WAYFINDING - Evaluation

I believe my approach to the brief has been successful due to the variety of ideas I had explored before I got to my final design, as well as in the way I had allowed my research to influence and shape my outcomes. I think ‘The Ordinance Survey’ has especially benefited my project, as it became the basis behind a few of my design decisions. And although this is the case, I believe that I managed to not make the influence too evident and keep a certain uniqueness to the wayfinding system nevertheless. I feel as if my wayfinding system shows how objectivity and subjectivity can work together to create both a factual and straighforward, as well as an interesting and personal system. My wayfinding sytem meets all the client needs and requirements from the rationale I had written at the start, but it does so with a certain abstractness to it’s design. Because of this, I think the boundry between objectivity and subjectivity is very thin, and can easily be challenged and played around with. 

Although my wayfinding system is already partly subjective, I believe that it could have been pushed to be even more so. During my initial design process, I had very briefly explored applying a series of different line patterns to my skylines. According to my crit and peer feedback, these designs were a missed opportunity. Looking back at it now, I agree because what is most interesting about these design is that they manage to maintain the structure of the orginal skyline, and the shapes of the buildings are still easily recognisable, yet the line pattern is almost chaotic. If I had explored this idea further I could have created a wayfinding sytem that challenged objectivity within wayfinding systems even more. 

Critiquing my peers’ work informed my own practice, through the feedback I was giving them, I was able to stumble upon ideas and techniques that I could apply within my own project. One of these was a suggestion to someone to use spray paint for their wayfinding system, and at the time I was stuck on what materials I should use of for my production methods. The purpose of using spray paint for my peer was completely different to mine, yet the same method proved to be appropriate for both. This showed me that a material is not limited to it’s typical cultural and social associations, and can be adapted to fit a different context as long as it is supported by siutable evidence.

Overall I feel confident in the outcome of this brief. Even though there were some missed opportunities and areas that could have used more technical skill, the final design still looks well-designed and meets all the intentions set within the rationale.