Wayfinding
UNM Wayfinding & Signage Standards & Guidelines
Request for Exterior Sign Form
Presentation to Campus Development Advisory Committee
What is Wayfinding?
Wayfinding is an important aspect of experiencing an environment through communication of how to proceed. It can be defined as the orderly structuring of information required to enable people to comfortably and successfully get to where they are going. Functionally, wayfinding means reaching a destination within an acceptable amount of time and energy. This is measurable in terms of efficiency in student and business productivity. Wayfinding also establishes an experiential relationship with architectural, urban or natural landscapes.
Wayfinding is essential in a modern campus environment impacting all users of the University. It affects their emotional state, including their attitudes towards the University. Wayfinding is more than exclusively a navigational aid, rather it is a way to market an area’s resources, alter negative perceptions, evoke a sense of history and character, and improve the streetscape.
Additionally, wayfinding involves accessibility and public safety. An efficiently designed wayfinding system will focus the attention of walkers, cyclists, and drivers reducing accidents and liability costs.
To meet these essential needs, Planning and Campus Development is actively developing a new wayfinding program. As it is proclaimed in the 2009 UNM Master Plan Update, a comprehensive wayfinding system is essential for the success of the University. Prototype signs will be installed throughout campus in 2009 along with new wayfinding protocols and procedures.
