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Different stages of Design:
Understanding the organisation and the signage environment
Identifying a facility
Locating the place for signage
Designing the elements of the signage system
. What is the brief
from the Client?
. Is it a new design or a redesign?
.
Stage One
. Understanding the organisation
and the signage environment:
. What is the name/title of the organisation/environment?
.
.
What are the major activities of the organisation/environment?
(useful
for creating visual expressions connected with the
organisation)
.
.
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. What is the unique identity specific
to the organisation/environment?
. Is there
a well conceived visual identity program?
. look at the background, history, context, etc. of the organisation
. look at
the vision, goals, future directions of the organisation
. talk to
your client and consolidate their viewpoints.
.
.
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What is the need for the signage?
How will the signage make a difference?
.
.
.
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Stage Two
. Identifying a facility:
.
What are the facilities specific to the organisation/environment for
which the directional signage is required ?
(including
staircase, lift, toilet, help, dustbin, etc.)
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.
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. Identify the different types of signage that you might require:
.
. Informational?
statuary? directional?
. Floor mounted?
grouted? free standing? hanging?
. Indoors?
outdoors?
. Back lit?
front lit? not lit?
.
.
Debate over these issues for imparting identity to a facility:
. whether to use graphical pictograms/visuals only?
. whether to use graphical pictograms in addition to text?
. whether to use text only?
. whether to use graphical pictograms/visuals/expressions around the facility
when one reaches the facility?
. whether to use numbers/alphabets to identify a facility?
. (multilingual considerations, visibility, remembrance, etc.) . . . .
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If you have chosen pictograms/graphic symbols, whether they
should reflect the function of the facility or be arbitrary (like selecting
different animals/seasons/plants to depict the facility):
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. Semantic factors? should the signage have an unique
identity? should it express the identity of the organisation? or should
it have a unique theme?
. expressions,
meaning, content, feeling, etc
. macro
view, micro view, etc
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.
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. Functional factors? How should the signage be? Should
it convey additional information?
. educational,
entertainment, emotional, promotional
. humorous,
serious, expressive, etc
. to Identify,
to differentiate, to focus, etc
. to inform,
to direct, to warn, etc
.
.
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. Influencing factors? Can you make use of shape,
form, colour, number, size, texture derived from contextual themes for
this?
. cultural
factors, local idioms and conventions
. aesthetics,
trends, etc.
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. Usability factors? Do you need to conduct experiments
to verify these factors?
. visibility,
readability, recognisability, etc
.
human factors, etc.
. human
product interactions
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. Technology and economic factors? The
cost factor can influence the selection of material and the determine
the method of fabrication
.
materials and processes
.
method of manufacture - batch, mass, hand fabrication?
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. Stage Three
. Locating the place for
signage:
. If
the facility already exists, do a walk through through the outlet
. identify
the location for the main sigange - usually at the entrance
of
the lobby or visible from the main approach road
. identify
the places/corners/forks where one needs additional
information to move ahead
.
.
.
. How
would the users navigate through the different spaces
in the organisation/environment ?
Note the
places where there is need for display of information, the types of information,
etc.
If
it is redesign, by observing, studying and documenting
(using
photography, sketches, video-taping)
. the
users navigate through different spaces
. the
different interactions the users have with the environment
and
how they use the facilities
. interact
with the users
to talk to them, narrate their experiences and
getting their feedback
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. Use
the map of the site or floor plans of the environment and mark the
positions where different types of signages are required
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Stage Four
. Designing the elements
of the signage system:
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Classify/group these facilities into information chunks that make
more sense.
. functional?
floor wise? direction-wise?
. colour coded?
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Sequence/order them for
easier information retrieval:
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alphabetical?, numbered?
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. The elements of the signage:
Use of expressions, colours (foreground and background),
shapes, textures for designing the elements of the directional signage
system
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. How would you represent the 'The Directional
Sign'?
. arrow?
pointing finger? layout?
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. How would you represent the 'the name
of the facilities' in text? . typeface,
style, etc
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. How would you represent the 'the name of the facilities'
in visuals:
. symbols,
icons, pictograms, etc.
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