MESH: Wayfinding (Me and Lucy)

Rationale: The theme for MESH is based on the grid like nature of the screens, and using the squares created by the negative space. It was the aim to incorporate these squares into our way finding.
The way finding to be placed around Leeds on the route to the exhibition needed to be bold and have clear direction. The signs are extended strips, with one end cut up into squares - linking back to the theme of the exhibition. The furthermost square is altered into an arrow, providing direction for the system. The system itself will be made out of vinyl, red in colour, with the logo and text cut out to be placed onto any background around Leeds. The nature of the vinyl allows it to be adhered and bent around surfaces, for example from the wall onto the pavement below.
The internal way finding for the exhibition will be placed onto the walls and floor, using tape. Using the organisation method of grouping prints into postcodes, the postcodes will be clearly marked on the uppermost part of the wall using the custom typeface created for our branding. Just under these large scale signs, there will be a border running around the length of the room which splits into smaller squares under the 'L' of each postcode. This keeps the internal and external systems consistent due to their similar appearance. The postcode map used in our catalog and posters will be placed onto the floor, again using tape, but only as decoration and not a method in which to find certain prints/ postcodes.

Design Process

OUTSIDE SIGNAGE 

My initial experiments stuck with the theme of using squares - these arrows I created above are composed entirely out of squares. I tried to vary these by adapting the head of each arrow but I felt that the overall look was far too simplistic and basic for the system. I did want to continue with the square composition though so tried to vary it in a different way in my next experiments.

My next experiments play on the same method as the catalog with the squares changing in size along the length of the arrow. I also adapted these arrows to include a directional cue on one end in the shape of an arrow. However these arrows looked too disjointed and broken up - the difference in size made them less pleasing to look at.

For the next developments I included the rust colour of the exhibition and played with the idea of containing the arrows within a bigger square. I used the arrows I created earlier on out of smaller squares, and made the system look more interesting by adding additional smaller squares within the bigger square. The overall fact is a more visually interesting product, but the smaller squares do detract from the actual direction of the arrow.

I experimented with extending the length of the sign, making the main feature a long strip with the end of each broken up into squares to carry on with the theme of mesh. Again I added the arrow head to the end of the last square to point in the direction of the exhibition.

INSIDE WAY FINDING

Initially, our idea was to keep the same appearance along the outside signage and inside wayfinding. Using the same idea of using red lines cut up into squares, the arrows could be adhered to the floor (using tape instead of vinyl), and each arrow would lead to the relevant postcode. At the entrance of the doorway would be the postcode map, also made out of tape, with each arrow leading from the relevant area to the section of the exhibition under that postcode.

However the map is broken up into many parts and a lot of them are miniscule for example LS1, LS2 and LS3 (pink sections highlighted) are the smallest but are in the centre of the city so will have a lot of posters centred around them.
In order to fit in the small doorway, the map will need to be relatively small too - the tape will not be able to extend from these sections to point visitors to the relevant sections.

So we abandoned the map and instead decided to create arrows extending straight from the doorway. There are 29 postcodes within the city, but 29 arrows will not be able to fit in the doorway. Instead we decided to have an initial arrow leading from the doorway, and then having it split up into the different postcode sections (2 or 3 branches off the main arrow). This saves space and makes the way finding a lot clearer and easier. At the start of each arrow, the postcodes extending from that branch will be labelled in Helvetica, to keep the branding consistent.

However it soon became apparent that the system may be too cluttered. So we developed our idea onwards, instead moving the system onto the walls, and cutting down on the amount of arrows in the system and this would reduce confusion.

The map will be placed onto the floor, in tape, tying the whole exhibition branding together. With the curation of the exhibition splitting the prints into postcode areas, the postcodes (LS1/LS2 etc.) are clearly shown at the top of the room. Still using tape, the custom typeface created for our exhibition is used alongside a border. The border is the same style as our external way finding, relying on the strip dividing up into squares, but instead of pointing the direction, the squares are just used as accents to the way finding.

The final system contains cleaner, more focused signage which cleverly allows the prints to speak for themselves, while still adding to the overarching theme of mesh, maps and postcodes.