Wayfinding

Hospital signage is often confusing.  A team of designers has developed a clearer image-based wayfinding system, some of which is presented at http://www.uc.edu/slideshow/signage/.  The 50 new signage symbols are designed to be clear regardless of native language or reading level and guide people to locations such as burn units, dermatology clinics, and mental health services.  The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded the “Signs that Work” project which resulted in the development of these new wayfinding tools, which are cur

Lost people are endemic in healthcare environments.  Murphy and Brown present several new suggestions for navigation aids in healthcare environments.  Since people now often refer to building maps on websites before they even enter a facility, it is important that the information and terminology presented to patients and their visitors be consistent across media.  Technical terms such as “otolaryngology” should be replaced with easier to remember phrases such as “ears, nose, and throat care.”  Coupling these easier to understand and remember phrases with relevant images

Kaiser, a principle with Perkins + Will, has integrated his own professional experiences with material from rigorous studies of effective (and ineffective) navigation tools to identify features of successful wayfinding systems.  He summarizes his suggestions, stating ”Not unlike nature, it is key to reinforce orientation, provide simple vistas, and accent the destination point to convey arrival.”  Kaiser suggests using views within and outside the building, materials, lighting, and furnishings to define areas and pathways – consistencies in materials indicate a continuing area, ch