wayfinding evaluation

On the whole I believe my way finding system communicates my research and intentions. By following the rebus format suggested in an initial crit I believe I have created a strong theme throughout my system. The use of vector illustrations effectively portrays the locations in my system, whilst lending a more modern vibe to the 19th century locations. By basing my system on the industrial revolution in Leeds, I have been able to find a wealth of information as the city has been heavily affected and changed by the era. Actually visiting the industrial museum gave me a more in depth insight into the era and allowed me to develop my system in a way that correctly portrays the period. My pictograms were heavily influenced by Kendrick Kidd and his “seals”, the vector illustration was a style I wanted to use in my system to attempt to combine the older architecture with the busy modern vibe of the city. I think I managed to convey this style well as the pictograms do not look out of place in the city centre as it is today. Although the modern vibe was important in my design I still wanted to link back to the style of illustration of the period - where I had been inspired by Walter Crane and his use of frames and emblems as well as the sketchiness of the artwork. I attempted to combine the two style eras by adding in “shading” in the form of lighter weight lines - echoing the sketchy appearance in illustrations from the era. While I feel I managed to combine them well, I feel that my pictograms could work just as well without this filler detail, relying on the Rebus format to link in my research to the system.This was echoed by my peers in a crit - the lines could make the symbols appear less clear if smaller scale was used. However as my system will be implemented large scale the issue is avoided.

I think the colour used for my system is perfect as I relied on colour theory and the power of red in everyday life. The bold colour draws attention to my system, perfect for one that is less obvious and lacks text for people to follow and identify. Further more I feel my mock ups could be improved upon as I do not feel they look as realistic as they should be.

I feel that my system could be used in real life contexts, however due to its subjective nature it may be less likely to be followed - many people prefer objective symbols as they are easier to understand and follow.