Lynch City & Its Elements Reflection

This article talks about several spatial elements: paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks. Lynch gives many examples of these elements using well known cities and areas that many people may recognize.

Lynch describes paths as channels that the audience moves within. Edges are described as linear elements that are simply boundaries between two or more areas. Although they are not considered paths, edges can be used as paths if an actual path is not easy to identify. Another element; districts, are usually two large areas that have common identifiable characteristics between them. Nodes are a breaking place in transportation. For example, the circular nodes that my group used within our project to mark turning points. Nodes are places that people feel heightened attention is needed. Lynch explains landmarks are physical identifiable references. Landmarks around KU would be Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawk outside of Strong Hall, the Union, etc..

All of these elements are extremely important, especially within our wayfinding project. Using paths and nodes were the two elements that my group used the most effectively. This is mainly because there aren’t many landmarks throughout the Art and Design building. This article really brought to life the important aspects to incorporate in this wayfinding design project. 

Verplank - Chapter 2 - Designing Interactions

Bill Verplank is an interaction designer. What is an interaction designer you ask.. It’s a field of study with human-computer interaction and software development. Interaction design is all about shaping digital things for people’s use. This article talks about how Verplank got him PhD from MIT in man-machine systems. So basically, the exact definition of “interaction design.” He then summarizes interaction design by answering three things. How you act, how you feel, and how you understand? He also exclaims that as the interaction designer, you have to also answer three questions. How do you know, how do you feel, and how do you do?

This reading gives a great break down to the definition of interactive design and the intense process that goes into it. Verplank says that communication is just one of the many important aspects to this sort of design. Interactive design is very relevant to our project of wayfinding because as designers we have to be very wary of how the paths and makers are affecting the audience. How are they making them act, feel and understand an area?

Coca Wayfinding

This blog address three differing types of signage techniques and methods. The categories are: identification, direction, and orientation. This blog gives you tips that will help improve efficient wayfinding for users. Overall, this article addressed how as designers you must be consistent with signage and identification techniques, otherwise; you may not be helping the space. 

This information helps when discussing the multiplicity of solutions for all the ideas from each group. Considering color palettes, shapes, and other identification techniques to keep ideas from running together. The information about font, sizing and spacing was very helpful during testing and the design process. 

Ethnography reflection

Ethnography is a scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures. In both articles, the techniques to use when using ethnography to study a person are examined quite thoroughly. Both focus mainly on how ethnography is most useful to the world for designers. 

Because of a designers necessity to connect with their audience, ethnography is a very important concept. You must connect with your audience as a designers, otherwise your work will not has the intended inspiring effect. There were a number of factors brought to life for this process, however it is my belief that the most important is definitely connecting and engaging with your audience. 

I thought that both articles were very relevant to our current project because of our need to engage with an audience and our need to catch their eye in some way. Way finding is all about drawing attention to make something more known, but drawing attention in a way that isn’t distracting from the actual thing itself.