In a scientific study, Michaela Skiles from Middlebury, Vermont has tested, if simplified maps on signs could not only get people to their destination, but also help them to construct a better mental map, which would improve the understanding of the surrounding and help with orientation and navigation in the future. In this guest article, […]
Archive | Wayfinding
Introducing the pictogram font Wayfinding Sans Symbols
Ever since I publicly announced my signage typeface Wayfinding Sans Pro, people kept asking me about pictograms for this type family. So finally, here they are. A full-fledged symbol font family in 4 styles, over 400 symbols and a little bit of clever “OpenType magic” to access and combine the pictograms as easy as possible. […]
Making Sense of Maps
Map designer Aris Venetikidis is fascinated by the maps we draw in our minds as we move around a city – less like street maps, more like schematics or wiring diagrams, abstract images of relationships between places. How can we learn from these mental maps to make better real ones? As a test case, he […]
The Google Maps effect in Adobe Illustrator
The simple and effective way how to automatically merge and outline streets in maps drawn in Adobe Illustrator. Drawing maps is a typical job of graphic designers and pretty much every designers knows how to do it. But not every map looks equally convincing. I always liked this special effect of online mapping services like […]
Download a free demo of Wayfinding Sans
You may have already read about the story behind the Wayfinding Sans typeface on I Love Typography and you might have seen the empirical study that proved its outstanding legibility. But now you can also try the typeface free of charge. Just pay with a tweet or Facebook post. (Alternatively there is also a download for a small nominal […]
Signage of the new Berlin Airport
A while ago I posted a video about the design of the signage system of the new Berlin Airport. I was instantly flooded with emails, stating that the video was filled with wrong claims about who design which part of this complex design system. So I finally took it down at the same day. But […]
99 do’s and don’ts of Wayfinding
The Dutch wayfinding experts from Mijksenaar released an app for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, that collects best practices around signage and wayfinding design. The app contains a set of rules-of-thumb and the content of the app is meant to engage in discussion and understanding for wayfinding amongst professionals, designers and novices. Wayfinding and architecture have more […]