Study Task- Wayfinding Research

I began this project by searching on the internet, knowing knowledge of the Powerhouse Museum  australia. This Museum not only displays work but also is a art school for the talented, this way finding system has been created by one of the past members of the museum/school.  The target audience for this way finding system I would say is  a mixture of teenagers/adults,  because of how mature the design is, however the typeface which has been used almost looks like Bebas Neu, which is modern type which will attract youngsters. Due to the contrast of the wall and the type colour   This type has a design which is bright and eye catching due the choice of colour use, as you can see in this photo below of the number 5, not only is it telling you what floor it is but it's also telling you the direction to walk in and because of the bright colour which has been used it draws are eyes to the direction that the  movement is following. The use of the attractive colours; red, green ,yellow,blue, purple make the atmosphere  seem lively and energetic as most of these colours are often related to something happy. I think that this way finding works well due to the use of the colour and type which boldly stands out and it's also simple to understand, therefore it's easy to find you're way round. I will consider this idea when it comes to experimentation.

The Baltic museum Newcastle: 

The notion of BALTIC began in 1991 when Northern Arts (now Arts Council England North East) announced its ambition to achieve ‘major new capital facilities for the Contemporary Visual Arts in Central Tyneside’. Known for it's unusual art displays and sculpture.

The Baltic's way finding system is  simplistic, clear and modern just like its building. The use of the large letter's on the walls to showcase which floor you are standing on communicates well as it's simple, it's sleek bold statement helps make the museum look even more artistic. The audience that this would attract would be teenagers and above, as the type and layout are sophisticated. However the colours which have been used on the bottom left hand photo could also attract younger children as they are bright, which attracts a children. The contrast between the white walls and type used works well as it makes the lettering and signage stand out. During my experimentation I will experiment with the use of colour from learning from these designs. 

The Tate gallery: Tate Britain presents a major exhibition of art associated with the British Empire from the 16th century to the present day. The show raises questions about ownership, authorship and how the value and meanings of these diverse objects have changed through history

The Tate gallery I feel is one of my favourite way finding system due it's simplistic use of text and colour, as it's simple yet stands out and look like a piece of art itself and attractive to look at when going up the escalators. This way finding has been made to suit all type's of audience and in particular young designers/artist's who are eager to learn.  However I feel this system could be used better with added arrows so it points you directly to the direction of where you'd want to be. Again the contrast of the white walls and colours make the way finding system stand out and make it clearer to see as it's the main attraction. 

John lewis: The Partnership has over 90,000 Partners who own 45 John Lewis shops (32 department stores, 11 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2), over 300 Waitrose supermarkets, an online and catalogue business - johnlewis.com, a production unit and a farm, and share in the benefits and profits of a business that puts them first. This is how it began.

John lewis is a retail shop which target's it's audience at the older generation, we can see this by the choice of type in the last image, this type is older due to the ticks and tails at the end of the letters which is a old victorian type, we often see this type used in vintage shops. We also know this shop is aimed at older people due to the products and price range as it's expensive and older clothing. Because of this they have created a simple, sophisticated way finding system which communicates with it's target. As you see we don't see the use of bright colours used throughout this imagery, the use of the colour black is used mostly as it is seen as a mature colour due to it's darkness. In contrast to the white walls and digital mapping the type stands out and is simple to use. This way finding system overall works well for it's target audience because of the choice of; colour, type and product. 

Trinity Leeds: Trinity Leeds is a shopping and leisure centre in Leeds and England, named after the adjacent 18th-century Holy Trinity Church. 

Trinity shopping centre leeds known for its vast range of shops is a popular shopping centre for students and family's. The way finding for Trinity is kept modern due to the target audience clearly targeted at students. However it's way finding system is fairly lackadaisical and lacking in colour and is not eye catching,although it is simple to understand. An idea for this shopping centre would be to put some interesting typography which directs you to different areas of Trinity on the floor for people to follow to make the centre look artistic and more attractive, I believe that colour should also be brought in, as the current way finding is lacking in colour, and colour attracts students. Overall this way finding is lacking in attractiveness and brightness.

Leeds College of art: In 1846, the Leeds Mechanics' Institute (which offered drawing classes) merged with the Literary Institute, creating Leeds School of Art. In 1903, it moved to our present Vernon Street building, whose radical design reflected the clean lines of the Art & Craft movement.

Leeds college or art way finding lacks in creativity due to it being at art college an university, it also lacks in colour. The design used is very simple, the dull colours used black and white make the way finding boring to look at. I feel that the design is also out dated due to the use of the logo which has been placed at the top for un-needed reasons, when we already know where we are. If I were to re-design this way finding system I would introduce bright colours and bolder text to make it look more attractive. The target audience for this way finding is for students and visitors so therefore will be a disappointment when coming for an open day at the college/ University. 

Overall out of all the research i've carried out my favourite way finding would have to be the PowerHouse in Australia, due it's bright and bold typography, and it's communication and modernisation for it's target audience being students and adults. This way finding, could be used universally because of the simple and universal colour.