Learning from the Magic Kingdom

Abstract

People interact in and with environments. Information in the environment influences how we perceive places and informs what we understand we can and cannot do. For most of our history, the environments we have interacted in were strictly physical. But starting in the 20th Century, we have also started interacting in and with digital environments. We use environmental information to build internal models that allow us to act skillfully toward accomplishing our goals. These internal models are easier to develop if the environment is organized in understandable ways. By studying the design of physical environments, designers can produce digital environments that are easier to understand and navigate. This article offers insights from a specific physical environment: Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.