When tackling an information design project, it helps to have a clear process in mind. Just as my previous post characterized a clear wayfinding system as a necessary tool for helping you figure out how to get where you want to go, a clear process map for the design and execution of your project is essential to help you achieve your objective. Having a roadmap of what you need to accomplish and how you plan to do so is key to getting anything done at all. In Signage and Wayfinding Design : A Complete Guide to Creating Environmental Graphic Design Systems, Chris Calori and David Vanden-Eynden have mapped out a clear process that involves the following:
Calori and Vanden-Eynden view the design process as an evolutionary one, moving from generalities to more specific steps, with occasional recursions and loops as necessary to achieve the desired result.
I would add here a step that specifically addresses identifying the intended end user of the design. While that is certainly part of assessing the client’s problem, it is such an important part that it bears setting apart as a crucial step in and of itself.
Let’s say I am tasked with designing the wayfinding system for a new international airport. Following closely with the methods of Calori and Vanden-Eynden, my process would look something like this:
In general, however, my view of the overall process tracks with the one outlined by Calori and Vanden-Eynden.
Works Cited:
Calori, Chris, and David Vanden-Eynden. Signage and Wayfinding Design: A Complete Guide to Creating Environmental Graphic Design Systems. 2nd ed., Wiley, 2015.
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