Blog Entry #6

I feel that the value created by information design in society cannot be measured. It is something we take for granted when it is there and curse when it is unclear or non-existent. It is something that is so prevalent in daily lives we do not even realize that everything we see, and every direction we take has some type of wayfinding factored into it. We have even, as a society, come up with ways of making wayfinding even easier by creating programs and other software, such as Garmin, that help us navigate unfamiliar places even if the original wayfinding design is lacking. We use wayfinding design every day even if we are entirely unaware it is inevitable.

Have you ever been to a city or building that wayfinding was lacking? Did you not find yourself feeling out of place and lost? I know I have. Wayfinding does not only help us navigate certain areas, it helps us to form an attachment with the place that they are helping us navigate. They make a person feel more comfortable and in control of their journey without making them feel like the creator believes they are stupid. This is a delicate balance, finding a way to direct people without making them feel as if they are being forced to do something one way or the other.

Great wayfinding not only creates a sense of knowing and a way to get from point A to point B in an efficient way, it creates a sense of connection to certain places especially when frequently traveling through a certain area. Wayfinding opens the door for people to start their connection to certain areas. It helps newcomers discover all there is to do or see in a certain area all while informing them and making them feel comfortable in an unfamiliar environment.