Study Task 1 - Intervention Video

Intervention Video

What were we testing and how?

For our pause / stop intervention we blocked off part of the door so that people would have to find an alternative way through it. We wanted to see how people would interact and adapt to the situation. By placing the intervention at eye level this would block their path which we thought would encourage people to physically engage with it more.

Our connection played with the concept of creating a zebra crossing out of paper from one side of a turn- in to the other. We thought this familiarity could encourage people to use the intervention as a way of crossing the road even though it wasn’t a real crossing.

In our diversion we originally sectioned off slabs using taped diagonal lines and outlined the edges of the area. This was to create an element of danger which we wanted people to avoid. Later we also added an arrow showing the way around the two areas to create an emphasised walkway to see if this would encourage people to use it more.

Analysis of Frutiger

The basis signs

The square as a shape creates a sense of boundary similar to a dwelling with the sides evoking the feeling of a floor, ceiling and walls which all provide protection. In prehistory the square symbolised the earth’s surface and the four points on a compass. A square on its corner indicates an intention which creates a sense of alarm in the viewer.

The human eye looks for the vertical and horizontal plains first, if neither of these are present they are imagined so that a sign can be ‘placed’. When a triangle is on its corner vertically, this creates a directional sign, with the movement transferred from the vertical to horizontal. Only works if directions are horizontal, if up, down or oblique, this creates confusion. A horizontal sided triangle is ideal for signals such as road signs, because of the symmetry which creates a sense of stability and permanence. It is also a friendly symbol whilst symbolising the expression ‘wait’.

When a triangle is reversed so it is standing on its apex, this creates a more active character. This symbolises a tool, action and scales. The positioning of the shape creates a sense of limitation and that you are not allowed to do something which in turn creates alarm in the viewer. It is also the shape of a roof.

A circle is a line with eternal recurrence with no beginning or end which draws parallels with the concept of time. For primitive humans, it was associated with the sun, moon and stars which all held symbolic importance. In modern day it is associated with wheels and gears. The circle describes something material and therefore allows us to recall a known object. The opposite effect would be to see the material around it. The line itself can also be seen as the material. It is dependent on the viewer whether they see themselves as inside or outside the circle. When ‘inside’ the circle, a person has an impulse toward the centre and the meaning of life, whereas a person who sees themselves outside the circle has an active life which radiates to the circumference. A circle also provides protection from outside influences much like a sell or life preserving form. After the invention of the wheel it has become a symbol of circular movement. This has no end and eternal recurrence which creates a sense of insecurity.

The arrow is made of two oblique lines which come together to form an angle. These create an expression of movement or direction. When pointing left or right a stronger movement is evoked than when pointing up or down. This is because human movement is normally on a horizontal level. Vertically placed arrows are only a clear expression of up and down when used in lifts. The angle within the arrow alters the perception of the sign as a directional pointer. When the angle is greater than 45 degrees this creates a sense of a slow and difficult movement, whilst when at below 20 degrees with the inner area smaller with a sharper point this create a feeling of danger. It takes on the appearance of a weapon. The formal arrow sign is created by lengthening the central stroke out and exaggerating the inner areas. The arrow creates a sense of aggression and anxiety with ideas such as ‘survival’ and ‘injury’ evoked. When the central stroke is curved an arrow becomes a signal for turning left and right.

The cross is an abstract form which is precise enough to indicate the exact position of a point. It also means plus or add in mathematics, whilst a diagonal cross means multiply. By lengthening a stroke it becomes the sign of the Christianity and represents the proportions of the human body similar to that of the crucifixion. The cross is also used for saying something is wrong during marking. When the angle of the strokes is reduced a human figure is created with arms and legs which creates a gesturing expression. It can also symbolise deletion and act as a barrier.

Linking Frutiger to our work

In our diversion, we used square outlines which create a boundary and show that they should not be crossed as it creates a sense of danger. We could have used a cross through the box rather than just a diagonal line as this may have emphasised the idea off avoiding the area more.  A cross is associated with something being wrong and acts as a barrier. The use of arrows in the diversion act as an expression of movement or direction. This could have been enhanced further by decreasing the angle of the arrow which Frutiger suggests creates a sharper point and therefore evokes a sense of danger.

Paul Mijksennar said signs should be positioned so that they are facing the user, this encourages optimum understanding. This idea was applied to our own stop/ pause intervention which was placed in front of the user which encouraged them to engage with it more.

Frutiger says that a line which is a fourth degree stroke which are described a trunks or pillars are expressions of large elements and are powerful. At this thickness lines develop into an area an become solid. This is applicable to our connection intervention as the zebra crossing lines become a safe area to follow.

Linking Frutigers ideas to existing wayfinding

Most arrows in Leeds were used as a directional tool to symbolise left and right. The makority of these arrows were angled over 45 degrees creating a sense of slow movement, which could reflect a walking pace, as many of these arrows were used in pedestrianised areas. Many of the arrows removed the central stroke leaving only the ‘triangular’ arrow head. The tip of these arrows were rounded off making them softer and therefore creating less anxiety and a more welcoming direction. These signs were most effective on a large scale and would be more recognisable at this size and may become confused at a smaller scale.

Escalator symbols placed within blue circles showed safe and correct actions to perform. The use of a circle in this context provides protection from outside influences and is a life preserving form which reinforces the idea that these actions were good. Blue creates a sense of calm in these symbols, whilst in contrast the red symbols evoke a sense of danger. The diagonal line thorugh these symbols acts in a similar way to a cross and creates a barrier creating a sense these things should not be done and indicates something is wrong. The use of a circle stl provides protection however this time they are instructions for what not to do to stay safe. However because these signs were low down on the escalator they are often overlooked. Paul Mijksennar suggests that wayfinding should always be at eye level or above, which allows people to see key info above others and makes it more likely to be understood and acknowledged.

Evaluation of intervention 

When carrying out our interventions we soon found that we were not allowed to do things in shopping centres which meant we were unable to get as much interaction within these areas as we had anticipated.

To improve the video, we could have perhaps included footage of the security women confronting us whilst creating work and when the zebra crossing was blowing away. These things are also classed as interactions with the work and it may have been interesting to see how people would have reacted to this. Particularly in the zebra crossing intervention we found that people didn’t want to walk over the system, this could be seen as a mark of respect for the work, however it could also be a sign of irritation. We used the system across a road where no traffic would go along so it was out of context. The use of such a well-known system in this situation may have made people feel stupid and therefore deliberately not use it.  Our diversion intervention was not particularly successful as many people walked straight over it. This showed how oblivious people are to what is on the ground and shows how sign systems are possibly more effective at head height, as discussed by Paul Mijksennar, with the signs facing them. The tape intervention worked both as a diversion and a way of creating a pause within the user. This allowed the users to decide what they wanted to do and it was suggested created a playful element which created more engagement from users. Also because it was physically blocking the users this meant they had to pay attention to the work and engage with it in order to get around it, which made it more noticeable than our other interventions.