The project was undertaken as part of a 21-day course titled “User Studies” (Interaction Design, at Interaction Design Centre (IDC), IIT Bombay). The interviewed participants included 19 first time visitors and a 14 others including students, professors, IITB residents and occasional visitors

The objective of the project was to derive insights and ideas towards designing way-finding mechanisms in IIT Bombay, through contextual observation and analysis of how visitors actually find their way about and the challenges they face.

Introduction

Goal of Project

Three groups, each comprising 4 members, were formed amongst students to focus on three areas of way-finding:

Team

Navigation based applications

SignageMaps

• Security check is the first point of contact to visitors, but it is a time consuming process to register, can involve a bit of anxiety.

• Most people, primarily those without smart phones do not tend to prepare before visiting. They plan to rely on the local people, security, etc.

• Visitors usually do not have an idea about the size of the campus. They realize this only after entering the campus.z

General findings from the Affinity

• People with smart phones tend to look into Google maps before coming to IIT for the first time. However, Google map tends to provide wrong location sometimes - e.g. VMCC.

• Verbal directions received by visitors over phone or from security at the main gate are not always sufficient to lead them to their destination.

• It is not a cultural thing to look for signage for most of the new comers. They prefer verbal directions over maps and signage.

• Signage around the campus is not always at the right places and is too small to read, or not noticeable. Users have to focus a lot to read them.

• Buildings are identified by their names, shape and size. Similar sounding names (e.g. Van Vihar and Jal Vihar)

• and buildings which look similar in size (KV and Main Building) are confusing.

• Landmarks are important for locating places. They act as guidelines.

• New comers do not know about the bus service inside the campus and therefore they do not use them.

• Smart phone users tend to ignore signage as they rely on apps like Google Maps to direct them to their destination.

• People enter through the right side of the Main Gate (as registration for pedestrians is done on the right side) and continue walking on the right. Signage is usually on the left and hence ignored.

• Landmarks seem to be superior to signage.

• Signage are sometimes veiled by trees and poles and hence overlooked by users.

Findings related to Signage

• Signage and names of buildings on the opposite side of the road are overlooked if they are not very prominent and not attention grabbers.

• All signage around the campus do not have all the places mentioned in them.

• Sometimes people tend to look for a certain name in signage, like “IIT Bombay Campus” (instead of Main Building) which is nowhere to be found.

• People also tend to ignore signage as they are careless or are in a hurry.

• People prefer verbal directions over signage as they are more detailed. It is not a cultural thing to rely on signage.

• Locations of public amenities are not mentioned in signage around the campus.

• People, especially new comers do not tend to recognize the names of the IIT Gates like Main Gate, Y-Point Gate and Lake Side Gate mentioned on the signage.

• People who do not know English very well ignore signage if they are written only in English.

• People mostly look for signage at intersections.

• If there are not many people around, people tend to look for signage.

• Signage present on the bus stops are very small in size and not visible easily. The names of the buses are written in codes like 1A, 2A, instead of Lake Side, Hill Side which bears no meaning in the eyes of newcomers.

• DI: No special names should be used in the signage. E.g. new comers do not recognize the name Gulmohur. It should be written as “Gulmohur Restaurant.”

• DI: Signage should be written both in Hindi and in English.

• DI: Signage should be put up at a height of an average person’s eye level, and should be of prominent colour.

• DI: Persons in vehicles may miss the signage if they are only on the sides of the road. Signage should also be put up at a proper height in the middle of the road, as is done in highways.

• DI: There could be two different types of signage - for vehicles and for pedestrians.

• DI: Nearest exit point and the places where they lead to should be mentioned on the signage. For e.g. if someone is going to Hiranandani Garden, the Lake Side Gate would be a better option rather than the Main Gate.

• DI: Buildings are usually at a distance from the road. The names on the buildings should be written in big enough sizes so that they are visible from the road to the pedestrian.

• DI: Picture makes it easy to remember places. Signage should contain picture of the building.

• DI: Signage should be put at all intersections and should have names of all places.

• DI: Signage should be on every bus stop with meaningful names of the buses like “Lake Side” instead of “1A”.

• DI: Signage should be reflective so that they are easily visible even in dark.

• DI: Signage at regular intervals/every intersection provide better confirmation than verbal directions.

• DI: Security guards and people generally give direction in terms of rights and lefts. Intersections could be numbered (signs) to allow people to give easier directions.

• Maps give idea about distance unlike verbal directions.

• DI: Major Landmarks should be highlighted in maps as they act as reference points.

• DI: People usually get confused at intersections. Maps should be present at intersections mentioning their current location.

• DI: Maps should be installed at every bus stop. Detailed possible routes should be highlighted. Shortcuts should be mentioned.

• DI: Shops, food joints can be highlighted on the map. As new students are unaware of these, they depend on hostel inmates about the same.

Findings related to Maps

• DI: People usually have a hard time finding directions during major events like Mood Indigo and Techfest. Specialized maps maybe developed which can locate various events around the campus.

• People are accustomed to Google Maps because of familiarity, accuracy and simplicity.

• Please can locate places easily on 2D maps as the indexing numbers and locations are written in bold letters.

• Users are willing to use maps (both offline and online) for way finding

• Smartphone may not have data connectivity, but only use WiFi.

• DI: A WiFi access point could be set up at the main gate, where data could be provided to visitors on their smart phones.

• DI: QR codes along the campus could work interactively with the app for wayfinding.

• People cannot guage distance represented by the maps easily.

• People can find their way around by simply relying on the app.

Findings related to Apps

• An app is more useful to find new areas.

• DI: An app could keep note of conversations/instructions that people have with passersby for way-finding. These instructions can help other way-finders in locating destinations. Routes would be built by social participation.

• People are accustomed to use Google maps because of familiarity, accuracy and simplicity.

• Some people do not use Google Maps because they may not have smartphones; prefer maps and signage; or find using it time consuming and complex. Sometimes there are network issues. Others find verbal directions preferable.

• In some cases Google Maps has tagged locations incorrectly.