Wayfinding Around Leeds

Our Task today was to take a trip around Leeds city centre and document any examples of wayfinding that we came across along the way. 

Signage and pictograms can be found almost anywhere, examples below include road markings, toilet signs and floor plans.

Some of the wayfinding I found, located in the Trinity shopping centre, were made up of neon lights. These grabbed my attention more than the other methods for a few reasons. The strong use of colour means that when put on any background, the signage will still be predominant and legible from a distance. To further enhance this, the sign is also lit up and there for catches the audiences eyes immediately and effectively.

Another, different method of wayfinding was found at the Henry Moore Institute. Unfortunately the gallery space is closed for a while so I couldn't document all of the gallery's wall signage but I took a photo of the signage I had access to. The map of the different floors is laid out in a beautifully simple way using a few shades of colour and only two shapes. This map or floor plan is very easily understood and isn't overly complicated with any unnecessary information. 

The wayfinding around my halls of residence is mainly large scale signage painted across an entire wall space. This making it easy and friendly to get around. The colours used are welcoming and make you feel at home. The typeface used is also very soft and friendly, making it suitable for somewhere that accommodates new residents often.

Road Markings

Walking around, documenting the road markings I come across, I've come to realise that however practical and effective the national road markings are, they are extremely boring and have no consideration for how they look. This, to me, should be changed as road markings are seen absolutely everywhere where there is a road and so surround us in our day to day lives. If road markings can be both practical and pleasing to the eye then everyone will be happier and everywhere will look nicer. 

So, I aim to create a system that does not compromise practicality but that looks a lot more pleasing and is applied to the road surface in a more considered manor.