Way finding and Navigation on Campus

“Without looking at Google Maps, draw how you would get from the main gate to the
workshop.”

or

"Sketch the campus as you remember it."

The drawing doesn't have to be accurate. You're interested in:

 What they remember

 What they forget

 What landmarks they use

 What they think is important

(navigation depends on mental landmarks, not just signs.)

 Which places do you remember first?

 Which buildings confuse you?

 What landmarks do you use?

 Which route do you usually take?

 Where do you hesitate?

 Are there places that all look similar?

A behavior map shows what people actually do in a space.

Students observe users moving through campus and record:

 Walking routes

 Where they stop

 Where they look around

 Where they ask for directions

 Where congestion occurs

  Where people turn back

Unlike interviews, this captures actual behavior rather than reported behavior.

Example

At a campus junction:

Observe for 30 minutes.

Record:

 45 students walked straight.

 18 stopped to check signs.

 12 asked someone for directions.

 8 opened Google Maps.

 15 took the wrong corridor before returning.

This immediately identifies a problematic decision point.

Cognitive Map Behavior Map

Shows what users remember Shows what users actually do

Created through interviews Created through observation

Reveals mental models Reveals movement patterns

Identifies memorable landmarks Identifies confusing locations

Explains perceived navigation Explains real navigation behavior

Combining Them

Suppose a student says in an interview:

"Finding the design workshop is easy."

But during observation:

 They stop twice.

 Check their phone.

 Ask another student.

Their cognitive map shows:

  They remember the workshop only as "the building near the canteen."

This suggests that the user eventually finds the destination, but relies on informal
landmarks and repeated checks rather than clear campus navigation.

Conversely, another student might say:

"The campus is confusing."

Yet observations show they walk directly to every destination. Their cognitive map reveals a
clear understanding of routes but a lack of confidence because buildings have similar names.
This distinction helps students see that perception and behavior do not always match.

A Simple Workflow for Your Students

For a 7-day module, each group could:

1. Observe users at key decision points (behavior mapping).

2. Interview those users immediately afterward.

3. Ask them to draw a cognitive map of the route they just took.

4. Compare:

o What users said

o What users did

o What users remembered

5. Synthesize findings into themes such as:

o Reliance on landmarks instead of signage

o Confusing intersections

o Missing or poorly placed directional signs

o Different navigation strategies for first-time versus regular users

This combination gives students a richer understanding of wayfinding because it triangulates

observed behavior, reported experience, and users' mental models. It's also an excellent
introduction to the principle that no single research method tells the whole story.

This is a common point of confusion in user research. Although the terms are often used
interchangeably, they refer to different aspects of moving through an environment.
Simple Definition

 Wayfinding is the process of deciding where to go.

 Navigation is the process of physically getting there.

Think of it like this:

Wayfinding answers: "Which way should I go?"

Navigation answers: "How do I move along that route?"

Example on a College Campus

A first-year student wants to find the Product Design workshop.

Wayfinding

The student:

 Looks at the campus map.

 Reads directional signs.

 Asks someone for directions.

 Recognizes landmarks like the library or canteen.

 Decides which route to take.

This is about orientation and decision-making.

Navigation

The student:

 Walks along the chosen path.

 Climbs stairs or uses a ramp.

 Crosses courtyards.

 Opens doors.

 Avoids crowds or construction.

 Reaches the workshop.

This is about moving through the environment.

Comparison
Wayfinding Navigation

Deciding where to go Moving along the chosen route

Cognitive process Physical process

Finding directions Following directions

Influenced by maps, signs, landmarks Influenced by paths, obstacles, accessibility

"Where am I?" "Can I get there?"

"Which way should I take?" "Is the route comfortable and usable?"

Questions for User Research

Wayfinding Questions

 How do you usually find a new classroom?

 Which landmarks do you remember?

 Which locations are confusing?

 Where do you usually ask for help?

 Are campus signs easy to understand?

 Do you use a map or an app?

These questions explore mental models and decision-making.

Navigation Questions

 Is the path easy to walk?

 Are there obstacles?

 Is the route crowded?

 Are stairs or ramps convenient?

 How long does the journey take?

 Do you avoid certain routes?

These questions explore movement and physical experience.

In Design Terms

Wayfinding is concerned with:

  Signage

 Maps

 Landmarks

 Naming of buildings

 Information hierarchy

 Orientation

Navigation is concerned with:

 Walkways

 Ramps and stairs

 Surface quality

 Lighting

 Accessibility

 Safety

 Physical flow

A Helpful Analogy

Imagine you're driving to a restaurant in a new city.

Wayfinding is knowing:

 Which road to take

 Which exit to use

 Whether you've reached the right neighborhood

Navigation is actually driving:

 Steering the car

 Negotiating traffic

 Turning at intersections

 Parking

You can have excellent navigation but poor wayfinding (smooth roads but confusing signs),
or excellent wayfinding but poor navigation (clear directions but broken sidewalks or
inaccessible paths).
For Your User Research Course

For second-year Product Design students, it's valuable to present these as interconnected
but distinct layers of the user experience:

1. Wayfinding – Can users figure out where they need to go?

2. Navigation – Can users travel there easily, safely, and comfortably?

3. Arrival – Can users recognize that they've reached the correct destination and
begin their intended activity?

This distinction helps students see that improving a campus experience may require changes
to information design (wayfinding), the built environment (navigation), or both.

Yes, Google Maps is primarily a navigation tool, but it also supports wayfinding. This makes
it a good example of how the two concepts overlap.

Here's how it fits:

As a Wayfinding Tool

Google Maps helps you:

 Determine where you are.

 Search for a destination.

 Choose between alternative routes.

 Understand the overall layout of an area.

These are all wayfinding tasks because they help you orient yourself and decide where to
go.

As a Navigation Tool

Once you've chosen a route, Google Maps:

 Provides turn-by-turn directions.

 Tells you when to turn left or right.

 Re-routes if you take a wrong turn.

 Estimates travel time.

 Gives voice guidance while you're moving.

These are navigation functions because they help you follow the chosen route.
An Analogy

Think of going to a hospital you've never visited.

Wayfinding

 You find the hospital's location on Google Maps.

 You decide which entrance to use.

 Once inside, you look for signs to "Radiology."

Navigation

 Google Maps guides you to the hospital entrance.

 Inside the building, you physically walk through corridors, use elevators, and follow
signs to reach Radiology.

Notice that Google Maps usually stops being useful once you're inside the building. Indoor
wayfinding often depends on signage, floor maps, landmarks, or dedicated indoor navigation
systems.

A Good Way to Explain It to Design Students

You can use this distinction:

Wayfinding is about making decisions. Navigation is about executing those decisions.

Or even more simply:

 Wayfinding: "Where should I go?"

 Navigation: "How do I get there?"

Google Maps supports both:

 It helps you decide on a route (wayfinding).

 It helps you follow that route (navigation).

This is why many digital products don't fit neatly into one category—they often combine
wayfinding and navigation into a single user experience.

It also has different user groups:

 First-year students

 Senior students

 Faculty
  Visitors

 Parents

 Administrative staff

 Delivery personnel

This diversity helps students appreciate that different users have different needs and
mental models.

Lynch Element What to Study

Paths Common walking routes, shortcuts, accessibility

Edges Walls, barriers, transitions between spaces

Districts Identity of different campus zones

Nodes Busy intersections, entrances, waiting areas

Landmarks Features people use for orientation

A good user interview distinguishes between wayfinding (orientation and decision-

making) and navigation (moving through the environment). While they overlap, asking
separate questions helps students collect richer data.

Part 1: Wayfinding Questions

Goal: Understand how users know where to go and make route decisions.

Orientation

 When you first came to this campus, how did you find your way around?

 Do you usually know where you are on campus?

 Are there places where you often feel unsure of your location?

 Which areas are easiest to identify? Why?

Finding Destinations

 Suppose you need to find a classroom you've never visited. What would you do first?

 Do you rely on signs, maps, people, or your phone?

  How often do you ask someone for directions?

 Have you ever gone to the wrong building? What happened?

Landmarks

 What landmarks help you find your way?

 Are there places everyone refers to instead of building names?

 Which building is the easiest to recognize?

 Which buildings look too similar?

Signage

 Do you notice campus signs?

 Are they easy to understand?

 Are there places where more signs are needed?

 Are building names visible from a distance?

Mental Model

 If a new student asked you for directions, how would you explain the route?

 Can you sketch how to get from the main gate to your classroom?

Part 2: Navigation Questions

Goal: Understand the physical experience of moving through campus.

Walking Experience

 Which route do you usually take?

 Why do you prefer that route?

 Are there routes you avoid? Why?

Obstacles

 Are there places where movement is difficult?

 Do crowds affect your choice of route?

 Are there bottlenecks during peak hours?

 Are there uneven surfaces, stairs, or other obstacles?

Comfort
  Is the route comfortable in hot weather or rain?

 Are there enough shaded areas or places to rest?

 Is the route well lit at night?

 Do you feel safe walking across campus?

Accessibility

 How easy would this route be for someone using crutches or carrying heavy
equipment?

 Are ramps, elevators, or wide pathways available where needed?

 Have you noticed any physical barriers that might make movement difficult for some
users?

Time

 How long does it usually take to reach your destination?

 Does the actual route feel longer than expected?

 Do you ever take shortcuts? Why?

Part 3: Experience Questions

These connect wayfinding and navigation.

 Tell me about the last time you got lost on campus.

 What was the most confusing part?

 What helped you recover?

 How did you feel during the experience?

 If you could change one thing about getting around campus, what would it be?

These questions often reveal emotions such as frustration, confidence, anxiety, or relief.

Contextual Interview Activity

Rather than interviewing users while seated, have students conduct a walk-along interview.

For example:
"Could you show me how you would walk from the library to the Product Design studio?
As you walk, please describe what you're thinking and how you decide where to go."

During the walk, students should note:

 Where the participant hesitates.

 When they look for signs.

 Which landmarks they mention.

 Whether they check their phone.

 Whether they ask someone for help.

 Where they slow down or stop.

This combines observation with interviewing and often uncovers behaviors users forget to
mention afterward.

Teaching Students the Difference

A simple way to remember the distinction is:

Wayfinding Navigation

"How do I know where to go?" "How do I physically get there?"

Signs Paths

Maps Walkways

Landmarks Obstacles

Decision making Movement

Orientation Travel

A Useful Classroom Tip

Ask students to organize every interview question under one of three headings:

1. Orientation – Can I figure out where I am and where I need to go? (Wayfinding)

2. Movement – Can I physically travel there comfortably and efficiently? (Navigation)

3. Experience – How did the journey make me feel, and what made it easy or difficult?

This structure encourages students to go beyond identifying problems and helps them
understand the cognitive, physical, and emotional aspects of moving through a campus.
Campus wayfinding is one of the best projects for teaching students how to move from
observation → insight → design opportunity. The key is to remind students that the
objective is not to redesign the campus, but to understand how people experience finding
and moving through it.

Below are examples of the kinds of insights they might uncover.

Theme 1: Orientation

Observations

 New students stop frequently to look around.

 Visitors ask security guards for directions.

 People check their phones before entering buildings.

Insight

Users need reassurance that they are on the correct route, not just directions at the start of
the journey.

HMW

 How might we reassure users that they are heading in the right direction?

 How might we reduce uncertainty throughout the journey?

Theme 2: Signage

Observations

 Signs are present but often overlooked.

 Some signs face the wrong direction.

 Building names are difficult to see from a distance.

Insight

Wayfinding depends not only on the presence of signage but also on when and where users
need information.

HMW

 How might we provide information at key decision points?

 How might we make important signs more noticeable?

Theme 3: Landmarks

Observations

 Students say, "Turn left at the canteen."

 Few people refer to building numbers.

Insight

Users naturally navigate using memorable landmarks rather than formal building names.

HMW

 How might we incorporate familiar landmarks into the wayfinding experience?

 How might we make destinations easier to recognize?

Theme 4: Decision Points (Nodes)

Observations

 People hesitate at major intersections.

 Many choose the wrong corridor before turning back.

Insight

Users experience the greatest uncertainty at decision points rather than along the route
itself.

HMW

 How might we support confident decisions at intersections?

 How might we reduce hesitation at route choices?

Theme 5: Mental Models

Observations

 Different users draw different cognitive maps.

 First-year students organize the campus differently from seniors.

Insight

Mental models evolve with familiarity; first-time visitors rely on different cues than
experienced users.
HMW

 How might we support first-time users without affecting experienced users?

 How might we help users build a clearer mental model of the campus?

Theme 6: Navigation Behaviour

Observations

 Students consistently take shortcuts across lawns.

 Formal pathways are ignored.

Insight

Users prioritize convenience over intended circulation routes.

HMW

 How might we support the routes users naturally prefer?

 How might we understand why unofficial paths are attractive?

Theme 7: Accessibility

Observations

 Some routes involve unnecessary stairs.

 Ramps require long detours.

Insight

The shortest route is not always the most accessible route.

HMW

 How might we help users identify routes that best suit their needs?

 How might we improve the experience of navigating with different mobility

requirements?

Theme 8: Information Sources

Observations

 Students ask classmates before reading signs.

  Visitors rely on security staff.

Insight

People often prefer human assistance when they lack confidence in available information.

HMW

 How might we reduce dependence on verbal directions?

 How might we make information easier to trust and understand?

Theme 9: Emotional Experience

Observations

 New students appear anxious.

 Visitors become frustrated after taking wrong turns.

Insight

Getting lost affects users emotionally as well as functionally.

HMW

 How might we create a more reassuring navigation experience?

 How might we reduce stress for first-time visitors?

Theme 10: Time Pressure

Observations

 Students hurry between classes.

 Many choose familiar routes, even if they are longer.

Insight

Under time pressure, users prioritize certainty over efficiency.

HMW

 How might we help users make confident route choices when time is limited?

 How might we reduce uncertainty during short class breaks?

Example Progression
Observation Insight HMW

Key decision points create

Students ask for directions How might we support users
uncertainty even when users
near the library entrance. at important decision points?
know their destination.

Most users refer to "the Landmarks are more How might we incorporate
canteen" instead of the memorable than formal landmarks into campus
official building name. identifiers. navigation?

Users seek repeated How might we provide

Visitors stop several times to
reassurance during unfamiliar reassurance throughout the
check their phones.
journeys. route?

How might we better

Students walk across lawns Natural movement patterns
understand and support
instead of using paved paths. differ from planned circulation.
users' preferred routes?

Users hesitate before How might we make

Building identities are not
entering similar-looking destinations easier to
sufficiently distinct.
buildings. recognize?

Learning Outcomes for Students

This project is especially effective because it teaches several fundamental principles of user
research:

 People navigate using mental models, not just maps.

 Context matters—first-time visitors, regular students, and staff experience the same
campus differently.

 Behavior can differ from what people say—someone may claim they know the route
but still stop to check signs.

 Design opportunities often arise from reducing uncertainty rather than adding
more information.

A Valuable Classroom Exercise

At the end of the project, ask each group to categorize every insight under one of these
three headings:

1. Information

Problems with finding or understanding information.

 Missing signs
  Poor visibility

 Confusing terminology

2. Environment

Problems with the physical setting.

 Similar-looking buildings

 Poor lighting

 Obstructed paths

 Inaccessible routes

3. User Behaviour

Patterns in how people navigate.

 Reliance on landmarks

 Asking others for directions

 Choosing familiar routes

 Avoiding certain areas

This encourages students to see that wayfinding is influenced by the interaction between
users, information, and the environment. It also helps them generate more focused HMW
statements and prepares them for systems thinking, where they will later analyze how
multiple factors contribute to a single user experience.