Hope & Wayfinding

The first time I had ever heard of wayfinding was the morning that I turned up for my very first lecture with wayfinding extraordinaire Mr Dan Pike (AKA the “Don Draper of Billy Blue“). As he described the elements that combine together to create a wayfinding system, I quickly saw a fascinating link between wayfinding and hope.

What are the elements of wayfinding?

ORIENTATION
Where am I? Where do I want to go?

ROUTE DECISION
How do I want to get there? What is most important to me on my journey? Cost effectiveness, scenery, time?

ROUTE MONITORING  
How do I know that I am on track? Are there visual clues that can help me if I get off track?

DESTINATION RECOGNITION 
How do I know that I have arrived?

So… what does that have to do with hope?

That very morning I had been reading from Brené Brown‘s newest book, Daring Greatly. In it, she defined hope in this way:

“According to Snyder… hope isn’t an emotion; it’s a way of thinking or a cognitive process… In very simple terms, hope happens when:

We have the ability to set realistic goals (I know where I want to go).

We are able to figure out how to achieve those goals, including the ability to stay flexible and develop alternative routes (I know how to get there, I’m persistent, and I can tolerate disappointment and try again).

We believe in ourselves (I can do this!).

So, hope is a combination of setting goals, having the tenacity and perseverance to pursue them, and believing in our own abilities.”

Why is this link significant?

Because through engaging in an effective wayfinding process, we are also developing our cognitive ability to hope. The more we experience this process, the greater our capacity to hope and the more likely it is that we will instinctively implement the skill when need arises. The more effective the system, the greater the physical and cognitive experience for the user.

As a designer this is so inspiring to me. In all of my work I aim give the viewer some kind of small gift—something that they can connect with, learn from, take with them. How great a gift is hope?