OUGD405 - Study Task 2: Olympics Pictograms

Pictograms are designed with the main intention of being universally recognised and understood regardless of language barriers. Therefore the olympic games pictograms are perfect examples of how symbols and shapes can be used to express meanings universally. 

Mexico City 1968 utilise an alternative approach of using symbols rather than figures to represent the sporting events. This approach limits some of the sports such as fencing as some sports are harder to display than other sports using purely objects. The difference in colours and line weight also creates some inconsistency amongst the symbols.

The Munich 1972 Olympics revolutionised the way symbols for way findings were designed. These were developed by Otl Aicher.

'The pictograms present schematic silhouettes in typical sports poses. A system of graphic and geometric rules standardise the design of the symbols. A checkered grid acts as the reference for their development and design. The lines of the pictograms are constructed based on angles of 45° or 90°. The silhouettes are produced with a limited number of body parts: the head, trunk and limbs. These are formed by a line of constant thickness.'

The style of these designs and the thought and development behind the grid system acted as a milestone in terms of pictogram design for both the olympics as well as in general. The way some sports are represented, such as modern pentathlon or sailing, influenced the sets of pictograms for later editions.

Barcelona 1992's pictograms are reminiscent of calligraphy and traditional Japanese writing, similar to kanji, where shapes of objects influenced the shape of the words and letters. In this design only the head legs arms and equipment is represented, allowing the eye to suggest where the trunk of the body would be. A lot more emphasis is given to the artistic style rather than the readability of the symbol.

Atlanta 1996's wayfinding is a lot more anatomically correct with almost complete figures shown with a lot of details with defined muscle and striking silhouettes. The drawings are a lot more reminiscent of traditional drawings rather than symbols, and they are extremely translatable and easy to understand. The figures were inspired by those found on Ancient Greek amphorae, drawing links with he heritage of the first olympic games.

The pictogram silhouettes for the 2000 Sydney Olympic games are cleverly made up of boomerangs, generally one for the legs and two small ones for the arms. The use of boomerangs, traditional hunting tools, pays homage to Australian Aboriginal culture. The pictogram style aims to be dynamic to recall the speed and agility of the athlete. The grainy quality the pictograms are also reminiscent of aboriginal art.

The Athens 2004 pictograms were inspired by Ancient Greece. Their plain and uncluttered shapes and simple layouts make reference to Cycladic figurines. The silhouette of the athlete and the fine strokes which define the details recall the black-figure vases of Ancient Greece. Finally, the fragments of ancient vases served as inspiration for the irregular shape of the pictogram frames. 

The London 2012 olympics combines abstact lines with a more accurate representation of the human form. The pictograms were created with two distinct formats: a “silhouette” version designed for standard use and a “dynamic” which was inspired by the London Underground map and incorporated lines which extend outward from the figures. The pictograms were designed for a variety of uses, including digital and 3D applications.

I decided to base my pictogram on the sport of beach volleyball as it is one of the newer sports at the Olympics being introduced in 1996. 

Before I started my sketches i looked into the forms of people who played beach volleyball and the interesting movements which they made. 

I then sketched out all the the volleyball symbols that had been used over the years for previous Olympic Games so I could compare and contrast the poses. The pictograms for volleyball have been varied and altered a lot over the years as there are a lot of striking poses you can illustrate that still capture the essence and movement of volleyball. 

I sketched out a variety of poses that could illustrate the sport but found some more dynamic and energetic than others. 

I then sketched my designs onto the grid designed by Otl Aicher for the Munich 1972 Olympic Games. For each form I drew a few different variations in different styles and line weights. 

The first action pose I tried to recreate was inspired by this photograph below.

Using simplified shapes allowed the design to be easily translated across all other areas of sport.

I added detail to the ball to further signify the sport that this pictogram was representing.

I made the head slightly off centre of the dip in the next to further enhance the movement and added sand flying from the foot to show that it was beach volley ball. The design effectively communicates the sport as it illustrates the equipment used by adding detail to the ball and clearly defines the sand and movement as belonging to volleyball. 

I then experimented with some of  the other forms I had drawn to play around with shape and style in illustrator. 

This is the symbol I decided to run with for my final design.

I played around with the colour and the composition for use within a shape, here with the edge of the ball leaving the outside of the shape.  

However I decided it was clearer to understand from a distance if the whole ball was contained within the pictogram as ultimately it is legibility and how easily the pictogram translates that is important.

Warm colours like orange yellow and ochre reflect the colour of the sand on which beach volley ball is played.

The final design effectively communicates the sport of beach volleyball through its use of colour and form. The simplistic shapes used allow it to be legible from a longer distance and on smaller scales.

As an added experiment I tried incorporating some sand in the pictogram to enhance the design's interpretation as beach volleyball however it wouldn't be visible on a smaller scale or from further away so I don't know how effective this is to the overall design.

OUGD405 - Study Task 1: Wayfinding Research

For our first study task for this studio brief we had to go into Leeds city centre and record examples of way finding around various establishments and analyse the colours, typography, signage and pictograms used to display information to the public. I visited a few locations in Leeds and tried to analyse the effectiveness of the environments. I thought that some of the wayfinding systems were very successful, whilst others could do with a few improvements.

The first place I studied was the Trinity shopping Centre. In the heart of the city centre, Trinity is the largest shopping centre in Leeds, boasting an impressive range of 120 shops, restaurants and bars swell as a stylish cinema. Trinity's target audience ranges from teenagers to senior citizens, therefore a key factor of Trinity's way finding system is that it can be clearly understood by everyone. Considering this it was my initial thought that Trinity's environment would be extremely well designed and easy to navigate, however investigating this further I came to realise there were a few improvements that could be drawn upon.

I began by looking at the wall and ceiling signs dotted about the centre, highlighting the directions of important locations like the toilets and the lifts. The signage moulded to the colour palette of that individual floor, resulting in 3 different colour schemes over the 3 floors.

All these signs however used both upper and lowercase letterforms in a sans serif font and italics in phrases like 'way out to' and 'life to', which is proven to help the writing be more legible from a distance. Bing 3D and sticking out from the wall/hanging down from the ceiling allowed the signs to be seen over the crowded walk ways and ensures the flow of foot traffic kept moving so the walkways didn't become saturated with people stopping to look for directions. In this instance using black text on a yellow background created a good contrast, increasing legibility, however the floor above used a light blue colour which wasn't at all eye-catching from a distance. All of these type of signs are made from glass, metal and neon lighting to tie in with the aesthetic of the buildings bright modern architecture, aswell as shop up clearer in low lighting. 

I did feel the overall design of these signs was poor, as for me, reading them from a distance was quite challenging. The scale of the sign itself was not an issue however the scale of the pictograms and some of the text within the sign was too small to recognise from afar. Another issue I have with the design of these signs was that to more elderly customers, having the signs so high up may cause difficulty when it comes to reading the information on them, especially if their eyesight is poor. This is not effective for the navigational system in a popular and busy shopping centre. 

Pictograms and Typography should be at a scale that is easy to see and understand by everyone of all ages and from a suitable distance. Therefore scale is something that I must take into close consideration for my own way finding system. 

Trinity also uses a series of maps as another aspect of it's navigational system. These signs are dotted around the building on each floor and map the 3 different floors, establishing where each individual shop is in in the building. Similar looking signs simply list the general features of the building such as toilets, bars and restaurants and explain which floor they are on through the use of pictograms and typography. 

The more detailed map is fairly complicated and takes a while to get your head around. It lists every shop according to category rather than alphabetically which I find more confusing, therefore finding shops is not instantly easy for the user. A more legible way to display this information could perhaps be through the use of an interactive screen or by displaying the map on a larger board. 

The guide that uses pictograms and type to display the building's information is much more consise, listing the information for each floor and splitting the centre into sections. The two designs work well together as users are given the options of both a detailed map and a basic overview of Trinity. Yet as two separate pieces, the more detailed map could be improved. 

Floorplans can be a crucial point of many way finding systems, allowing visitors to gain their brings by placing themselves on the map and enabling them to see where other shops are on in the building. I will be sure to look for other examples of floorpans and potentially incorporate them in my own way finding system. 

Next I studied the signage used for way finding around Leeds Art Gallery. Situated in the city centre, on the headrow, the Gallery is one of Leeds most popular tourist destinations, attracting thousands of visitors every year including many international tourists. For this reason their way finding system has to be clear and extremely easy to navigate and understand as to avoid potential language barriers. 

The Gallery uses a very different approach to guiding their visitors safely through the building. Vinyl stickers and simple plaques are subtly positioned around the building, sticking to a minimal and uncluttered black and white colour scheme. 

Simple arrows made from 1 bent line are used to guide the way, optimising the visitors viewing experience of the gallery and allowing them to safely manoeuvre themselves between different exhibitions. The typography used on the signs is clean, clear and minimalistic, again using a sans serif font in both upper and lower case. 

The exhibition titles are written in orange, the colour of communication. It also acts as a nice bright accent colour against the other black and white writing. I asked the lady at the information desk whether she could tell me about the bespoke typeface used for the Exhibition title however unfortunately she couldn't give me a definitive answer. She was helpful however in suggesting a few things the typeface could represent such as looking at things from an alternative perspective, or how it could represent sculptures and instillations that stand out and aren't just 2D. 

You can see the bespoke typeface up-close here in black. Below gives an example of how a variety of different materials were used yet remain minimalistic and uncluttered such as in this glass sign for the librbay and lift. Here you can also see examples of a pictogram which is different to the one used for the lift in the trinity centre. 

All the rooms were numbered with these same metal numbers next to the entrances. The slight serifs used on the numbers increase legibility from a distance and also makes the typeface look more bespoke and interesting.

Below is another example of the materials used in the Gallery for way finding. This is an example of a temporary stand that could be portable. The signage is designed for the use of anyone from teens to seniors, so it is crucial that it is legible for a range of ages. The way finding routes are clean and minimalistic, seamlessly blending into the background of the gallery but easy to spot when you need them, allowing the public to focus on the art while the signage can remain tucked away quietly in the background. 

The floor-plan in the art gallery is clear and easy to understand as it's laid out in a 3Dimensional format making it easier for the visitor to 'place' themselves on the map. This is a different approach to the one used in the trinity centre who use a 2Dimensional floor plan on their maps. Legibility and understanding may be improved if there was a 'you are here' arrow on the map to allow visitors to get their bearings. Colour coding on the floor plan also assists to help the viewer. 

Overall the way finding in the art Gallery is successful as it subtly guides visitors around the centre without distracting from the artwork in the gallery.

I then briefly explored the way finding used by the Henry Moore Institute. One of the first things I discovered was a wheelchair access pictogram outside the front door engraved into metal. This plaque uses a serif typeface which is much harder to read once the metal gets chipped and scratched like it has in this situation. The engraved metal sign adds an air of sophistication to the way-finding system and compliments the materials used for the architecture of the building, however being made of metal, it doesn't catch the visitors attention and from a distance this sign would be pretty much impossible to read. 

This is the floor plan/signage system used on the inside. Again a serif typeface is used which becomes a lot less legible on a smaller scale. The grayscale colour palette ties in with the atmosphere and style of the building however it doesn't do a great job of defining between the different floors. The step symbols between add a quirky element to the floorplan and successfully show the layout of the building, enhancing the public's experience and illustrating how visitors can manoeuvre the building. 

Another way finding system I studied was the Leeds College of Art & Design - the place I study. This was by far one of the most badly designed way finding systems I came across. There were a variety of different coloured signs throughout the building all using different scales, media and typography making it extremely inconsistent. 

The college uses a mainly charcoal grey and white colour scheme for the signage around the building, allowing a high contrast so letters can be read easily. This colour scheme also compliments the bright colours used on the building's doors and light fittings, allowing it to blend in with the college's interiors. 

The scale of typography on the signs is large enough for people to read from a distance, and using a sans serif typeface in both upper and lower case further increases legibility.

Medium sized pictograms are used for the toilets, stairs, lifts and fire exits, which are easy to spot from a distance. 

The signing starts to become inconsistent in some places when highlighting the way to certain features of the building such as the lecture theatre. Some signs use multicolours and different shaped arrows to show the way. 

The signs are designed to guide students and visitors over 18 around the building safely and quickly. The designs are easy to understand and read yet overall the buildings way finding could be more consistent and uniform by using the same coloured navigational system throughout. Some rooms are also difficult to find using this navigational system, it could be improved by using pictures / artwork to guid the way. 

Another institue I chose to study the way finding system for was the Light, a leisure and retail centre on the Headrow, in the heart of Leeds.

The Light has a wide ranging demographic as it features a number of different establishments, catering for all ages, tastes and price ranges. Amongst other attractions the Light features a cinema, nightclubs and number of popular restaurants. 

The first thing that struck me about the Light was it’s beautiful modern architecture, with wide open plan spaces, polished stone floors, rustic brick and stone buildings encased within large glass walls and a glass ceiling. Therefore when I started to investigate it’s wayfinding stystem I was shocked to find that the current signage in the building was so inconsistent, clumsy and unrefined. 

It was also confusing to look for different restaurants and shops based on what floor you were stood on as the current system used a range of different floorplans on their signage depending on where you were standing in the building.

The colour scheme used for their signage is very inconsistent ranging from black white and ocre to pale pinks and purples. Their signage also used a clumsy 'hand rendered' looking typeface in a variety of widths and sizes. The floor plan is simplistic with a hand drawn feel, with inconsistent arrows pointing in a variety of directions.

The maps also varied depending on what part of the building you were in so if you entered through a certain door you may not be able to see what you are looking for on the map. There are 3 levels: Courtyard Level, Balcony Level and Arcade level. To successfully show a route of way finding all 3 levels should be displayed on each map. 

Yet while these 'floorplans' have a mustard yellow colour scheme the signage throughout the building is all pink, burgundy and white, which not only doesn't match but completely clashes. The typography is not fluent throughout the building changing on nearly every new piece of signage and a lot of it is very fairly illegible and hard to read. Signage through the building is vague and limited and extremely inconsistent. On the Wayfonding page of ransport For London's website, consistency in design is an element that is repeated multiple times as it is an extremely important element of any way finding system. 

'A high quality wayfinding system requires consistency over what is named, how it is named and where signs and information are located. This is of particular relevance when moving from one environment to another.' - TFL

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/urban-planning-and-construction/wayfinding

Navigational systems should remain 100% consistent throughout the building so it is clearly recognisable for the visitor at all times. 

Below are pictures of the inconsistent colour scheme used in the building including this dated pink and burgundy combination. 

As you can see, the signs use a strange hand rendered type effect and the lack of pictograms could seriously hinder international visitors way finding experience. 

The colour scheme changes once again on the upper balcony where the cinema is to blue and white, remaining with the same 'hand written' effect typography. 

All these different elements are extremely confusing and if anything hinder the way of navigating through this building. The typeface used is illegible, the colours don't match or show any form of fluency or coherence with one another. The contrast of the writing against the signs is also not very easy to read - here being a good example. From a distance light blue on white would be very hard to read. There is also a lack of pictograms on the signage which doesn't help as international visitors may not speak english so wouldn't know where to find lifts or cash points. 

For such a beautiful building you would have expected the signage to be of an equally high standard, perhaps embossed onto metal or wood to tie in with the buildings architecture? 

Overall I believe the design of the signage in the light is not very successful at all as it all looks very thrown together, there are few pictograms and it is not as sophisticated as the building itself. It is in urgent need of an update and therefore I have decided to use the light to base my project for studio brief 2 on.