Ever wandered inside a building, going round and round, only to realize you have no clue how to escape? It’s like a bizarre fever dream, but it happens! No matter how advanced technology gets, we still find ourselves lost in the labyrinths of architecture. Silly, right?
In today’s era of non-traditional architecture, navigating through these innovative structures can be a challenge. Buildings shaped like bird’s wings, bee hives, or giant baskets, though visually appealing at first, can leave us feeling lost and confused, struggling to find our way in and out. However, environmental graphic design (EGD) has emerged as a savior in such situations. It enhances the human experience by transforming spaces into informative, easily navigable, and memorable environments.
EGD is a multidisciplinary approach that combines interior design, architectural design, and industrial design to create tangible spaces that resonate with people. Its objective is to revolutionize how individuals move through and interact with a space, considering every aspect, from the colors of walls to the sounds produced by footsteps.
Environmental graphic design encompasses the graphic elements integrated into the broader field of environmental design. Often used interchangeably with experiential design, environmental design involves shaping everyday surroundings to engage people with their environment.
By embracing various design disciplines, EGD focuses on the visual aspects of wayfinding, identity and information communication, and creating meaningful experiences that connect people to a place.
Environmental graphic design serves as a bridge between innovative architectural structures and human interaction. It leverages a range of design disciplines to craft spaces that are not only visually captivating but also functional, facilitating navigation and enriching the overall experience.
There are five main types of EGD:
- Wayfinding Systems
- Exhibitions
- Interactive Spaces
- Public Installation
- Placemaking and Identity
Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Wayfinding Systems
Wayfinding systems serve their purpose as the name suggests: assisting people in finding their way. It uses tools to help users locate their path in space. They provide information about a user’s current position, desired location, and the best route to get there. Wayfinding is especially important in hospitals, offices, parking garages, and urban centers.
The primary goal of a wayfinding system designer is to provide individuals within a given environment with crucial information about their current location, desired destination, and the most efficient route to get from one to the other. By designing effective wayfinding systems, designers facilitate seamless navigation and enhance the overall user experience. An experienced designer can make the experience more distinctive by incorporating unique labels or visual cues.
Exhibition
Exhibition design employs various elements of architecture, graphic design, interaction design, lighting, audio, and technology to convey information to viewers. With exhibition design, you create a visually captivating and compelling environment that tells stories. Whether it’s a trade show booth or an entire museum, these spaces are meant to go beyond passive observation. Interactive elements are strategically incorporated to engage and inspire visitors. By merging creativity, technology, and storytelling, exhibition designers aim to create immersive experiences that captivate audiences, convey information effectively, and leave a lasting impression that encourages curiosity and connection.
Interactive Spaces
Interactive experience design represents a blend of physical and digital mediums, setting it apart from other forms of environmental design. Instead of being observed from a distance, these displays are designed to be touched and interacted with. It places a strong emphasis on user interaction, setting higher standards for user experience. By strategically incorporating touchpoints such as digital screens and interactive exhibits, designers strive to inform, prompt, and inspire anyone who enters the space. The goal is to establish a connection between users and the underlying concepts of the environment, resulting in a more immersive and engaging experience.
Public Installation
Public installations provide a unique opportunity for experiential marketing, accessible to the public around the clock and free of charge. They have the ability to captivate audiences, ignite curiosity, and create lasting experiences. With the help of design, these installations engage with the community, spark conversations, and enrich the cultural landscape. They serve as powerful tools to showcase a location’s distinctiveness within its geographical or historical context, evoking a wide range of emotions.
Effective public installations leave a lasting impact, forging connections between people and the spaces they inhabit.
Placemaking and Identity
Placemaking and identity environmental graphic design play a crucial role in transforming spaces through the integration of unique colors, typography, patterns, and motion. In places like offices, hospitals, and schools, placemaking, and identity design often go hand in hand with wayfinding techniques. This ensures that visitors can easily navigate the space while still immersing themselves in the brand experience. By utilizing distinctive visual elements, placemaking and identity design have the ability to completely transform any space.
This design approach has the power to rejuvenate various environments, including education, transportation, retail, and corporate settings. It requires a collaborative effort involving designers, engineers, urban planners, developers, and clients. Bringing the concept of a place to life visually is no easy task, but when executed effectively, it becomes captivating and hard to ignore.
Why is Environmental Graphic Design Important?
According to the Experience Index report from Gensler Research Institute, “the design of physical space proves to have a significant, quantifiable impact on the quality of people’s experience.”
The study surveyed more than 4,000 people across the U.S. and came up with the following stats:
- People who said that the spaces they visited were “extremely well designed” rated their experience nearly 2x higher than those who said the area was “poorly designed.”
- Respondents whose workplaces have the latest technology reported a “great experience” 3.7x more often than those whose workplaces do not have the newest technology.
- People are 10x more likely to share their experience in stores with unique design features on social media than those without.
Conclusion
Environmental graphic design plays a vital role in crafting spaces that deeply resonate with people. Whether it’s through the design of a wayfinding system, an interactive exhibit, or a public installation, EGD has the power to enhance the human experience by engaging, informing, and inspiring individuals.
Environmental graphic design serves as a silent storyteller, shaping our interactions with the physical world and leaving a lasting impression on our senses. It is through these designs that we can create meaningful connections with our surroundings and elevate our overall journey through space. So, the next time you step into a building or visit an exhibit, take a moment to appreciate the thought and care that went into creating that experience.
