This document provides guidelines for evaluating the design of physical environments, signs, maps, and queues to support navigation and wayfinding. It discusses guidelines related to path design, sign design, map design, and considerations for individuals with disabilities. The key guidelines are to provide clear and consistent information through elements like unique locations, differentiated regions, landmarks, limited navigation options, and clear line of sight. Signs, maps, and other elements should be simple, clear, legible and only provide relevant information.

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Conducting Environment Heuristic
Evaluations [DRAFT]
STUDIO ORD
PREPARED BY LESLIE A. MCFARLIN

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Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Guidelines for Physical Spaces 4
Personal Space Guidelines 4
Path Guidelines 4
Design Considerations for the Blind 6
Design Considerations for the Deaf 6
Design Considerations for Orthopaedically Handicapped 7
Sign Design Guidelines 7
Design Considerations for the Blind 9
Design Considerations for the Orthopaedically Handicapped 9
Dynamic Sign Considerations 9
Map Design Heuristics 10
Digital Map Considerations 12
Queue Design Heuristics 12
References 14

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Introduction
{ Some intro paragraph here… }
Regardless of the physical environment’s location, combinations of path design, sign design,
and map design contribute to whether or not people can successfully navigate. As people move
through environments, they look for information (cues) that help them move about, essentially
building up a mental model of the space around them. Strong cues can very clearly direct
people in certain ways, and build up spatial mental models; weaker cues will create uncertainty
that leads to inaccuracy in spatial mental models, and potentially point people in incorrect
directions. For the purposes of this document, we will adopt the concept of information scent
from online wayfinding, and in particular define strong information scent as presenting
unambiguously only the options needed to find locations. It relies on the factors:
● Places- previously traversed paths, and how they relate to a current or future
destination.
● Words- text clues related to movement and location, such as clear labeling.
● Visual Cues- elements that look as if they thematically belong to a location.
● Visual Information- visual depiction of a path to build expectations (like a map).
● Structure- how well a path is represented.
● Promises- how well a path seems to “promise” it will ultimately lead an individual to a
specific destination.
{ Final paragraph of intro here… }

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Guidelines for Physical Spaces
The UX guidelines for evaluating physical spaces draw on a variety of disciplines including
architecture, interior design, and digital design. These guidelines are meant to evolve over time
with the UX discipline at StudioORD. Their intended use is for evaluating how well a physical
space supports the people acting within it. Also, not all guidelines will be applicable for an
environment, so select only those that will provide value.
Personal Space Guidelines
Four levels of distance are useful when planning space.
1. Intimate: 0 in. to 18 in. This would refer to family within a space, perhaps even very
close friends.
2. Casual-Personal: 30 in. to 48 in. Indicative of minimal contact, usually enough to make
an acquaintance and engage in polite discourse.
3. Social-Consultative: 7 ft. to 12 ft. Typical of a customer engaging with a service
provider.
4. Public: 30 ft. to 1500 ft. For strangers in a space, such as airports, concert halls, etc.
Path Guidelines
Wayfinding depends partially upon the paths available. Paths provide structure for an
individual’s journey within a space, and an opportunity for entities within it (example:
businesses) to connect with people. Someone’s journey along a path will impact their attitude
toward the environment. Therefore, to ensure a positive perception of the physical environment,
and positive attitudes, pathways within should be designed to facilitate movement. The
guidelines within this section provide a way to judge how well a path does that, as well as some
insights on how to plan paths for those with disabilities.
Give Locations Unique Identities
Unique identities per location makes it easy to distinguish position within an environment. This is
another way of helping people learn the environment and orient themselves toward a
destination. Locations can gain unique identities by uses of color, texture, or material--the
method does not have to be overwhelming.
Apply Visual Styling to Differentiate between Regions

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Differentiating regions clearly also helps people learn the environment and orient themselves
toward a destination. Again, the means of doing can be subtle.
Provide Well-Structured Paths
Well-structured paths possess the following qualities:
● Continuous.
● Clearly defined start, middle, and finish.
● Ways of determining progress toward a destination.
● Easy-to-discern directionality (toward or away from a point).
Path structure is a function of the environment (example: museum vs. park), and the needs of
individuals (example: desire lines). Well-structured paths balance these in their design.
Use Landmarks for Orientation and Marking Important Locations
Landmarks provide a way to organize and define a space for people passing through it. They
help people remain oriented along their path and indicate that a particular point holds some
importance. In this way, landmarks not only help people recognize their current locations, but
also mark decision points for navigation. Therefore, landmarks act as memory aids, enabling the
development of an internal map of the space which then enable spatial reasoning within a
location and communication about the environment. Landmarks can be smaller, requiring more
to form a “local” network useful for the immediate area, or larger and requiring fewer to create a
“global” network useful for the larger environment.
Limit the Number of Navigation Options
People can feel overwhelmed when presented with too many choices, and combined with
having to learn an environment’s layout, they may be unable to correctly identify the path to get
to their needed destination. Therefore, the number of navigation options should be limited
directly to the number of relevant side paths and detours for the environment. Also, all branches
from a main path should lead individuals back to it.
Support Different Velocities and Modes of Movement
People move differently based upon their physical abilities (handicapped vs. able-bodied),
cognitive abilities (spatial reasoning), and move at different speeds. Environments should offer
paths that support these differences.

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Provide Clear Path Views
Paths should be free from obstructions, allowing people to see the environment around them.
Path views enable people to learn about their environment and judge their place in it.
Clear path views can be obtained in the following ways:
● Using sightlines
● Providing survey views
Design Considerations for the Blind
For individuals with low-vision or blindness, design of the physical environment must be
reinforced through auditory and tactile cues. The above-discussed guidelines can be adapted to
support use by blind and partially-sighted individuals.
1. Provide well-structured paths- boundaries of paths, such as street corners and curbs,
need to be detectable with a cane (or other assistive devices).
a. Rectilinear pathways.
b. Where applicable, and not an inconvenience, consider guard rails.
c. Tactile differentiation of pathways, such as between sidewalks and streets, or the
portions of a platform for standing versus boarding.
2. Pathway obstructions- dimensions of pathway obstructions need to be of a size where
a cane will not miss hitting them, and the blind individual will not run into them or trip
over them.
a. Do not place obstructions at head height.
b. Obstructions should run floor to ceiling, ideally, or at least terminate sufficiently
above head height.
3. Crossings- where paths such as walkways and roads cross, strong sound signals
should alert individuals when it is safe and unsafe for them to proceed.
Design Considerations for the Deaf
In the case of deaf individuals, visual and tactile cues can be used to draw attention and guide
them throughout a space.
1. Hazard notifications- Where possible, use vibrations to indicate potential hazards as
someone may not be looking in the direction of the hazard itself.
a. { Examples here }

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Design Considerations for Orthopaedically Handicapped
The orthopaedically handicapped require special considerations for movement, as well as
interactions with physical objects, like doors.
1. Do not require heavyforce application- some paths may require users to interact with
doors, and those with orthopaedic handicaps may be incapable of applying heavy force
(or any force at all).
a. Wherever possible, consider using automatic doors (sliding doors, buttons to
trigger door openings).
b. Allow for push-open, instead of pull-open doors along paths. (This also minimizes
the use of fine motor skills, which can degrade with age and handicap.)
2. Ease of elevation change- if possible, assist with elevation changes (via ramps), or
ensure that items such as built-in table tops and benches are at reachable heights.
a. This also includes providing adequate clearance across thresholds and curbs.
b. Stairs should not be overly-steep, and should have easy-to-grasp railings for
individuals of all ages.
Sign Design Guidelines
Signs exist to supply information about the environment and things in it. They may be static in
nature, like printed signs, with a fixed purpose and message; or dynamic, with messages that
change depending upon the environment and situation. Regardless of a sign’s nature, its design
should take into account that people using signs often have no control over the environment in
which the sign appears, and their control over the situation may not fully belong to them.
Therefore, signs need to be highly learnable, usable, and useful in a variety of situations for the
most people possible. This can be accomplished through the consideration of 5 principles:
● Consistency
● Simplicity
● Clarity
● Legibility
● Information relevance

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Signs of any nature that adhere to these 5 principles when combined with other good
environmental design principles elsewhere in this document create the conditions necessary for
the concept of strong information scent defined in this document’s introduction.
Consistency
Consistency refers to an unchanging patterning of signage elements across the many signs in
an environment. It allows people to learn the wayfinding information system and apply
knowledge gained from it to the physical environment. In order to evaluate consistency, the
signage system must be looked at as a whole. Signage features impacted by the principle of
consistency include:
● Anatomy
● Colors
● Font
● Informational content
Simplicity
Simplicity refers to using only the most necessary elements in signage to convey wayfinding
information while balancing a need for branding related to the environment. As a principle,
simplicity aims to reduce cognitive effort when recognizing and processing signage
Clarity
Clarity applies to the messaging on signage elements, such as text and iconography. Clarity
means it is easy to differentiate between the individual components of a sign, recognize what
kind of content each component is, and then interpret the content. Therefore, when evaluating
clarity of signage, two supporting principles to consider include:
● Identifiability- the ability to identify what sign content is, and to differentiate between
different types of sign content.
● Interpretability- the ability to understand sign content, especially if it is rather abstract,
like icons.
Legibility
Legibility is related to clarity but focuses on signage text. Specifically, it is the ability to
differentiate between text glyphs. Text legibility depends upon multiple facets, like its suitability
for signage, whether it is a serif typeface, and its x-height (size of the letter minus any

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ascenders or descenders). Legibility also has supporting principles for consideration during
evaluation:
● Readability- arrangement of text content in a way that is easy to scan. Assessing
readability requires focusing on the structure of signage text.
● Understandability- the quality of being easily understood by a majority of individuals.
This is a function of the language used in signage.
Maximize Information Relevance
Wayfinding and navigation are essentially decision-based activities, requiring information in
order to be successful. That information derives in part from signage. However, as with any task
requiring information for successful performance, that success depends upon delivering
information at the right moments to avoid either overloading people with unnecessary details or
providing them with inadequate details to act.
Design Considerations for the Blind
This section will also include recommendations for individuals with low vision (example: elderly).
1. Include Braille for key locations.
2. Boost contrast to enhance readability- greater contrast improves readability for all
individuals.
a. Effectiveness of reverse polarity contrast- consider using white text on a dark
background to enhance sign readability across all age groups regardless of
whether someone has issues or not.
b. Note that contrast interacts with character size.
3. Character size- [ Align to Critical Print Size for signage, find standards. ]
Design Considerations for the Orthopaedically Handicapped
Dynamic Sign Considerations
Dynamic signs should uphold the 5 heuristics defined earlier: Consistency, simplicity, clarity,
legibility, and maximize information relevance. However, because messaging on dynamic signs
can change with the environment or situation, there are several other heuristics worth applying
to their designs.
Minimize Overload

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Dynamic displays can quickly overwhelm people due to the quality and amount of information
they can display. Therefore, dynamic display designs should minimize clutter and unnecessary
animations.
Fit within People’s Perceptual Abilities
Dynamic display designs should consider perceptual limitations for the use of size, color,
animation speed, distance, and resolution.
Match Visualizations to the Environment
Visualizations should match the environment in order to provide maximum value. Where the
content is meant to guide people or inform them in some way, it should assist with building
mental models and improving knowledge.
Make Pending Changes Clear
If information on dynamic displays will change within certain timeframes such that people will
view a variety of information within a short period of time, then provide visual warnings about
pending changes. Countdown timers provide an easily understandable method for
accomplishing this. This heuristic does not need to apply to content that is not task-relevant
(such as for navigation or finding travel details).
Map Design Heuristics
Maps provide a direct model of a physical space for people to incorporate into their mental
models of an environment. Balancing the right amount of detail in a map’s design is key to the
formation of these mental models. Too much information, and people will have trouble
determining the most important pieces to integrate into their mental model; too little information,
and the mental model will be incomplete. Similarly, the quality of detail also matters to mental
model formation. If the map symbols used are unfamiliar or unclear, or if the map differs too
much from the surroundings as perceived by users, the map will lack usefulness. Several
heuristics exist to provide guidance around balancing the quality of map design and detail,
peoples’ needs for information, and their abilities to process that information.
Include Basic Map Components
All maps should contain at least the following 4 components:
● Title, to convey what the purpose of the map.
● Legend, for interpreting map components.

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● Direction markers, aids for understanding direction in environments.
● Border, to set boundaries for the mapped region and to differentiate from other visual
presentations close to it.
Depending upon the needs of the user and the type of environment, maps can also contain:
● Graticules, a grid system to assist with location identification.
● Scale, to convey distance representations.
● Insets, to highlight a particular location’s details that might otherwise be unrecognizable.
Employ a Balanced and Simplistic Visual Design
A balanced and simplistic visual design takes into consideration the amount of items on a map,
the color of items on a map, and the actual layout of the map itself.
● Limit the items on a map to only the most relevant pieces of information.
● Select colors that help convey and reinforce information.
o Example 1: Color coding of subway lines for the CTA.
o Example 2: Voting maps that use red and blue to denote party dominance in a
region.
● Maximize color contrast between the map’s background and the individual map
elements (region of focus, symbols, typography).
Clear Visual Hierarchy
Hierarchies of design components help people understand importance and relationships of
objects. Objects with more importance should carry greater visual weight, either through size or
color. The visual hierarchy should match the intellectual hierarchy, a pre-determined ranking of
the importance of major map elements.
Use Well-Known Map Symbols
To facilitate the mental processing associated with map usage, always aim to include common,
easy-to-recognize symbols for key features.
● Symbols should keep complexity to a minimum, as size could make recognition of fine
detail difficult if not impossible.
● Symbol size and texture work well if a map symbol needs to convey ordinal (ordered by
a value type), interval (ordered data with set distance between each possible datum
value), or ratio (interval data that also includes a true zero point) data.

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● Symbol pattern and shape work well when conveying nominal (name or categorical)
data.
Breaking with this heuristic is acceptable, but only in two circumstances. First, to create
emphasis that would be impossible through visual hierarchy alone. Second, when challenging
the content of pre-existing maps.
Provide a “You are Here” View
People can enter environments from multiple points, so maps should provide people with a way
to orient themselves in these situations. A ‘You are Here’ view helps people determine if they
are traveling toward a destination, as well as figure out a route for getting there.
Match the Map to Physical Surroundings
To maximize the usefulness and usability of maps, they should compare in an understandable
way with people’s physical surroundings. In this way, people can easily match the map to their
surroundings, and navigate quickly and efficiently toward a desired location.
Digital Map Considerations
{ Pending further research }
Queue Design Heuristics
Queue design heuristics focus on managing time perception as a way to encourage positive
behavior and affect while people wait in line. These heuristics derive from research that shows
negative perceptions of time passage arise from a combination of individual and environmental
features. However, changing aspects of the queue’s environment can help reduce negative
perceptions of time perception by accommodating individual needs and providing a more
engaging environment.
Carefully Communicate Queue Times
Provide Indicators of Queue Progress
Separate Special Queues
Be Mindful of User Comfort in Queues
Design for Social Interactions
Promote Engagement

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Build Positive Affect

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References
Campbell, Johnathan E, and Shin, Michael. “Cartographic Principles.” In Geographic Information System
Basics. Saylor Academy,2012. https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_essentials-of-geographic-information-
systems/s13-cartographic-principles.html.
Gibson, David. The Wayfinding Handbook: Information Design for Public Places.New York:Princeton
Architectural Press,2009.
Jacobson, Robert E., and Wurman Richard S. Information Design.Cambridge,MA: The MIT Press,
2006.
Knapp, Pat. “Airport Wayfinding and Graphics.” SEGD, December 13, 2013. https://segd.org/airport-
wayfinding-and-graphics.
Kuparinen, Liisa & Silvennoinen, Johanna & Isomäki, Hannakaisa. “Introducing Usability Heuristics for
Mobile Map Applications.” Dresden. Accessed October 16,2019.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257223846_Introducing_Usability_Heuristics_for_Mobile_Map
_Applications.
Richter, Kai-Florian, and Stephan Winter. “Introduction: What Landmarks Are,and Why They Are
Important.” In Landmarks,1–25. Cham:Springer, 2014.