Client Presentation Board

PhotoShop Mockups

These are the final mockups, showing each sign in its intended environment. I feel the dark grey slate doesn't ruin the look of the landscape too much, and the simple colour scheme is easy on the eye. I chose slate and an understated design in order to blend in as much as possible to the surroundings, as I live in an area similar to Malvern and feel that bright colours and synthetic materials ruin the landscape, whereas woods and stone compliment it. 

Final Illustrator Work

These are the final Illustrator designs, incorporating the slate texture. Now that it can be seen as intended, I feel that I was right to change the materials and colour scheme. All the elements are linked by their typography, simplified icons and 'Route to the Hills' logo and it would be clear in their environment that they are part of the same signage family. I opted to just focus on the early history of the Malvern Theatres for this prototype as there was a lot of information to fit in and I didn't want the text to be obscured. I chose not to include colour photographs or illustrations as it would detract from the white-on-dark theme, and instead chose a more textual approach.

London

 V&A Internal Signage Analysis

This is one example of a piece of internal signage at the V&A Museum, which is designed to guide people to the galleries they want to visit. The colours used help with this, with black type on a white background providing excellent visibility, while the colour coding for each gallery makes them very distinguished from each other and sharply defined. Also, the colours that have been chosen for each gallery fit in with the look of the museum, as they use darker and understated shades that do not seem too obtrusive when next to the exhibits. The type used is not too bold or too fine, and the sans-serif style is easy to read from a distance. The shape of the sign is interesting, the tall glass structure looks like an exhibit in its own right and the transparency means that it doesn't obstruct any views, while the important information is the perfect height with my eye level being about halfway down the sign itself. This does mean, however, that this sign is not as easily used by children or wheelchair users as the information would be too high up to be read well.

This is a simple map, showing where certain galleries and exhibitions can be found nearby to the user. Again, the colours used are unobtrusive in the space, with the off-white and beige on the map soft on the viewer's eyes. The shapes are as simplified as possible and use the minimum of text, in order to deliver the information in the clearest way available. The height of this map means that it is accessible by any user and the information is understandable. In some areas they would require a larger sign with more information but for the section where this was found I feel it works perfectly.

Applied Studio

While in London we were lucky enough to be able to visit the Applied studio where the Legible London wayfinding system was designed and receive a talk. A lot of wayfinding considerations were discussed, many of which I had managed to include in my designs and so that gave me a lot of confidence that I was along the right lines with my ideas. One idea I liked was 'People 1.0', the theory that we as people have never changed, and so neither has the way we find our way around. It touched on the idea that we use 'safe places' to navigate, and that we need constant reassurance that we are walking in the right direction.

Prototype in situ

This is a very rough first draft showing the sign in its intended environment. I feel the dark slate compliments the natural greens and browns well, and stands out from the sky, while the white text and images are legible. Even in the dark when the slate blends into the night sky, the white would still be slightly visible against it, especially if there is a form of backlight in the construction. If not, it wouldn't matter so much as people would probably not choose to walk the route at night.

Prototype Changes

While waiting for the clients to look over my work, I began to experiment with my design, changing the material of the signs from a brushed steel effect to a slate grey. I did this for several reasons, one just being to give the clients the opportunity to choose the direction I should take in terms of my work, but also for visibility issues. On a sunny day the metal would give off quite a glare, which could prove dangerous when used on the road, while the slate would not be such a hazard.

This is a comparison which I showed the clients, and the white-on-slate design was far more popular as it provides greater clarity as well as less chance of causing an accident. This was the reaction I was hoping for as I was able to proceed with the redesign in that slate style.

It also gave me different ideas in terms of illuminating the sign. Before, I was to have spotlights on the floor in front of the sign providing a soft light but with the change in colour scheme I thought about incorporating the lighting into the structure. One product that uses a similar lighting style is the Apple Macbook, the Apple logo lighting up when the laptop is on, a technique that could be transferred to my signage designs.

 This is the outcome of the redesign of all of the signage elements, and I believe the white on dark grey provides greater clarity and visibility from distance. All of the signs use a tall freestanding structure similar to the Legible London examples (except the interpretation boards) so that they are easily recognisable as part of a set, and the branding adds to this too.


The typography of the signs is also uniform, using Helvetica Light which is kerned to make the text tighter, with different sizes to show the hierarchy of information. Lower case is used to remain in keeping with the logo design, and it provides an equal text layout.


All the icons used on the signs are as simple as possible, with the arrows just being triangles pointing in the certain directions and a basic walking man icon. This is to avoid the confusions that could arise from more pictorial elements.


The traffic signs are slightly different from the pedestrian signs and fingerposts, as I felt it was important for them to be visible from a greater distance and portray the necessary information in a shorter amount of time. It also has to introduce people to the Route to the Hills project and guide people into Malvern so I felt it was important that the brand identity was very strong which is why I chose to use the icon from the logo as the main part of the sign.

Client Presentation

Contemporary Signage

My style of design has always followed the idea that the most simple solution is often the best. Once I received the brief and attended the client meeting it was apparent that they were open to any ideas, and there was a lot of freedom to experiment.

Therefore I decided to look at examples of simple, modern and effective signage designs to inspire my initial thoughts.

Legible London

Legible London

 The Legible London project is an example of a modern wayfinding alternative that has proven to be very effectual, simplifying peoples' journeys through London and providing a uniform signage system.

I like the freestanding structures as they are large enough to display plenty of information and collate it all in one place. Their use of branding and colour makes their signs instantly recognisable, the simple silhouetted man on a yellow background easy to spot. The information is arranged in a clean and uncluttered fashion, using readable modern type with directional arrows and London Underground icons, and maps are also used if a more detailed route plan is required.

Hospital sign

This is another example of a contemporary signage installation, using legible type on a modern construction but I do not think it is as effective as the Legible London solution. The signs look tacky due to the base used and the materials appear cheap, although the information is very clear and eye-catching because of the clarity of white on red.

Museum sign

This is another example of a signage system using white on red, which seems a very effective colour scheme and stands out against the pale background of the wall. The typography seems too narrow for the design, and would not be visible from a distance which is a big drawback for a wayfinding system, and they could make better use of the space available in that respect.

Glass/perspex

 This sign is interesting because of its materials, combining the simple and modern approaches of the other examples with a glass or perspex base. This would be an interesting idea for a signage system like the Route to the Hills project as it wouldn't disrupt the view of the countryside too much.

In terms of the brief, I feel that bright colours would not be suitable for the location. Being a historic and rural town I don't think artificial shades such as neon pink would suit the area, and growing up in the countryside myself I have an insight into what materials complement the landscape the most. To this end, I will concentrate on modern metal or glass styles or more traditional materials such as wrought iron, wood or stone.

I like the size and shape of the Legible London signs, as they are able to give a lot of information without seeming cluttered, as well as the simplicity of the text and icons used and will take these elements forward as I look to my own designs.

Bibliography
Slate (no date). Legible London: Can better signs help people understand an extremely disorienting city? [Online]. Available from: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/signs/2010/03/legible_london.html [Accessed 4th April 2012]
Fitzrovia News (no date). Legible London is heading in the wrong direction, again. [Online]. Available from: http://news.fitzrovia.org.uk/2011/03/09/legible-london-is-heading-in-the-wrong-direction/ [Accessed 4th April 2012]
Arrows and Icons Magazine (no date). Environmental Graphic Design in the City of Trees [Online]. Available from: http://www.arrowsandicons.com/articles/environmental-graphic-design-in-the-city-of-trees/ [Accessed 4th April 2012]
Obsessively Observed (no date). Cartlidge Levene for Bristol Museum [Online]. Available from: http://www.obsessivelyobserved.com/2011/03/cartlidge-levene-for-bristol-museum/ [Accessed 4th April 2012]
Sign Update (no date). Wayfinding - Jan 2010 [Online]. Available from: http://www.signupdate.co.uk/Wayfinding-Jan-2010/ [Accessed 4th April 2012]

Route to the Hills

Major Project Brief: Route to the Hills signage and wayfinding, Malvern.


Clients:
The Route to the Hills Partnership (RTTH), including:

• Malvern Hills District Council
• Malvern Town Council
• Malvern Civic Society
• High Street Malvern
• Great Malvern Priory PCC
• Malvern Hills Conservators

Specifically:

• Manda Graham, Project Manager, Route to the Hills Project
• Dudley Brook, President, Malvern Civic Society
• Bob Tilley, Member, Malvern Civic Society
• Peter Smith, High Street Malvern

Brief: Design and Develop a Hierarchy of 3 Wayfinding Markers and 1 Information Board


'The Route to the Hills Development Plan provides a strategy to improve and enhance the two key areas of public open space in the centre of Great Malvern; Priory Park and Rose Bank Gardens.


In addition, the concept of a “Route to the Hills” linking the town of Great Malvern to the Malvern Hills been developed to strengthen the link between the town and the hills and maximising the economic and social benefits of the project.


One of the key priorities of the RTTH Development Plan is to attract external resources to fund the recommendations of the plan. These resources include the Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) Heritage Grants funding scheme, as well as grants from other appropriate trusts and funding bodies.


The RTTH Project Board has identified a programme of activity which will be delivered
within Stage 1 of the project, which pending successfully attracting external funding, they plan to start in January 2014.'


The town of Malvern has made significant contributions to national and international heritage and is famous for many reasons, including:

• the Malvern hills
• Malvern Priory
• Malvern Theatres
• the Malvern Water Cure
• Morgan Cars
• The composer Edward Elgar's home
• Radar
• many famous visitors, including the novelist J.R.R. Tolkien

There is limited signage or interpretation in the town to highlight key heritage sites or direct the millions of visitors through the town's points of interest and to the hills.

What the Clients are Looking For: The Route to the Hills partnership is looking for innovative but practical prototype ideas to resolve these issues in order to:

• maximise user enjoyment
• increase awareness and orientation
• inform users about the history and geography
• showcase the natural assets of the route
• increase usage
• develop appreciation of the local heritage
• assist the tourist economy.

Key Objectives: The key objective of the directional or interpretation signage is to create 'clear, effective wayfinding signage with an identity for the route, which would encourage or invite the visitor to enjoy the town and other routes'

Wayfinding Format Choices:

3 from:

• Floor marker stone in the pavement
• Wayfinding finger post
• Sign for pedestrians
• Sign for traffic
• Freestanding information point

Information Board Locations:

Choose one of these sites to focus on:

• The Priory Churchyard
• Malvern Theatres
• Gt. Malvern Station

Key Considerations (Wayfinding):

• Clear directional arrows
• Text stating the next point along
• Text stating the distance in metres to the next point along
• Text stating the walking time to the next point along
• A clear numbering system

Key Considerations (Interpretation Boards):

• Size and proportion
• Presentation of information
• Materials considerations
• Reference photographs
• Site map
• Audience

Signage Design

Warning Sign
'Alerting the driver to a nearby nuclear power station'


Jock Kinnier and Margaret Calvert redesigned the entire motorway signage system between 1957 and 1967, and since then it has spread throughout the world due to its popularity and ease of use.


Colour and shape are used to denote the type of sign, while simple black and white pictograms illustrate the specific nature of the sign. Warning signs are triangular with a red border, tourism signs are rectangular and use white on brown and can incorporate an arrow, motorway signs use blue while primary route signs are green, both using directional arrows and a clear sans-serif typeface, Transport.


For this task it was clear that if my design was for a British road then it would need to follow their standard, so it was just the element in the centre of the sign that I had control over. Three images came to mind immediately, the shape of the cooling towers, the radioactivity icon and the atom diagram.

Atom

A simplified atom diagram similar to this would work well as it is very universal, but the lines in the image are very thin and wouldn't be visible from a distance.

Radioactivity

This is a well known symbol denoting radioactivity, but the colours would have to be changed in the sign as they do not comply with Kinnier and Calvert's standard and could cause too much panic.

Springfield Nuclear Power Plant

Due to The Simpsons, the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant is probably the most famous example of a nuclear reactor, and the two chimneys are very recognisable.

My design

My final design incorporates both the chimney shape and the radioactive warning icon set inside the standardised warning sign, which I believe fits the brief well. However, it may suggest that the nuclear reactor is hazardous when it would generally be safe, and so accompanying text declaring 'Nuclear Reactor' may have added to the sign.

'This to That' - Water Rockets poster

From water to powered flight: the process of a water rocket take off and landing.


Following my research I began to start sketching ideas, at first looking for the simplest way to symbolise the rocket and showing its separate components.

Initial ideas

I settled on an angular design, and then looked at page layout. I decided to include a 'You Will Need' box in the top left to show the components and reduce the need to label my diagrams, keeping them as clear and uncluttered as possible.

Draft copy

Once I'd decided on the design I first laid it out on lined paper, which allowed me to ensure that all the elements were the appropriate size to avoid confusion and to add a more professional look.

'You Will Need' box

This is the top corner from the final poster. I used a black and grey palette as I felt that too much colour would overpower the simplicity of the illustrations. Having to label every image would also have overcomplicated the poster, and so I used the 'You Will Need' box to show the equipment and then a diagram showing how the components fit together.

Final outcome

This is the full image, which I believe is simple enough to follow that text is not needed. I was pleased with the final outcome, and I received positive feedback praising the simplicity. One criticism was the layout of the 'You Will Need' box, which seemed to show the water being poured into the pot and so that would be one area to change. The process requires the bottle to be half full of water and so that would be another technical decision to reconsider.

'This to That' - Water Rockets

From water to powered flight: the process of a water rocket take off and landing.


'A common problem faced by information designers is to explain a technically complex process to a lay audience: 

• How do you make a complex subject engaging and interesting to an audience? 
• How do you explain something you may know nothing about yourself? 
• How do you prevent yourself from being bogged down by information?'

The first step was to research the subject area myself, finding credible sources and existing helpful diagrams to give myself a clear idea of what was expected. I had played with similar toys in the past, but wanted to find out the universal design of the experiment. There were a couple of useful diagrams on a NASA site:

These diagrams seem to be aimed at more advanced science enthusiasts, and perhaps don't show enough for a beginner to be inspired to create their own. The first image is useful, but doesn't show the equipment that is needed, just the final layout, while the second shows the stages following the launch. I want my effort to be more helpful for novices and put more emphasis on the correct way to set it up, but also make use of more simplified and less illustrative diagrams.

The BBC show 'Bang Goes the Theory' has a website aimed at inspiring children to learn about science and features explanations of numerous experiments, including the launch of water rockets.

Bang Goes the Theory - Water Rockets

On this page there is a helpful video that explains the whole process, as well as a step-by-step breakdown and a list of equipment needed that is written very simply and is easy to follow. I feel this is a more helpful source of information than the NASA site, but I feel that their diagrams were also useful when collating knowledge from varied sources.

Bibliography

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (no date). Water Rockets [Online]. Available from: http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/rktbot.html [Accessed 16th February 2012] 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (no date). Flight of a Water Rocket [Online]. Available from: http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/rktbflght.html [Accessed 16th February 2012]

BBC (no date). Bang Goes the Theory- Water Bottle Rockets [Online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bang/handson/waterbottlerockets.shtml [Accessed 16th February 2012]

Information Diagrams: Glance Boxes

Glance Boxes


Best suited for:

• Highlighting essential information
• Expressing qualitative relationships

Least suited for:

• Summarise statistical data
• Expressing quantitative information

Answer the questions:

• Who, what and why

Key challenges:

• Simplifying information
• Recognising the need for them

Key techniques:

• Evaluate typography, particularly bold
• Occasionally icons

Example

Drinks can glance box

The glance box on the front of this Fanta can displays important dietary information, presented in a clear and concise manner. Nowadays it is a requirement that all products show what they contain in this way and so often people are looking for it, allowing it to be small as long as it is legible. The white and navy blue contrast well to accentuate the figures, and though it may not be quite as clear as black on white, it also fits into the colourful can design.

Information Diagrams: Diagrams

Diagrams


Diagrams are used to accurately and effectively depict a concept or a set of instructions. They are often characterised by images that combine accuracy with simplicity, often using black and white to avoid the confusion that could arise from delicate rendering, but colour can be used in colour coding to match certain elements. Often there are little or no written instructions to allow as many people as possible to understand the concept and to reduce reproduction costs.

Pen instructions

The instructions are clear and defined, and are universal due to the lack of language used, and there is no confusion created by colour. However, I'm not sure from this image exactly what the diagram is there to represent and so the communication is not strong enough and more information should be provided.

Information Diagrams: Maps

Maps


Best suited for:

• Expressing geographical relationships
• Labelling topics by place

Least suited for:

• Topics for which location or path is insignificant
• Listing specific details

Answer the question:

• Where

Key challenges:

• Simplifying information
• Accurately and predictably depicting geography

Key techniques:

• Visual data metaphors
• Drawing techniques

Examples:

University of Worcester map

This is the map that is supplied by the University for new students to be able to find their way through the premises and accurately depict the locations of the buildings on site. Unfortunately the pictorial form of the map has detracted from its function, creating an attractive image that is not especially useful for its desired task. A map like this would be far more effective as a direct aerial view to show the layout from above, with far more graphical illustrations, rather than this 45 degree view.

'Map' on bus prices leaflet

Although this is not a true map, and takes a playful take on the concept, it uses this in a creative and effective manner. Geographically, the map doesn't not show anything but instead depicts a path, from one location to another. The use of colour is also eye-catching, as is the stylised illustration of the bus, and combines to create an attractive piece of Publication Design even if the map is not useful as a stand-alone diagram.

Information Diagrams: Graphs

Graphs


Best suited for:

• summarising statistical data
• expressing quantitative relationships

Least suited for:

• listing specific data for immediate use
• expressing qualitative relationships

Answer the questions:

• how much
• occasionally what, why and how

Key challenges:

• accuracy and integrity
• finding information

Key techniques:

• visual data metaphors
• evaluate typography, particularly pointer boxes

Examples

Pie chart

Pie charts are a convenient way to publish data in the form of percentages, making comparison very easy between two data sets. In this case the colours used have had a detrimental effect on the chart, as the green and blue are too similar to easily distinguish from a distance.

Recycling bin

Although this is not a true graph as it does not plot one set of data against another, the design is reminiscent of bar charts and I find it an interesting choice to convey the information. It is a very eye-catching piece of design, and is more likely to evoke interest than if the same information were just laid out in a list or table. The use of colour also reinforces the data and makes it more memorable.

Information is Beautiful

Information is Beautiful is David McCandless' site where he utilises Graphic Information Design to visualise confusing or varied data and to accompany news stories.

Hours spent watching television/time taken to create Wikipedia

His work is thought provoking and interesting, as well as being visually attractive, and each piece can stand alone as a piece of design. My favourite article from the website is that visualising the true effects of nuclear warfare, a fear that has been drummed into us for many years, perhaps only loosely based on fact.


http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/how-i-learnt-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb/

'How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'

I like this image as it combines logical and easy to understand information with attractive and simple illustrations, and is much easier to follow than would be the case if the statistics were just recorded numerically.

Bibliography

Information is Beautiful (no date). Visualisations [Online]. Available from: http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/ [Accessed 13th February 2012].

Research: London Underground Map

The original London Underground maps were overlaid onto scale maps of the city. Although there were benefits to this system as it showed exactly where the routes would take you, it wasn’t the most practical design. The close proximity of stations in the centre of London means that it is cramped in the middle of the map, and the rest seems too large.

Harry Beck was an engineering draughtsman at the Signals Office who proposed a new design for the map in 1931. The Underground Group’s draughtsman Fred Stingemore had been finding it increasingly difficult to fit new line and station in geographically, until Beck reworked the map based on diagrams of electrical circuits.

He stated that it was his desire to ‘tidy it up by straightening the lines, experimenting with diagonals and evening out the distances between stations’. The new design proved to be a great success and similar maps are now used for rail services around the world, including the Paris and New York Metros.  

Harry Beck

Original Tube Map

Beck's First Published Design

Bibliography

20^th Century London. (no date) Beck, Henry (Harry) [Online]. Available from: http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/server.php?show=conInformationRecord.67 [Accessed 9^th February 2012]

Make Mass Air. (no date) design:London Underground, maps, geographical and anagrams [Online]. Available from: http://www.makemassair.co.uk/stuff/design-london-underground-maps-geographical-and-anagrams/ [Accessed 9^th February 2012]