Studio Brief 1 - Wayfinding - Paul Mijksennar on Wayfinding

Paul Mijksennar Videos

Schiphol Airport Walkthrough Video

Wayfinding needs to make sure people find their way quickly and easily. Spaces should be made more accessible, safer and easier to understand. Signs and pictograms should be universally recognisable and self-explanatory. By understanding the psychology of the traveller and putting yourself in their shoes, good wayfinding can be created. Using a video camera as a way of gaining ‘perspective’ can be useful in understanding the problems within the space. Travellers see the whole journey process as stressful so wayfinding should ease stress and present information in a way that will be understood and that is in line with their ‘expectations based on experience’. A principle of psychology suggests that information should be separated to improve understanding, so signs are positioned so they are facing the traveller with no obstructions. Colour schemes are important in creating distinctions between information.

The four C’s

-        Continuity – repeat the information until the user reaches their destination

-        Conspicuity – the signs must catch the eye in order to be recognised and understood

-        Consistency – terms and design must be the same throughout the system

-        Clarity – the message must be completely clear and defined for the viewer



Mijksenaar - Dutch Profiles (German subtitles) from Mijksenaar wayfinding experts on Vimeo.

Jiska van Veen

In an airport, there is a ‘flow’, which is the way in which you walk through the building. For wayfinding to be successful you must understand things from the user’s perspective. When looking at a path a route takes questions should be asked. Does it make sense? What information is needed e.g. a sign or word? Wayfinding should take people step by step through the environment and guide and reassure them.

Meet the experts - Jiska van Veen from Mijksenaar wayfinding experts on Vimeo.

Build on good and make it better

Wayfinding should lead people to their destination in a comfortable way. By working with architect’s spaces can be made easier to navigate and in a more intuitive way. Keeping the good things and improving the where possible is important in spaces, wayfinding is an important tool in directing people. Public spaces are complex and use different ways of navigating from smartphones to signs. The type of navigation used is dependent on the traveller e.g. a teenager will use their phone whereas an old lady will use signs.The design is effective if the traveller can find their way without being aware of it.

‘Build on the good, and make it better.’ from Mijksenaar wayfinding experts on Vimeo.