Home Subjects Archives Quotations
Search: Search Tips

wayfinding n. The art and craft of providing signs and symbols that help travelers find their way from place to place.

Example Citations:
This summer, the Grand Central Partnership and 34th Street Partnership have erected 76 'wayfinding' signs, 13 1/2 feet high, pointing the way to the Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, St. Patrick's Cathedral and other much-sought destinations.
—David W. Dunlap, "Street Furniture Designs Stuck in Gridlock," The New York Times

Paul Arthur, 76, a graphic designer who pioneered the international language of pictographs — the language of vision, as he called it. He helped mastermind the PATH system of signs to guide people through the tangled skein of shopping tunnels beneath downtown Toronto, as well as signs at Toronto Zoo, including the big coloured feet painted on the ground. He coined the terms 'signage' and 'wayfinding'.
—"A look back at those who died," The Toronto Star, December 29, 2001

Earliest Citation:
Hospitals often have labyrinthine circulation systems and confusing signage. Add to that the stress and confusion of people visiting the hospital and you have situations where people cannot find their way through buildings.
—"No More Mazes, Research about Design for Wayfinding in hospitals," Progressive Architecture, January 1, 1985

Related Words:
ambient findability
breadcrumbing
contraflow lane

Subject Categories:
Culture - General
Culture - Travel and Tourism

Posted on July 1, 1999 at 10:47 AM
Updated on December 31, 2001 at 10:47 AM


 Recent posts:
  jingle mail
  tuxeda
  boreout
  scuppie
  allergy bullying
  IMBY
  agflation
  mullet strategy
  walkshed
  daughter track
 Alphabetical archives:
  A B C D E F G H I
  J K L M N O P Q R
  S T U V W X Y Z #
 Other links:
Top 100 Words

Recent Words

Recent Quotes

Word Spy, The Book

Word Spy Citations

Feedback

My Favorite Words

My Neologisms

Paul McFedries



Copyright © 1995 - 2008 Paul McFedries and Logophilia Limited