Final: Fine Arts Library(FAL) Wayfinding System

This was a collaborative project with my design classmates Ryan Willis, Hunter Thomas, and Laura Janisch where the goal was to create a unified wayfinding system for the Fine Arts Library at the University of Texas.The system that we developed is precise, intuitive, and would serve both the user who is searching for a specific book and the one who is just simply browsing. The design approach was to use clean typography, bright color coding, unique architectural elements, and key placement for informational directories. Overall, with the implementation of our design, the library was to become brighter, clutter-free, and user-friendly.

Contribution: Fine Arts Library(FAL) Wayfinding System

As a team player, I participated in all processes of this project from research to presentation. Most of my interest, however, was in gathering and sorting the information, finding a solution to breaking the monotony of the second and third floors, and transforming book-finding into a focused endeavor.

Process: Fine Arts Library (FAL) Wayfinding System:

The institution that prides itself on having unique music, art, and literary collections was found in dim light, with missing pieces from the main directory and a disarray of signs and labels throughout. The sight was unexpected every time one visited the library, and our team's goal was to redesign its wayfinding system in such a way so that the user experiences the library in a much more professional manner.

We began by recording the signage within the library and labeling it as directional or instructional, as well as identifying its placement on all three floors. That allowed us to understand which signs reoccurred on each floor and which were specific to the site. For all three floors, we designed icons that would identify such essential items as bathrooms, elevators, exit stairs, and computer stations.

Additional icons were created for the information center and copy machines on the first floor of the library. All icons were designed to be used both on the maps and as signs, hanging from the ceiling for better visibility. On the second and third floors, we proposed adding colored panels to the sides of the book stacks. The panels would be color-coded based on the broad subjects and also correspond with the directory map.

In addition, the panels would have text explaining which specific subjects each stack holds. The colorful panels would bring an element of playfulness to the library while the added text would invite merely browsing users to explore the stack's contents. The stacks' call number-signs were also redesigned for maximum legibility, placing and increasing the main portion of the number on the outside of the panel. The existing columns of the first floor were repurposed into labeling signage for studying/research facilities and could also be used as reference points since they were visible from the second and third floor balconies.

An additional translucent structure for the directory would greet library users on the left side of the entrance in close proximity to the stairs and on each floor. The directory would also be inserted in existing cases by the elevators.