wayfinding
Reading your environment
Wayfinding is the process of navigating through an environment—figuring out where you are and how to get where you're going.
The term appears most often in architecture and urban planning, where it describes signage systems, landmarks, and spatial layouts that help people orient themselves: The airport's wayfinding could use improvement.
It also applies to natural navigation skills and digital interfaces.
Posted public displays
- landmarksDistinctive, recognizable locations
- directionsGuidance for reaching somewhere
- orientationPosition relative to surroundings
- mapsGeographic visual representations
routes · compass · GPS · arrows · symbols · pictograms · legibility · sightlines
Internalized spatial understanding
- spatial memoryRecollection of layouts and positions
- orientationPosition relative to surroundings
- cognitive loadDemands on working memory
- attentionFocused mental awareness
perception · recall · schemas · egocentric · spatial reasoning · disorientation · reorientation
User interaction design
- breadcrumbsDried, crushed loaf pieces
- menusLists of available dishes
- sitemapsDocuments outlining website structure
- user flowSequence of interface steps
hyperlinks · back button · search · homepage · landing page · interface · scrolling · tabs
Relating to physical extent
- built environmentHuman-created physical surroundings
- airportsFacilities for aircraft arrival
- hospitalsInstitutions treating the sick
- museumsInstitutions preserving cultural artifacts
malls · transit hubs · campuses · districts · edges · paths · placemaking · interior design
Of the sky above
- starsLuminous celestial bodies
- PolynesianOf Pacific island peoples
- oral traditionCulture passed by speech
- songlinesAboriginal sung navigation routes
Aboriginal · dreamtime · currents · wave patterns · bird migration · traditional knowledge
signage
Posted public displays
- landmarksDistinctive, recognizable locations
- directionsGuidance for reaching somewhere
- orientationPosition relative to surroundings
maps · routes · compass · GPS · arrows · symbols · pictograms · legibility · sightlines · destinations
mental maps
Internalized spatial understanding
- spatial memoryRecollection of layouts and positions
- orientationPosition relative to surroundings
- cognitive loadDemands on working memory
attention · perception · recall · schemas · egocentric · spatial reasoning · disorientation · reorientation
UX
User interaction design
- breadcrumbsDried, crushed loaf pieces
- menusLists of available dishes
- sitemapsDocuments outlining website structure
user flow · hyperlinks · back button · search · homepage · landing page · interface · scrolling · tabs · hamburger menu
spatial
Relating to physical extent
- built environmentHuman-created physical surroundings
- airportsFacilities for aircraft arrival
- hospitalsInstitutions treating the sick
museums · malls · transit hubs · campuses · districts · edges · paths · placemaking · interior design · accessibility
celestial
Of the sky above
- starsLuminous celestial bodies
- PolynesianOf Pacific island peoples
- oral traditionCulture passed by speech
songlines · Aboriginal · dreamtime · currents · wave patterns · bird migration · traditional knowledge
- explorationexploration, explore, expedition, expeditions, voyage
- public spacespark, plaza, street, city parks, public parks
- accessibilitywheelchair access, wheelchair sports, wheelchair ramp, adaptive skiing, accessibility features
- graphic designlogo, font, typography, layout, color
- signagestreet signs, traffic signs, exit signs, parking signs, door signs
- airport amenitiesseating area, airport lounge, food court, gate area, flight board
wayfindingwandering
Traveling with no fixed course
drifting · roaming · meandering · getting lost · straying
wayfindingdisorientation
Loss of spatial awareness
getting lost · confusion · bewilderment · lostness · misdirection
wayfindingmisdirection
Intentional focus manipulation
obfuscation · obstruction · misleading · confounding · maze
way, find, highway, finding, navigate, pathway, navigator, navigation, finder