User-sensing as Part of a Wayfinding Design Process

Abstract

User-centered design is a wide term on describing end-users influence on the shaping of a particular design process. Wayfinding is one of the design projects where user-centered design methodologies are necessary and applied. There is a need in defining the circulation axes and the specific areas of a determined environment and this requires a survey of who are those who will use that specific space or building and how they perceive it. A more specific evaluation is needed when projecting a wayfinding system for a hospital, and even more for an ophthalmological hospital. Concerning this last one, a varied group of users will use that particular space, from the person with normal vision until the visual impaired and specifically older people. In this case a evaluation of visual and of other senses perception is needed in order to create an organizational distribution system to be interpreted by all users specifically those with vision difficulties. Visual impaired persons are mainly the elderly and most of the pathologies observed are related with aging and the loss of vision capacities. Common to these eye pathologies, such as the loss of the visual field, are the cornea opacity resulting in a blurred vision and the yellowing of the cornea that alters color perception. The use of user-sensing evaluation process will help us in the definition of the senses that more efficiently promote the interpretation and usage of a particular space. For that purpose a participatory design methodology will be required through interviews and tests done to the potential users in order to create the necessary data that will define the guidelines for the wayfinding project development. This user-sensing design evaluation, waysensing, will focus on color and background contrast color definition for the written material and also on floor stripes; on the legibility and readability, by evaluating the most efficient typefaces, text sizes and letter spacing and on the haptic evaluation of foot touch and its relation with dexterity and balance. A well-designed wayfinding system can reduce hospital patients’ stress levels, aid efficient business practice, and ensure safe crowd management [2].