayfinding

Wayfinding is a multidisciplinary design profession, combining cognitive behavior, information design, and user experience. It enhances the process of finding your way to a destination in a familiar or unfamiliar setting by using cues from the environment.

The goal of wayfinding is to create a unique and seamless journey by showing the right information at the right time. A comprehensive and bespoke wayfinding system where patients and visitors can orientate, navigate, and locate destinations in a building or environment.

Holistic wayfinding approach

A holistic wayfinding approach that reduces stress and costs while creating a seamless journey experience in hospitals should include:

• Integrated Digital and Physical Signage: Combining clear, large physical signs with digital solutions (like interactive maps and mobile apps) ensures accessibility and real-time guidance for all users​​​​.
• Personalized Navigation Assistance: Utilizing technology such as QR codes, WiFi triangulation, or beacons for real-time, personalized navigation can cater to individual needs and reduce the likelihood of getting lost​​​​.
• Pre-visit and On-site Information: Providing detailed pre-visit directions and on-site information desks or volunteers can help orient visitors upon arrival and throughout their visit, addressing wayfinding issues effectively​​.

This approach combines technology, human assistance, and clear physical markers to create an environment where patients and visitors can navigate hospital spaces more confidently and efficiently.

Design for today and plan for the Future

Our vision for Wayfinding is an integrated information platform that creates an on-demand and personalized user experience. Our approach seeks to improve people’s understanding of the built environment by implementing identity, urban design, and wayfinding strategies.

Key takeaways

• People first — User-centered information tools
• Integrated — Holistic design approach
• Vision and research — Solving wayfinding problems
• From the place for the place — A unique experience
• Seamless — Extendable and flexible
• Digital — Personalized experiences
• Build design resources — Ensure legacy
• Invest once and wisely — High quality delivers a ROI

Every day, our work helps thousands of people navigate hospitals. We are experts in placemaking and wayfinding.

Website owners can spend hundreds of dollars a month on web hosting alone! But if you operate a WordPress site, it is possible to spend $0 a month on hosting. That’s right: free WordPress hosting does exist, provided you know where to look. Of course, with anything that’s free, it’s essential to prioritize quality. Not all cheap WordPress hosts offer lightning-fast speeds and stellar service. In this post, we discuss tips for finding the best free WordPress hosting that doesn’t sacrifice quality! 1. Identify Your Hosting Needs What does a WordPress host actually do? Hosting services ensure that your website is

The post How to Find the Best Free WordPress Hosting appeared first on Photoshop Lady.

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