The art of wayfinding has been utilized for as long as there has been written communication. Ancient cave paintings are known to depict crude maps. For overland travel, cartography and trailblazing have been combined for centuries. In earlier eras, trailblazing many times consisted of marking trees along a trail with hatchet chops. Today this is done in a more ecologically friendly form, using paint or plastic markers.Near my home, Norman Lake State Park uses a combination of signs, maps, and trail-blazing marks to aid in wayfinding. This utilizes many of Passini’s Sign-Posting principles of Information Design, including presenting the right information, where it is needed (Jacobson, 2000, p. 90).
This is evidenced by the placement of a general map, and a detailed insert in the parking lot.
Then at the trailhead there is a clear sign as well as a trailblazing mark. Following the color and shape of the mark leads one down the full trail. Turns are indicated by two marks, the upper being left of the lower if the trail veers to the left, or on the right for trails turning right. These standards in form and presentation greatly aid in both finding the desired path and remaining on that path.
Resources Cited
Jacobson, R. (Ed.). (2000). Information Design. The MIT Press.
Very nice post Tim, throughout this course we have seen much information about wayfinding in malls, parking ramps and cities. Primarily that is the need to not be lost but here in the outdoors we can see how essential it is to prevent people from losing their way. The majority of people are not able to navigate through unfamiliar woodlands making getting lost a safety hazard so kudos to the Norman Lake State Park for vigilantly marking trails and providing maps to keep visitors safe!
ReplyDelete~Sandra Solomon