ITAP 2: Design Canons by Colette Jeffrey

Today’s lecture by Colette Jeffrey was on the Design Canons in which she talked about her area of expertise that is Information Design more particularly Way-finding. She talked about how important it is to make the way people see and interpret information could be changed by changing the design to make it more appealing. Just because it is a map, for instance, doesn’t mean it has to be something boring.

I was interested in Way-finding design and Information typography. I started finding out how important it is for the designers to create a helpful way to clearly and effectively guide people to their destination wherever it maybe. During her lecture Collette talked about finding information to design signs for a hospital which made me realize the importance of these designers as without the clear and effective sign system we would have great difficulty navigating.

 I looked at some of the example of how way finding system can be made visually interesting while at the same time helping people. This is a design by Alex Peemoeller for the Eureka Tower car park. He has used the method of optical illusion by distorting and elongating the words on the wall which when seen from a perfect angle can be seen to make a sign. It serves as a brilliant and useful implementation to the use of clever graphics as a tool for way finding.  With the very interesting colour scheme the designer has given a new meaning to effective and fun way finding and no way that anyone could lose their way.

Another example that I found in this category was the approach used by Ralston and Bau to design the signage for Storehagen Atrim in Norway. Using visual vocabulary to link the building inspired by railway/metro map signs to create a way finding sign that links the entire building. Looking at these examples I feel that way finding is a possible area of interest as it evolves into a definite art form.

My second area of interest as I mentioned earlier is in Information Typography.  As I was browsing through the internet I happened to come across the use of Arabic text used for way finding designed by Luigi Farrauto. It was something quite different and unique being used as it, giving me an insight into how language and type can be manipulated and used in the most simplest but at the same time unique form.