The proposal outlines a wayfinding system for a mountain bike trail network to improve navigation and safety. It proposes developing signage with three objectives: 1) direct people to the trail system, 2) warn of dangers, and 3) inform how to navigate trails. A kiosk at the trailhead would provide an overview map, information on signs, park rules, and the trail association. Directional signs along trails would indicate path, difficulty, elevation changes and trail names. Regulatory signs would enforce rules and closures. The system aims to safely guide all riders, including newcomers, through the trails.

1. West Branch Wayfinding Proposal
March 15, 2010
We here at the unity group strive to deliver a product that
Mission Statement will exceed your expectations. After numerous hours of
research we have developed a wayfinding system that will
improve the overall navigation of your mountain bike trail system.
We have developed three major objectives in this wayfinding exercise that when fully implemented will
ensure the rider has not only a positive experience but a safe one.
1. Get the people to the trail system
2. Warn the rider of any upcoming dangers
3. Inform the rider on how to properly navigate the trail network
Congratulate you on winning trail of the year for the entire state of Ohio, and with that award new
riders will be drawn to the area with little to no experience with your trails. A proper wayfinding
application will ensure that these riders become quickly acquainted with the trail system and have an
adventure that they will remember for a lifetime.
Kiosk
As soon as the eager rider arrives you need to have the kiosk positioned where all
who are parking can easily identify that this is a key display on quickly ascertaining
the trail.
Our research indicates that this
display should be within ten feet
from the trail head (where riders
enter the trail system). The
display also needs to be no
smaller than 4 feet tall and 5 feet
wide. Also provide a mounting
system that elevates the signage
where it is eye level with
someone that is 5ft 9in [1].
The overall purpose of the kiosk is
to provide interpretive
information in a format that
people can easily identify with.
This is our first opportunity in
educating the potential rider and getting them acclimated with the environment ahead. The one way
communication provided by the kiosk is only useful if the visitor is willing to read it so we need to draw
their initial attention and keep it though out the entire message.
The kiosk will be divided into four major facets that each has their own purposes that will be discussed
in more detail during some of the remaining sections of this document.
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2. West Branch Wayfinding Proposal
March 15, 2010
We have done numerous usability studies on your existing trail map
that quickly eluded that we will be able to elevate some development
time by keeping the existing map [2] and utilizing it in our wayfinding
interpretation. Its primary location will be the kiosk, and will encompass the largest portion of the
overall signage. This is purely do to the visual nature of the map and how the riders can quickly identify
and acclimate themselves with the riding situation.
Primary Map
Smaller variants of the map will be provided throughout the trail network that will also indicate where
the rider is located in relation to the map. Placing them within the trail network will aid in reducing
stress on the rider that is afraid of getting lost. Reducing this fear will allow the rider to concentrate on
the trail and enjoying the moment and not worrying about finding the end of the trail.
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3. West Branch Wayfinding Proposal
March 15, 2010
This section the only time we will be able to show the potential rider
Sign Overview all the various type of signs they will encounter during their trek
throughout the park. We only want to give the user a small
representation of the signs they will encounter because listing them all would create a situation where
the rider’s attention is lost. We only want to give them enough information to be able to identify with
the signs and be able to interpret them on the fly. A small visual example will be accompanied by a
short text description of the sign and its purpose.
Examples that will be presented
 Cautionary Sign
 Entrance Sign
 Exit Sign
 Route Indicator
Park Info
This region will focus on what West Branch does best, and letting the riders
know about how special this area is. This also would be a great place to
mention the Cleveland Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) and how if it wasn’t for their devotion
the park wouldn’t even exist. They continually bring the trail system into the next evolutionary step in
riding while preserving safety as a top priority.
Keep mentions arranged a logical order and keep them short.
Recommended content topics
 CAMBA
 Ride safe / use a helmet
 Use the buddy system when riding when possible
 Rules about trail closures and how to identify the trails are closed
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4. West Branch Wayfinding Proposal
Caution &
March 15, 2010
The purpose of caution signage is to
inform the rider that that hazards or
Reglatory Signs
conditions are imminent and special
attention is required. This allows the rider to quickly interpret their
meaning and have enough time to ascertain proper judgment before
attempting something they wouldn’t be comfortable to. By having
cautionary signage we can ensure that the riders are traveling the
trails safely.
Example / Explanations
Sign: Bridge
Objective: To warn the rider of an upcoming bridge structure. Both
the text and visual representation easily allow the user to identify
with the message and prepare for the obstacle.
Sign: General Caution
Objective: To warn the rider of an upcoming object. This sign can be
used in numerous situations that warrant the rider be more aware of
their surroundings.
Sign: Downhill
Objective: To warn the rider of a steep downhill.
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5. West Branch Wayfinding Proposal
March 15, 2010
Sign: Drop Off
Objective: To warn the rider that a sheer drop is eminent.
Sign: Rock garden
Objective: To warn the rider that a series of rocks are present.
Sign: Switchback
Objective: To warn the rider that a series of turns that require special
attention.
Sign: Hill Climb
Objective: To warn the rider that they need to prepare to transverse a
hill.
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6. West Branch Wayfinding Proposal
March 15, 2010
The purposes of the regulatory signs are to ensure that the rider adheres to the very few rules that are
present on the trail network. The meaning must be clearly present so they aren’t open for any
individual interpretations.
Sign: Entrance
Objective: This sign will placed where the trail network starts to indicate the
trailhead.
Sign: Exit
Objective: This sign will be placed where the trail network ends.
Sign: No Riding
Objective: This sign will warn riders that the trail is closed and not to
ride. West Branch does close its trails seasonally and riders still
persist on riding the trails. This indicator should be placed at every
entry point.
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7. West Branch Wayfinding Proposal
March 15, 2010
Even though the primary map of the trail network is a rather
Directional Signs powerful tool and a rider with no experience could use it to
navigate. The wayfinding system needs to give rider a periodic
updates on which way they should going. The sign will also include elements that will indicate the trails
level difficulty along with an indicator that this section of trail has a general increase or decrease in
elevation. Each of these elements will be shown an explained shortly.
Sign: Direction | Difficulty | Elevation | Trail Name
Objective: Starting at the top you will notice a clear designation
pertaining to direction and where the user should travel. Next
is a combination of elevation and difficulty. The black diamond
represents the difficulty of the upcoming trail (this is based off
of the difficulty scale that ski systems generally use). This
allows us to use the rider’s previous knowledge and have them
apply it from memory. The green box indicates a decrease in
elevation; a red outline would state an overall increase for this
section of the trail. The signage would be described to the user
at the kiosk. Last but not least is the trail name that would
correspond to the naming convention on the primary map.
These signs will be mounted on a flexible material that if the
rider were to strike the sign it would not break under the
pressure. The rider would also benefit from this because they
would not be injured in the process.
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8. West Branch Wayfinding Proposal
March 15, 2010
The wayfinding system
Optimal Sign Location and Frequency would be a complete
failure if the signs
would improperly locate within the park. The task of finding the right spot isn’t as hard as it seems. All
you have to do is ask yourself “should a sign go hear”. Along with having these areas identified by
someone with vast knowledge of the trail; we would recommend that a rider be brought in that has no
experience and have them identify potential locations for signage also.
Signs will be clearly visible from the track and be consistently placed on the left side of the trail.
Directional based signs should be located where a wayfinding decision can be made or the trail changes
in difficulty. The regulatory signs will be placed anywhere a park rule is enforced or a rider needs to be
reminded of park policy.
However providing to many signs can have the opposite effect and make the trail system to confusing.
Finding the proper balance is critical to the success of the park and the level of pleasure you bring to
your constituency.
All the elements presented in this proposal will ensure that each and every
Conclusion rider will have a fun and safe trek through the amazing trails systems
provided by West Branch State Park. We look forward in working with you
on this future endeavor, and hopefully many more projects to come. Feel free to contact our team if
you ever have any questions.
References
1) Human Height (2010). [Provides an average height for Americans]. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_height
2) Camba West Branch State Park Tail Map. [Provides a wayfinding map for the mountain bike
trails at West Branch State Park Ohio]. Retrieved from
http://www.camba.us/pn/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showco
ntent&ii=1
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