Davis Centre Wayfinding Project By: Scott Nisbet, Greg Stefan, Phat Ha

Overview Introduction Sample patron walkthrough Methodology Results Preliminary Recommendations

Introduction

Wayfinding Definition Classes of wayfinding Successful wayfinding “User friendly” library Wayfinding at the Davis Centre Library

Wayfinding -- Definition Wayfinding is not signage “the structuring and presentation of information needed to allow people to easily navigate an environment” (Corbin, 2000)

Classes of Wayfinding Naive Search No prior knowledge of the whereabouts of the target Primed search Location of target is known Exploration No target

Developing a Successful Wayfinding System End-user participation in development Design for the first-time visitor Support intuition Be logical and consistent Define destinations thoughtfully Test the system

User Friendly Library Accessible, well-lit building Simple floor plan and stack arrangement Easily identifiable service points Clear, easily understandable directional, informational and instructional signs Friendly, knowledgeable staff Comfortable, ergonomically designed work/study areas Adaptive technologies for users with special needs BOSEMAN (1997)

Davis Centre Library Two floors Division of library [main floor] Abstracts, Book Stacks, References, Government Publications [lower] Periodicals Users

Sample Patron Walkthrough

Existing Problems Similar call number signs. A lot of temporary signs. No standardised guidelines.

Project Objectives Allow patrons to access library facilities and resources more independently. Develop signage standards.

Methodology

Overview of Methods Constraints Literature Search Signage Inventory & Evaluation Preliminary Patron Survey DC Library Patron Survey Development of a New Signage System User Testing Protocol

Constraints ALL projects have constraints! Time Ethics Approval Process Accessibility to library Costs Scope of project

Literature Search Past wayfinding projects Established signage guidelines Human factors principles User testing methods

Signage Inventory Starting point Cataloged all unique signs on main floor Took pictures of each Large (43 signs) database of signs to evaluate

Class Task Given existing and new design for a “STOP” sign. Come up with a method that can be used to evaluate the “effectiveness” of the new and old signs. Must abide by the constraints given to you. 3 minutes.

Class Task – The A Team 1 day to come up with a decision. $100 budget. Must convince your lay (no knowledge of ergonomics, etc…) boss. How would you make a decision; what methods would you use?

Class Task – Team B 1 month to come up with a decision. Unlimited budget. Statistically valid results. How would you make a decision; what methods would you use?

Class Task STOP Old Sign Stop New Sign

Constraints Common SenseExperimental Optimality Practicality Reliability, Validity, etc. Heuristic Evaluation

Heuristics General “rules of thumb” Based on research, previous projects Not meant to replace true experimental designs Points to general direction of investigation

Sample Heuristic Evaluation Stop New Sign Font is too small Letter case issues Colour scheme issues Shape issues Decorative font Cultural inconsistencies BAD DESIGN

Signage Inventory – Sample

Preliminary Library Patron Survey Opportunistic Compiled most frequently asked question

Results

Finding call number was most significant problem Want to replicate findings and investigate call number problem in more detail

DC Patron Survey Asked participants if they difficulty in finding a number of resources Items taken from original survey Methods ORE approval

DC Patron Survey Want to investigate call number problem in more detail Used task analysis Breakdown task into components Create query at each decision point

Task Analysis Which floor is it on? Main FloorLower Floor Which section is it in? Section 1Section 2Section n Which stack is it on? Stack nStack 2Stack 1 Which shelf is it on?

Survey Instructions Please indicate the number of times you experienced difficulty when attempting to find the following items/locations since the start of this term. A zero (0) indicates that you had no problems. Place a check in the Did Not Seek column if you have never sought the item/location in question.

Sample Survey Items Item or Location Number of Instances Did Not Seek a book using a Call Number because you couldn’t find the_________where it was located floor area of the library exact shelf a journal using a Call Number because you couldn’t find the_________where it was located floor area of the library exact shelf washrooms library dictionary

Developing a New Signage System Focus on most prevalent problem Did not have user feedback Survey ongoing Assumptions Finding a book given the call number was the most significant problem Problems finding the section of the library

User Testing To evaluate the effectiveness of the new design Protocol ORE approval

Design Four library books selected Participant had to find book given the call number printout Control group Original signage Experimental group New signage

Participants Sought out students, faculty, and other university members Using many levels of familiarity but focusing on the first-time (inexperienced) patrons

Measurements Time to completion Given printout to holding the book Notes from verbal protocol Think aloud Uncover cognitive processes Investigator Records notes Distance taken to completion Allows the calculation of # of wrong turns

Results

Results Survey is still ongoing. User testing is still ongoing.

Preliminary Recommendations

Online Call Number Locator User finds a call number from Trellis. User clicks on “find call number”. Overhead map pops up indicating location with respect to the computer. Good general navigation tool.

University of Guelph

University of Nebraska

Our Recommendations for an Online Call Number Locator System User finds a call number from Trellis. User clicks on “find call number”. Overhead map pops up indicating location with respect to the computer. Lays down bread crumb trail. Good general navigation tool.

In conclusion… Standard signage coming soon. Implement call number locator system Patron survey still ongoing User testing still ongoing