Wayfinding is a MUST

Taylor Renwick
Oct 21, 2016
3 min read

If I did not already know the importance of wayfinding on a college campus, I most certainly do now. Wayfinding is the ability to find one's way around a college campus. According to Strange and Banning (2001) there are two key aspects to wayfinding: organization of the space and the environmental cues provided by signs and graphics. The wayfinding at Maynooth University (MU) is below average and caused me significant discomfort. In other words, the information systems that help guide people through a physical environment and enhance their understanding and experience of the space was very poor. Wayfinding prevents and alleviates stress surrounding feelings of disorientation, delays in scheduling, confusion, etc. that can lead to “emotional reactions including anxiety and insecurity” (Strange & Banning, 2001, p. 37)

Wayfinding is needed to make a campus more “user friendly." MU could improve its wayfinding by making campus maps more readily available or by placing large Campus Maps with "You are Here” markers throughout the campus. Other suggestions I have to improve wayfinding at MU is to improve landmarks, signage, and walkways. The walkways through MU are not labeled very well, if at all. The print on the few signs is small and barely readable. The signs are also hard to read because the larger font is in Irish and then in tiny print below the Irish words is English. Not only did the signs have small, inconspicuous print, but so did all the buildings, other than the MSU Life building. The lack of signage made MU very difficult to navigate. Additionally, the lack of signage, maps, clear walkways, and landmarks caused me to feel disorientated because I was never 100 percent certain where I was or if I was taking the correct path to arrive at my intended destination. Though I never felt anxiety or insecurity like Strange and Banning suggested people would feel due to poor wayfinding, I still felt lost. I did not feel anxiety or insecure because I am confident in my ability to communicate with individuals for directions. More often than not I asked a student or students for directions. Sometimes I even asked students for directions to a building I had previously been to because the walkways, signage, and landmarks are not distinct. MU is a beautiful campus but the students could benefit greatly from increased wayfinding.

While the wayfinding at MU is lacking, the physical environment itself is not. According to Strange and Banning (2001), initial attitudes about a campus are shaped by the "basic layout of the campus, open spaces and shaded lawns, [building] accessibility and cleanliness of parking lots" (p. 12). The physical environment at MU is absolutely breathtaking. The buildings are made of stone and covered in gorgeous ivy that has just started to turn from green to red. Additionally, the parking lots and sidewalks are clean. It is evident that MU takes care of the property and tries to keep campus clean and welcoming. MU keeps the campus clean by strategically placing trash bins by dining locations and at walkway intersections. Additionally, there are staff members whose responsibilities include cutting the grass and maintaining a clean and welcoming environment.

In terms of accessibility, MU does a great job of catering to students with walking impairments. For instance, every building has a ramp that leads towards the entrance in addition to stairs that have a railing. Additionally, every building I have walked into is equipped with an elevator. Between the ramps and the elevators, MU makes is easy for students in wheelchairs to travel the campus. Something else I noticed about the accessibility of MU is that there are many handicap bathrooms. Almost every building has a bathroom specifically for handicapped students, faculty, staff, and visitors. These bathrooms are larger, have an emergency pull string that signals for

help, and a railing near the toilet that aids in stabilization. One thing that I have not noticed is handicap buttons that help disabled students open building doors. Tomorrow I will keep an eye out to see if MU has these buttons or not.