This document discusses color and accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design. It provides background on color blindness prevalence and universal design principles. The history of color use in underground maps like the London Tube is examined. An experimental study evaluated how colorblind users perform common tasks using maps with different color schemes. Results suggested high contrast, avoiding sole reliance on color, and use of patterns and textures support accessibility. The document concludes by discussing best practices and opportunities to further test accessibility in real environments and digital signage.

1. XIV Colore
2018
Color & accessibility
in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD
Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca

2. Colors everywhere

3. Color & accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD - Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca 3 30
8%1/12
0,4%1/200
350 millions people
Color-blindness & population

4. Color & accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD - Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca 4 30

5. Universal design
—Ronald L. Mace, 1998

6. Color & accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD - Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca 6 30
Web Accessibility Initiative
“The power of the Web is in its universality.
Access by everyone regardless of disability
is an essential aspect.”
—Tim Berners-Lee, 1997

7. Color & accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD - Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca 7 30
Design for all
“is design for human diversity, social inclusion and
equality”
—EIDD Stockholm Declaration, 2004

8. Color & accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD - Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca 8 30
Uni-Sign, 2009
Ji-Youn Kim, Soon-young Yang, Hwan-Ju Jeon
www.yankodesign.com

9. Colors in undergound
wayfinding & signage design

10. Color & accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD - Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca 10 30
In the beginning: London Tube
1919 Red & black
1926 Reginald Percy Gossop: yellow
1928 F. H. Stingemore: full color scheme
1933 Harry Beck: diagrammatic representation

11. London’s Underground map, 1919

12. F. H. Stingemore’s map, 1928

13. Harry Beck’s sketches, 1931

14. Harry Beck’s map, 1934

15. Harry Beck’s map, 1948

16. Color & accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD - Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca 16 30
Milan Underground, 1964
> Franco Albini & Boob Noorda
> Color as a design driver
> Architecture + graphic design
> A colorful signage design system

18. Deuteranope visionRed line wayfinding system

19. Deuteranope visionMilan Undegraund map

20. Testing
the colorblind experience
of an undeground wf/s system

21. Color & accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD - Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca 21 30
An experimental evaluation
Universal Design principles
1. High contrast solutions
2. Color is not used alone
3. Sort and differentiate the elements in a describable way
4. Ensure the visibility of the key elements
5. Prefer monochromatic pallets
6. Provide multimodal choices
7. Use patterns and textures
8.Avoid specific color combinations
Qualitative research: quick & dirty user test task based
Subjects: 6 male colorblind users, age 21-54 + control group

22. Color & accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD - Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca 22 30
Maps & Activities
Maps: 8 colored maps
Accessible standard: 1 map (Lisbon)
Accessible version: London’s b/w+textures map
Tasks
1. follow a specific path/destination
2. switch between lines in interchange station
Mesures: Time/failures
Evaluating
Ranking the maps according a legibility/accessibility Likcert scale
Questionnaire

25. Legibility/accessibility
evalutation according to
Universal Design principles
1. High contrast solutions
2. Color is not used alone
3. Sort and differentiate the
elements in a describable way
4. Ensure the visibility
of the key elements
5. Prefer monochromatic pallets
6. Provide multimodal choices
7. Use patterns and textures
8.Avoid specific color combinations

26. Task based user tests on an underground map
Tasks/time of execution/failures/complited tasks

27. (Adopting)
Best practices

28. Deuteranope visionLisbon undeground wayfinding system
Based on color, symbols and names

29. Porto public transport system project
according to ADD system by M. Neiva

30. Color & accessibility in underground wayfinding and signage design
Letizia Bollini, PhD - Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca 30 30
Next steps
> Testing maps in real environment with a wider number
of experimental subjects
> Evaluating and testing wayfinding systems as a whole
> Introducing digital signage and/or mobile interactive system
> Introducing and evaluating the accessibility according
to WAI 2018 guidelines

31. ?

32. Letizia Bollini, PhD
Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca
letizia.bollini@unimib.it
www.lbollini.it
@extrasmallit