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Inclusive Wayfinding Toolkit
Tools and recommendations to design and implement effective wayfinding systems for walking, wheeling and cycling that can be used by everyone.
Purpose
The toolkit addresses people’s
barriers to active travel
Many people are hesitant and unsure about walking, wheeling or cycling journeys. The toolkit directly tackles this uncertainty. It aims to dramatically increase the amount of active travel throughout the UK. The toolkit will do this by establishing a set of core principles, and designing a system that is tested with a wide range of people. It establishes a scalable system that can inform and empower local authorities to implement effective information for every pathway in the country.
Designing for a wide range of people
Active travel is for everyone. Enthusiasts, disabled, families, children and older people. It means designing environments that work for a wide range of abilities and levels of awareness.
Changing behaviour
Fostering a culture of respectful and safe behaviour for everyone on our roads and paths. Achieved by setting behavioural expectations, and providing reminders, campaigns, and education of the Highway Code.
Increasing awareness
Communicating information about local destinations and opportunities to be more active. Enabling everyone, especially older and disabled people, to be more confident to walk, wheel or cycle.
How does it work?
A national system of directions
and behaviour
Designed to empower Local Authorities to implement a standardised and scalable wayfinding system. That encourages the public to engage in active travel activities.
Methodology
Research and evidence based
The inclusive wayfinding toolkit is based on findings from multiple streams of research. They were used to collect insights which fed into the design and development of the toolkit.
Desktop research
Research on the needs & barriers of older people within active travel, existing guidance and risks related to active travel in the UK.
On-street testing
Older people captured perceptions of active travel and measured public understanding of signage and information systems related to active travel.
Surveys
Explored people’s understanding of the Highway Code, and their perceptions of active travel behaviour. This included mental map analysis
First-hand observations
20 cycling journeys of around 30 minutes in duration were filmed by five different cyclists that showed in-situ cyclist behaviour.
User engagements sessions
Older people were organised where they shared their experiences with active travel and how information could help motivate them to walk/wheel/cycle more.
Focus group sessions
Strategic elements of active travel with representatives and heads of local authorities and relevant active travel organisations.
Application
Focusing on interaction and relationships between users of different modes
The toolkit includes a range of typical scenarios in which the standards and guidance set out in the Toolkit is applied to typical situations. They describe applications to the most common scenarios, which by their very nature are those that practitioners will recognise in their day to day evaluations.
Design consistency
Ensuring that signage and wayfinding elements are uniform across different scenarios for ease of recognition and understanding.
User-centric
Focusing on the needs and behaviours of different users – pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists – in each scenario.
Safety and accessibility
Prioritising features that enhance safety for all users, especially those with disabilities.
Future
Trial, test and improve
The current UK Road System is run by DFT and Local Authorities have very little guidance on how to implement wayfinding for non-road users. This is a prototype for a National approach to directions, awareness and behaviour for these non-vehicular road and path users.
If you want to work with the Toolkit, if you are a local or combined Authority or large landowner, Business Improvement District or a place manager, then please contact us.
Collaboration
The plan is to work with a number of willing local and combined authorities to pilot the concepts and plans outlined in this Toolkit.
prototypes, proposals and suggestions
The aim is to use logic, of what works and how predictability can be achieved, without needing to alter the current Road System.
Applied Information Group
Applied are spatial experience designers.
We make complex places legible
Applied is a global design practice at the forefront of the field of physical UX. We help people avoid getting lost. Our passion is to help people move through busy places easily, productively and with certainty.
Legible London
The birth of modern city wayfinding
Princeton University
Creating a welcoming experience for everyone
Waltham Forest: Mini-Holland
Getting more people to walk and cycle locally
Download the Toolkit
Tools and recommendations to design and implement effective wayfinding systems for walking, wheeling and cycling that can be used by everyone.