The Sedona Assessment Report was the final deliverable submitted at the end of the first phase of the wayfinding program. It is a consolidation of Axia's findings from the site survey and stakeholder interviews. The report includes reaffirmation of the program’s objectives, a summary of stakeholder interviews, field observations and general conditions, a study of traffic flow, arrival points, destinations and decision points, photo documentation and recommendations for the direction of design ant the wayfinding strategy.

1. Wayfinding
Assessment Report
for The City of
Sedona, Arizona
Prepared for Sedona
Chamber of Commerce
August 30 2017

2. PREFACE
This document summarizes the initial assessment findings derived from interaction with members of
the Sedona Chamber of Commerce and the City leading up to, during and after Axia's August site visit.
During the 3 day site visit, meetings with key stakeholders were conducted and field studies were made.
From the meetings and field studies, valuable information, opinions and proposed challenges were
brought forth. Among the proposed objectives and ideas shared in the meetings, most were in alignment
with one another. Only few opinions were in opposition. The information gathered during this first phase
will influence the strategic and creative development phases.
The primary function of this report is to summarize collected data, observations and offer preliminary
recommendations that will improve navigation through the City of Sedona and to the destinations within
it. A second, just as important objective, is to help elevate the community's unique sense of place and
overall visitor’s experience.
MEETINGS
On August 22nd, Todd Mayfield met with representatives from the Sedona Chamber of Commerce and
the City of Sedona. The morning meeting included a recap of the previous parking sign assignment
and a general recap of the new wayfinding program objectives. Requirements for Arizona Department
of Transportation (ADOT ) signage were also discussed. After the morning meeting, Jennifer and Karen
took Todd on a guided tour through Sedona to gain perspective through a local's point-of-view. After the
lunch break, Todd explored the area on his own to gain a perspective from a visitor's point-of-view.
On August 23rd, stakeholder meetings were conducted throughout the day. The first meeting included
rangers from the Parks & Recreation Department who have direct and frequent interaction with visitors.
The next meeting was a conference call with a representative from ADOT to facilitate a line of
communication and to learn about the required processes for review and approvals of proposed signage
that will be located within ADOT jurisdiction.
From 11:00 am until 3:30 pm, meetings were held with other Chamber staff and various representatives
from the business community.
The day ended with a debriefing and a collaborative session using an area site map to create a loose
plan of destinations that would require wayfinding messaging. Probable sign locations were identified.
2Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

3. SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION
Gateways
The majority of stakeholders agreed that the current 3 gateways should be improved to make a more
substantial statement for visitors entering Sedona. There was one opinion to the contrary but was mostly
concerned with appropriate use of funding. It was felt that the value should be put on getting people to
places instead of point-of-arrival signage. It was agreed that gateways should still be designed but that
they should be implemented in future phases in order to use available funding for guide signage. The
majority consensus was that the gateways needed to be consistent in design, be larger and placed in
more visible areas. Many shared the idea that gateways could be valuable photo-ops which will have
extended exposure through social media. It was also suggested that gateways could be located in
areas where vehicular pullouts could be created giving visitors access to information about the area or to
simply allow for a few minutes of decompression before they enter the city.
Billboards
The topic of billboards was raised in response to a conversation about the lack of highway messaging for
Sedona destinations and services. ADOT regulations restrict guide messaging for destinations or districts
that do not adjoin highway off-ramps. A question was raised about the use of billboards as a messaging
supplement, but was it was noted that billboards are only used to strategically promote Sedona during
preferred periods of the year to help manage congestion surges.
Information Kiosks
It was suggested that information kiosks be placed at key gathering areas in uptown. These would
include locator maps and general information. It was lightly deliberated whether smaller, more frequently
placed "mini" kiosks would be more effective in giving visitors efficient orientation and information access
throughout the Uptown area. There was unanimous agreement that map dispensers would get more
3Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

4. maps in visitor's hands, but they would create other problems such as litter and the need to dedicate
someone to keep the dispensers filled. Empty dispensers can leave a negative impression. The idea of
including QR codes was raised. It was agreed that QR codes are not as popular as they once were and
that a simple URL would be more appropriate because they can be used by more people. Having an
index listing for every business was not preferred. It would open a can of worms where everyone would
want to have their own listing. Updating these listings would be time consuming and expensive. Kiosks
would include only public attractions, and key services. It was suggested that trail heads be included on
kiosk maps. Map orientation was discussed. Whenever possible, maps should be what is called "right-
read" or "heads-up". This means that the maps are oriented to the viewer's position in the environment.
Destinations that are placed at the top of the map are physically ahead of the user. The icons used to
identify the new parking lots would be used on the maps to identify each of their locations. The design of
the maps would be consistent with printed handouts and digital versions.
Vehicular Guides
After the topic of ADOT compliant vehicular guide signs was raised in each stakeholder meeting, it
was determined that signs that occur within ADOT jurisdiction would be designed to comply with
their guidelines but that guide signs that occur outside of ADOT jurisdiction could assume a more
custom design. It was brought up that guide signs should be placed on the right side of the road
whenever possible.
The following is a brief summary of important attributes for vehicular guide signs:
Bothell, Washington Moosehead Lake, Maine Sitka, Alaska
4Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

5. Vehicular Guides, continued
Vehicular guide signs should be placed on the passenger side of the road whenever possible.
Drivers are conditioned to look for directional messages on the right side of the road. That
said, there are a few places where there may not be ample room to add a sign on the right
side. We will study this further as we develop the plan. If this remains the case, some signs
may need to be placed on the opposite side of a street but should only be done after all other
options have been exhausted.
Guide signs must be placed before a turning point, never after. In single lane streets with
speed limits of 35 mph or less, a sign should be placed 100 to 200 feet before a decision
point. In very slow speed areas, distance could be reduced to 50 feet but should be done
only after case by case evaluation. In areas with higher speeds, with turnouts or multiple
lanes, 200 to 300 feet (or more) are required before a decision point to allow for ample and
safe reaction time.
In very rare cases, guide signs may be placed beyond a turning point when the road ends in a
T and where there is no place for a guide sign on either side of the road before the turn.
There are general conditions for alternate sign placement. They include:
1. Only where there are no appropriate areas on the right side of the road for a sign.
2. The width of the median must be larger than the width of the sign and established
setbacks are observed.
3. Where the sign will not compromise visibility of oncoming traffic which would create a
potential driving hazard.
4. When the position of a sign in the median will allow a driver in the far right lane enough
time to change lanes safely.
5. When traffic control devices such as signal lights, railway crossing lights and regulatory
signs are not obstructed.
Guide signs should have no more than 4 messages. There are some state USDOT agencies
that allow 5 messages but only in rare cases. We recommend that if more than 4 messages
are needed for a single decision point, 2 signs in the same proximity may be installed as long
5Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

6. Vehicular Guides, continued
as they are at least 75 feet apart from each other. ADOT may require more. The sign furthest
away from a decision point should include the most urgent messages to allow for maximum
reaction time.
For signs within ADOT jurisdiction, typefaces other than the standard Highway Gothic font are
not allowed. For signs outside of ADOT jurisdiction, it is best to avoid fonts that are condensed,
those that include serifs, thin strokes, outlines, drop shadows or graphic embellishments.
Simple fonts such as Frutiger, Formata, Helvetica and Trebuchet are sometimes deemed legible
alternates but we recommend that Highway Gothic or Clearview be used so that there is
consistency with the ADOT signs.
The Standard Legibility Index developed by the United States Sign Council (USSC) is a
numerical value representing the distance in feet at which a sign may be read for every inch of
capital letter height. For example, a sign with a Legibility Index of 30 means that it should be
legible at 30 feet with one inch capital letters, or legible at 300 feet with ten inch capital letters.
If you follow the Standard Legibility Index, a general formula to determine the legible height of a
letter is one inch for every 30 feet of viewing distance.
ADOT compliant signs require 6" high (upper case measurement) letters. Non ADOT signs may
have reduced cap height depending on traffic speed and proximity to the edge of the street but
should be tested for legibility. To ensure that new signs are appropriate for Sedona's conditions,
we recommend that mock-ups be printed with several font sizes and test them in the
environment to be sure the smallest possible font may be used to keep sign sizes to a minimum
without compromising on legibility. Light letters and graphics against a dark background are
preferred over the use of dark letters and graphics over a light background. Dark colors are
recessive and drop away visually. Light colors are dominant and appear to move forward. When
we look at dark and light objects together, we notice light objects sooner than dark ones.
Mixed-case words should be used instead of all caps. Mixed case messages have several
advantages over those that are set in all caps. They take up less room horizontally. We
6Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

7. Vehicular Guides, continued
comprehend mixed-case words faster than words in all caps. Capitalized words, however, do
require less space between lines (leading) which is helpful if you have sign height limitations.
Ample negative space around messages is as important for comprehension as the letter-
forms themselves. In this case, bigger isn’t always better. Proper legibility requires ample visual
breathing room. Words should not be kerned (space between letters) too tightly. If letters within
a word are too closely spaced, they meld together in the viewer’s eye, reducing comprehension.
The same goes for the space between message lines (leading), and between the edge of the
sign and the message itself.
Typically, a vehicular guide sign will allow room for 12 to 18 characters per line across a sign
face which will leave ample space between arrows and messages and sign edges.
ADOT signs should have 2 support posts. For non ADOT signs with smaller font sizes and
narrower sign widths, a single post may be okay.
If possible, use abbreviations such as Dwtn (Downtown) and Ctr (Center). Don’t include periods
and other forms of punctuation. If you have only 1 type of a common destination (such as a
casino, school, golf course or airport) in your community, leave off the proper name and just use
destination type (Casino, Airport, High School, etc.). Instead of John’s Golf Course, simply use
Golf on a vehicular guide sign.
The existing multiple message signs place all arrows on the right side of the sign's message.
The ADOT recommends straight ahead and left arrows be placed to the left of the message
and right arrows to the right of the message. For non ADOT guide signs, we prefer aligning
all arrows on the left side of the message. We feel this is the most efficient use of sign area.
We also recommend following the prescribed arrow hierarchy: Ahead arrow first, left arrow
second and right arrow third. The use of international symbols may be used as long as they
aid in the delivery of information and do not restrict quick comprehension.
As discussed during the previous parking sign assignment, parking guide signs specifically
7Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

8. Vehicular Guides, continued
direct people to parking areas and use the iconic “P” with a directional arrow. It is preferable
to isolate a parking guide sign from multi-message guide sign by installing them as stand-
alone. As we move into the overall wayfinding plan, if we discover there is no room for an
isolated parking guide sign and a multi-message guide sign, the parking message may need
to be included on the multi-message guide sign, with a small P icon grouped with the word
“Free Parking”.
Park and Trail Head Guide Signs
It was noted that better guide signs to parks may be needed, specifically to Posse Ground Park. If these
signs can be brought into the multi-message vehicular guide system they may get better visibility but
may not be able to accommodate related service icons. The same will be considered for vehicular trail
guides, specifically for the Adobe Trail.
Park and Trail Head Identity Signs
The current sandblasted identity signs for Sedona's parks are outdated in design and, in many cases,
too small. Some are loaded up with too much information. Redesign was discussed and agreed to. A
unique version for trail head identity signs will be designed to mark trail head arrival points. They could
include an identity graphic, trail map and user information.
St. Albert, Alberta
(approved by Alberta Transportation)
Margate, Florida
(approved by FDOT)
Burlington, Iowa
(approved by IDOT)
8Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

9. Tour Bus Guide Signs
Currently there are multiple bus parking areas. Signs are in place to guide drivers to these areas.
Customer drop-off and pick-up points occur at various points in Uptown and are not at fixed locations.
There have been cases where passengers struggle to return to these locations for pick-up. An idea
was floated to establish a central bus parking area where passengers would be able to return to in case
they forget where the pick-up points are. This was suggested so that pedestrian signage could include
guidance back to these areas. This bus parking area could be included on kiosk maps.
History Walk
The interpretive panels that stretch along 89A just south of Uptown have been effective in encouraging
pedestrian traffic. There is a desire to improve it with either signage, shaded canopies or other solutions
that will make it more alluring. It was noted that, although the panels are successful, their design could
be enhanced for graphic consistency. There is a desire to continue the History Walk experience to the
Gallery District.
Landmarks
Landmarks in an environment are effective wayfinding devices. They serve as visual reference points
for orientation. Sedona does not have readily apparent landmarks. An idea was suggested that artistic
"totems" or sculptures be created in key areas of Sedona to serve as visual reference points. Landmarks
can also serve as popular photo-ops, especially if whimsical or unusual.
Districts
It was determined that district articulation would improve visitor navigation. Suggested districts were
Uptown, Gallery and West Sedona. In the future, Brewer Road and Jordan Road may become added
districts as they are developed. Signage will be explored to help identity and/or delineate these areas as
unique but related experiences.
9Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

10. Pole Banners
Pole banners in many areas of Sedona can be used to help demarcate districts. It was suggested that
each district be defined with unique banners that share common colors and graphics. If a district cannot
accommodate a district identity sign, banners at the arrival of a gateway could be designed with a
thematic gateway message.
Pedestrian Trail Blazers
To help guide pedestrians through Uptown and reinforce safe paths of travel, a series of small, eye level
graphic queues can be strategically placed. These trail blazers can include a unique iconic graphic, small
area map and directional messages to landmarks or notable destinations.
ADA Path Markers
ADA access points can include ADA compliant identifiers that graphically align with an accessible
symbol. These identifiers mark accessible entries to ramps, elevators and ADA compliant restrooms.
Regulatory Signs
It was suggested that, if funds were available, regulatory signs such as accessible parking, reserved
parking and no parking could be customized to help reduce signage noise in the Uptown district.
P y!
place
peace
prosper
warmth
whole
welcome
S M A L L T O W N
B I G B E A C H
B1.2 Banner-FINAL.indd 1 5/15/12 11:59 AM
Fish It Float It Live It
10Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

11. General Conditions
In addition to designing and implementing a new wayfinding program for Sedona, several existing
conditions can be addressed to help with wayfinding clarity and overall experiential quality.
Existing sign clutter will be evaluated and considered for either removal or enhancement. All signage that
will be replaced by the new system will be removed altogether. If their current messaging is viable, their
content will be part of new signage.
Signs that are stacked onto other signs should be moved, redesigned or done
away with if they are deemed obsolete. Signs that have been tacked on to stop
signs, speed limits or any regulatory devices should be removed.
Sign clusters should be consolidated into a single sign if possible. Some
of their current placements should be evaluated and new locations should
be considered.
Signs that have little to no value to drivers should be identified and evaluated
for removal. Such signs that are part of ADOT may be difficult to remove as
they have been sanctioned and subsequently protected. If anything, we can
petition ADOT for removal or at least relocate if new signage is desired in
their place.
Some ADOT signs are clusters of multiple messages. We will inquire if these
can be consolidated into a single sign.
We will also inquire with ADOT if trail directionals can be replaced with our
custom (ADOT compliant) signage. These petitions will have to be included in
the first encroachment submittal.
Signs that are important exhibits, despite their social value, could be
redesigned to be more attractive to integrate better with pedestrian
environments and add to the visual ambiance of high density areas.
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12. General Conditions, continued
Accessible paths should be marked with ADA
compliant signage. These don't have to be large signs
but simply blue accessible symbols with directional
arrows. Some signs may need to have the addition of
accessible route diagrams to help disabled persons
navigate efficiently. The returning path to the new
elevator at the church is hard to understand. The
path needs to be clearly marked to reinforce that it is
a public access and not an entrance into the church
facility itself.
The existing Visiter Information Center sign is a little
deceiving because the predominant message is
"Sedona Chamber of Commerce" in large letters and
"Visitor Information" is in smaller letters beneath it. It
can be easily mistaken for the Chamber offices which happens to have visitor
information. We suggest that "Visitor Information" be moved to the first line in
larger letters and "Sponsored by Sedona Chamber of Commerce" in smaller
letters below it. Or perhaps just "Visitor Information Center".
We understand that jaywalking is a concern. We also
understand that the metal barricades will eventually
be removed and street-scape treatments will serve
as visual barriers. We suggest that crosswalk pavers
or applied graphics be added to all crosswalks
in Uptown to reinforce pedestrian paths. Special
crosswalk treatments also add pedestrian friendly
ambiance to an area and signal vehicles to slow down.
12Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

13. Next Steps
Pending approval of this assessment report, Axia will create a new Google map for the collaborative
development of the wayfinding plan. This plan will include proposed sign placements and their respective
messaging. Before conceptual visuals are developed, we will prepare scaled drawings of signs that will
be placed in ADOT right of way. With the help of Victor Estrada, we will prepare materials required for the
first encroachment submittal . The purpose of this submittal is to get initial approval on proposed sign
placement, messaging and design. Axia will include scaled drawings of each ADOT sign, their messages
and placements on an electronic site plan. We will need Victor's help in verifying setback requirements
and submittal form preparation.
Concurrently, or shortly after the submittal has been prepared, Axia will begin conceptualizing the rest of
the sign family. We will develop at least 2 concept directions based on the parking signage assignment
and collected information from the assessment period.
The concepts will be presented to the Chamber for review and comment. We will make refinements to
a single concept, or a combination of those that were submitted. This second conceptual submittal
will be reviewed by the Chamber and shared with the City and select stakeholders for comment. The
objective of this second presentation, is to collect input for final refinement. We hope to have received
approval or comments from ADOT for the compliant signage. These will receive design refinements
based on the approved submittal. A second encroachment submittal will be prepared and issued to
ADOT for approval.
Before we finalize the design, we will reach out to one or more vendors to review the materials and to
provide us with an estimate of probable cost. The results will help us determine if the design needs to be
value-engineered.
This moves us into the Design Development phase. All sign types will receive design treatments as a
unified system. Concurrently, the wayfinding plan will be finalized in collaboration with the Chamber
and City.
Upon approval of the final design and wayfinding plan, Axia will prepare design intent drawings, a
message schedule and location plan. A document draft will be presented to the Chamber and
City for review, approval and/or comment. The set will be refined and finalized.
13Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce

14. Axia will supply the City with an RFP template for use in creating an RFP for distribution. We will assist
with written specifications and general language in the RFP. We will be available to answer bidder's
questions and ultimately review the contracted vendor's shop drawings and sample submittals. During
the course of the production, we will be on hand to answer questions and advise on proposed changes
or suggestions as they are needed.
Timing
We anticipate the design and development process will take approximately 5 to 6 months, depending
on how quickly ADOT responds to our submittals.. Bidding will take about 3 weeks, negotiation will take
approximately 1 week and fabrication will take between 12 to 20 weeks. Installation may take between 1
and 2 weeks depending on how much of the program is included in the first phase.
14Axia | Sedona Wayfinding Assessment Report for Sedona Chamber of Commerce