”The influence of new technologies on creating way-finding systems”

Abstract

Wayfinding is very important part of everyone everyday life. Information and guidance systems are implemented into every public and private infrastructure and guarantee the liquid and efficient workflow of every urban agglomeration. Because many people are not aware of that fact, and the topic itself is not popular even among graphic designers and space designers, I decided to write a work that would describe what wayfinding really is, how it applies to organisation of society and what impact it has in terms of workflow and efficiency of travelling. Also I showed what is the difference between Graphic Designers work and Environmental Designers work, what are the main points in their design process, what is the scope of Wayfinding Experts projects and how they affect everyones lives. Work focuses on the strong connection between wayfinding methods and the development of new technologies. I found a pattern that shows, that new technologies and media solutions are influencing wayfinding methods and all of the information systems, both in creation process and in the final, visual and interactive stage, more than any other knowledge. In my work you can find a brief history of wayfinding process, showing old methods of guidance starting form antiquity to modern times. I showed how modern wayfinding systems are being created and what tools are being used by designers in their creation process. I tried to depict how new inventions influenced wayfinding process and approach to guiding people both indoor and outdoor. I focused on most popular technologies that are playing an important role in majority of wayfinding systems and technologies that are still being developed or under construction, and may have a great impact on the shape of information and guidance systems in the future. I analysed six different methods and solutions for wayfinding systems, that are considered to be most efficient and modern nowadays. It turns out that they are affecting not only the way users interact with information systems and improves their general user experience but also totally change the environmental designers possibilities, their approach to work, and efficiency in creating complex and time-consuming projects. After reading this work you should be familiar with term wayfinding, you should get basic knowledge about the environmental graphic designers work and understand the importance of well thought and nicely designed information systems. Also you will see how new technologies affects the development of wayfinding tools, and how the need for good wayfinding affects the inventions of new technologies.