The Role of Maps and Signage in Interior Wayfinding

Finding one’s way around complex and large buildings, such as hospitals, airports, and educational facilities, can be challenging. Using maps and signage to address wayfinding issues in such buildings is one of the most common solutions. Despite extensive research on maps and signage, few studies have systematically explored how and when people use maps and signage in real-world situations during interior wayfinding. To address this gap, an exploratory, qualitative approach was adopted. Eleven participants were tasked with finding 12 targets within two university buildings. Participants were asked to voice out their thoughts (think-aloud protocol) while carrying out the tasks. Their think-aloud protocol and behavior were recorded and analyzed. The results revealed that the type of initial information available about the target could influence participants’ preferences for maps over signage or vice versa. Maps were not often used as the first strategy during wayfinding. Participants were perplexed when they consulted maps in different corridors because each map rotated differently to align with the adjacent corridor. Design issues regarding maps and signage were identified and discussed.