An investigation of the relationship between typography and audio-based communication in the urban environment, with particular regard to pedestrian wayfinding

This practice-based study explored the relationship between text-based messages and audio-based communication within the contemporary urban environment. Issues relating to signage overload and urban movement were identified at an early stage in this study, and pedestrian wayfinding was then selected as a form of communication that allowed for exploration of all the key issues.

Two practice-based approaches to the research were developed that utilised both analysis and experimentation. Initially informal and then subsequently structured investigations of text and audio-based communications in real environments were conducted. Subsequently structured case studies were undertaken in carefully selected external environments, whence a series of charts and macroscopic drawings were produced facilitating data collection and analysis by the researcher. Analysis of findings indicated that whereas in interior public spaces the combination of text and audio in messages was relatively well established, there were few examples of wayfinding design that employ a combination of text and audio design currently existing within the external environments investigated in the case studies. It was also indicated that signage overload and visual clutter made pedestrian wayfinding problematic in the urban environment. Speculative design proposals investigate possible solutions to these issues. From this practical and theoretical basis guidelines have been derived with a view to supporting practitioners in this new area.

The author of this work has requested that full text of this thesis be unavailable online. It can be consulted in the Library at Chelsea College of Art.