Ralf Herrmann’s Typography Weblog

Wayfinding observations: Separation slows down perception

Posted on 14. Feb, 2010 by Ralf Herrmann.

Wayfinding signs can have various shapes and layouts. For example, German road signs fall in one of those four categories:

left: compact direction sign, right: compact table sign

left: partly-separated table sign, right: separated table sign

The amount of separation increased on these sign types. On the first sign, all targets are presented together, on the last sign, every  target has its own sign. But which one is most effective? On which sign can we find our target as fast as possible and without making mistakes? [...]

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Call for Papers: Wayfinding and Legibility

Posted on 07. Jan, 2010 by Ralf Herrmann.

The next issue of my design magazine TypoJournal will focus on wayfinding, signage, reading and legibility. If you know or if you are working on interesting projects, articles, pictures, books, … that deal with these topics please contact me or leave a comment to this blog entry.

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Wayfinding observations: Landmarks and cardinal directions

Posted on 13. Sep, 2009 by Ralf Herrmann.

When we come to a new city we build a cognitve map to represent this city in our minds. Unless you have photographic memory such cognitve maps work differently from topographic maps. They don’t consist of exact representations and distances, but are driven by landmarks and the paths that connect them. A landmark can be anything that clearly stands out from its environment, like a tower or a church. But one of the most important landmarks are rivers that divide a city. London is divided by the Thames, Paris by the Seine and Vienna by the Danube.

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Designing the ultimate wayfinding typeface

Posted on 02. Sep, 2009 by Ralf Herrmann.

Over the last couple of years I have researched the design and use of typefaces used for signage, especially road signage.

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