Randomosity

The State of Wayfinding at Northeastern University

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History of the Mark

1917 1922 1935 1960 1977 1990

The Evening Institute Seal change after “Lux, Veritas, Virtus.” Changed during a This seal ushered in A smaller more
of the Young Men’s Northeastern officially Light, Truth, and period of expansion the beginning of the streamlined logo to
Christian Association. incorporated as a Courage. Working and change. Uni- era we are currently embrace a smaller
Adapted from the university. Class students. After versity moved from in and marked a time and more stream-
YMCA’s emblem the university official- a technical institu- when Northeastern lined university.
ly separated from the tion to a professional really started to be-
YMCA. place of learning. come a modern uni-
versity.

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Branding Standards
LogoType
The redesign of the Northeastern logo marked a fun-
damental shift in the way the university is perceived
both by its students and the communities that it ex-
ists in (local and global). A modified version of the
font Baskerville was developed specifically for the
word mark and the seal is a revision of the 1935 hand
drawn version.

2008 Rebrand Korn Design

When used in a four color process the
seal appears in PMS Warm Gray 11
with the word mark in “Northeastern
NU RED WARM GRAY 11 BLACK
Red” (0, 100, 90, 5) CMYK. There are CMYK CMYK K
black and white versions of the Logo- (0, 100, 90, 5) (0, 13, 30, 76) (100)

Type as well.

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 Helvetica Neue Bold Condensed

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Typography 0123456789
Usage New Baskerville Roman
Helvetica Neue serves as an informa-
tive and readable display face. It is eco-
nomical in terms of space and the bold
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv
weight can be read at great distances.
wxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
New Baskerville is used for identifying
the university and things that require a
formal presentation.
0123456789
The italic set of this font is used to sig-
nify second level information pertaining
New Baskerville Italic

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv
to colleges and the university

wxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789
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Campus Maps
A Brief History

1924 1935 1961

The first map in the ar- The 1935 map shows This map is particularly
chive is from the 1924 what a more familiar unique in its illustration
student handbook. Due Northeastern, closer to style and orientation. The
to the university’s small the neighborhood that pitch is shifted to show
size the map puts it in we know today. the dimension of the
the greater context of buildings and the viewer
Boston. is looking across campus
to the southeast.

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More Recently
A Brief History Continued

1966 1967 1976 1985

In this version Hunting- And here Huntington This map marks the ad- Here the pitch has shift-
ton Avenue runs horizon- Avenue runs North to dition of grid correspon- ed back to a purely birds
tally through the middle South. Not an accurate dence numbers to help eye view and sectors of
of campus. representation but an in- the user isolate quad- the map are denoted
teresting way of dividing rants on the map. The along the bottom but not
the campus. buildings are denoted by by latitude.
a quadrant and two letter
abbreviation.

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Current Map
Transitional

2008
Displayed to the right This map is consider- system loosely follows a
is the current campus ably more detailed than top to bottom left to right
map, available at the previous years, however pattern, however it piece-
information desk in Curry it excludes some use- meal at best.
Student Center in paper ful conventions from
copy form. The map is earlier maps. The grid
currently being used in correspondence num-
the interim period while bers are gone replaced
the new brand is applied with a numeric labeling
to a redesigned map bro- system for all campus
chure and printed. buildings. That numeric

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 Mass Art Lo
uis
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As Northeastern’s neigh-

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Wa
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an

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cou
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bor, the Mass Art cam-

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ad
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la
ple of how someone else
C

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Precedents
handled the orientation

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Driv
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of Huntington Avenue
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and density of a city uni-

oo ntin
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Campus Map versity.

T G

Ward
Stre
et

A MassArt Buildings P Parking Entrance

T MBTA - Longwood Handicap Entrance

Medical Area Station
Green “E” Line

A ARTISTS’ RESIDENCE F NORTH I TOWER (CONTINUED)

1 Convenience Store 3 Fibers B Events Planning & Theater Management
1 Doran Gallery 2 Film / Video 4 Facilities
1 Godine Gallery 6 Fashion Design
B COLLINS 1 Pozen Center 7 Film / Video
1,2 Ceramics 2 Sculpture 11 Foundation Conference Room
B Foundry & Welding Shop 1 Studio for Interrelated Media 4 Graduate Center
1 Glass 2 Graduate Programs
3 Jewelry & Metalsmithing G SMITH HALL RESIDENCE 6,9 Graphic Design
8 Human Resources
C EAST H SOUTH 6,9 Illustration
2 Environmental Health & Safety 1 Admissions 10 Industrial Design
B,1 Film / Video 1 Arnheim Gallery 11 Institutional Advancement
2 Printmaking 1,2 Art Education 11 Institutional Research
1 Public Safety 1 Bakalar Gallery 5 Learning Center
B Woodshop 3 Brant Gallery 5 Liberal Arts
1 Center for Art & Community Partnerships 12 Library
D GYMNASIUM 1 Curatorial Programs 11 Marketing & Communications
2 Paine Gallery 11 MassArt Foundation
E KENNEDY 2,3 Studio Foundation 11 President’s Office
B Art Supply & Bookstore 11 President’s Gallery
2 Career Services I TOWER 2 Professional & Continuing Education
2 Counseling Services 8 Academic Advising B Public Art
1 Dining Commons 3 Academic Affairs 4 Purchasing
2 Housing & Residence Life 8 Administration & Finance 8 Registrar
2 International Education 11 Alumni Relations 11 Special Events
3,4,5 Painting 11 Alumni Room 8 Student Financial Assistance
6 Photography 3,7 Animation 3,7,8 Technology

RISD Kent State

2 Student Center 10 Architecture 1 Tower Auditorium
2 Student Development 5 Art History 2 Tower Café
2 Student Government Association 8 Business Office 2 Tower Gallery
4 Central Services 11 Trustees Room
8 Civil Rights Compliance & Diversity 13 Urban Arts Institute

Although this is RISD’s This campus map takes 11 Community Relations 2 Youth Programs

interactive online map, it an interesting approach

serves as a good exam-
ple. It is a 3D representa-
tion and provides contex-
tual city markers.
by representing the in-
formation in its simplest
form. In some ways this
is easier to navigate be-
cause of the minimal
amount of detail.

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Information Kiosks
Shillman Hall & Speare Quad

There are different styles of kiosks lo- The kiosk located by Shillman Hall has
cated around campus and all of them the whole backside unused. This could
include a map of the university. The be prime real estate to display different
kiosks themselves could be better de- kinds of information. The backside of
signed to help with navigating both the the Krentzmen Quad kiosk also could
campus itself and the surrounding city allow for more information to be dis-
areas as well. Highlighting points of played.
interest in Boston could be helpful in
encouraging students to explore what’s
around them. The kiosks could also
display other information pertinent to
the campus events. Since these kiosks
are central markers, they could serve as
an easy location to post campus-wide
Located next to Detail view of the map
information. Shillman Hall and in
the Speare Quad

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Kiosks & Flat Maps
Currently on campus

Located in Located outside the Snell

Krentzman Quad. Library Quad

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Precedents
Two Twelve & Yale Kiosks
One example of an effective kiosk is
what was done by the design firm Two
Twelve for the city of Charlotte, North
Carolina. The kiosk map that they cre-
ated divided up the city into the four
main areas, color coded them, and
listed destinations, points of interest,
and ongoing events in the respective
areas. This could be a good solution for
our current campus kiosks as it would
be a good way to tie in the surrounding
community. Also, the campus could be
divided up, perhaps by quads, as an
easier way of getting around.
A second example is what was done for
Yale University. This is their first public
kiosk. The new kiosk effectively brings
together both the University and the city
of New Haven and allows both students
and residents of the city to navigate
the university and city. This could be a
good solution for our current kiosks
to make both students and residents
aware of the campus and what is avail-
able in the areas surrounding campus.
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Precedents
Kiosks
Applied Information Group
Glasgow, Scotland Kiosks
A third example of a successful prec-
edent offers another way of utilizing the
kiosks with other information as op-
posed to always being a map. Applied
Information Group was the firm re-
sponsible for creating these kiosks for
Glasgow, Scotland. The kiosks not only
have maps of the city, but also high-
light other things of interest, like for
example notable architecture one can
Marque Design
Campus Wayfinding Project North Glasgow College
find in Glasgow. This could offer a good School project made for the University
solution for our current kiosks because college of Gjøvik. Incorporates an origi-
perhaps different landmarks in Boston nal typeface and lettering system for
around the vicinity of campus could be campus landmarks to unify the univer-
highlighted or maybe current events sity.
coming up on campus could be dis-
played. As of now, the only real way to
know about upcoming events is via the
sandwich boards sporadically placed on
campus and having a central location
for the information could allow for more
student participation.
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 Campus Signage

The Sign Shop

Most signs you see on Northestern’s campus are also
made on campus at the local sign shop. These sign
range from on-going events to building directories.

The magager of the sign shop, Christina Salvato, was

able to provide us with some key information:

Komatex MDO board Dibond Signs are usually made out of one of three different
Weather resistant Medium Density Dibond is an materials, Komatex, MDO Board and Dibond.
plastic sheets can be Overlay board is aluminum composite
used for outdoor usually made of material (ACM) made of Northeastern University President Auon is quite
applications. Suitable for plywood, coated with two pre-painted sheets of involved in the process of sign making and is the final
the advertising, outer layers of aluminum. It is flat, du- approval of most signs.
displays and resin kraft paper. Not rable, and
exhibition stands. reccomended for weather resistant. Although it is not very apparent, wayfinding at North-
outside use. eastern is underway.

Northeastern is in the proccess of changing all the

signs to the new identity which uses new fonts
and logos.

Wayfinding at Northeastern is improving, especially

with the new gateway project that is in process.

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Process of converting old
signs to new identity
Co-ops sent on mission
Take pictures of buildings
and answer following ques-
tions:
Is it a traditional sign or does
it use engraving?
How many signs on a build-
ing?
What material is the sign
and how is it affixed to the
building?
Decision to outsource
“We decided that our best
method at this point was
to have the entire project
outsourced. Everything it
entailed was stuff we were
capable of doing in the
shop but with the intention
of saving ourselves a lot
of time, we decided it was
better to outsource.”
List is made
How many, what size, what
material is all concluded
in list.
List is made
At the weekly meeting, the
Vice-President of Facilities
proposed building signage
would only have one sign
even if it currently had two.
Proposal
List is shown to contractor
who compiles information
into the proposal.
Proposal is shown to the
Director of Facilities
Operations and the
Director of Design for
Marketing and Communi-
cations.
Price
Companies prices are
compared.
Prototype
“Around this time, I also
received the actual design
layout/prototype of what
each sign should look like
depending on whether it
was going to be a wooden
sign or a vinyl sign placed
on glass. The layouts also
varied in size depending
on how much text was
involved.”
Christina Salvato
Manager, Sign shop
Samples Sent
Samples from each of the
four companies are sent
out to shop.
Once recieved a desicion
on the company will be
made.
“Keep in mind this process
probably would have been
somewhat expedited and short-
er had the discussion and pro-
cess not taken place prior to,
Material search during, and after move-in which
Start looking into other ma-
is one of the, if not THE, busiest
terials (besides wood) that
would be more weather- times of the year for us and the
resistant and in turn last
longer. Decided to use
3mm Dibond.
entire Facilities division.”
Christina Salvato
Signs are installed
Landscape and grounds
staff who will then remove
the existing signage and
replace it with the new.
GdAM
 Wayfinding Wednesdays

The Sign Shop

Every Wednesday a wayfinding meet-
ing is held where the Manager of the
sign shop, Vice President of Facilties,
the Design director of Creative Services,
Director of Landscaping and the Physi-
cal Plant Operations Manager. The fol-
lowing issues are discussed:

The most challenging part would probably be The current and future issues of way-

the research and being able to find a solution finding at Northeastern.

The new gateway system that will be

that accommodates all concerning factors; underway soon.

weather, sustainability, building structure, and Replacement of old identity to the new.

also something that people are happy with.

Christina Salvato
Manager, Northeastern Sign Shop

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 ADA Standards

Accessibility
The Americans with Disabilities Act was
signed into law in July 1990. This his-
toric act was designed to provide equal
access and opportunities to all Ameri-
cans with disabilities.

The law requires to remove archi-

tectural and communication barriers
where “readily achievable.” This means
a good faith effort must be made to
accommodate the disabled, which in-
cludes the installation of ADA tactile
and braille signage for the benefit of the
visually impaired.
Typeface Contrast Distance Braille
Regulations state that Characters and symbols Overhead directional Permanent room signs State and local sign codes vary consid-
letters and numbers on are recommended to signs must have a cap must have characters erably, such as symbol signs for rest-
signs shall have a width- have a minimum of 70% height of at least 3”. raised 1/32” uppercase room doors required in California.
to-height ratio between contrast with their back- Other directional signs and must be accompa-
3:5 and 1:1, and a stroke ground. do not have a specified nied by Grade 2 Braille.
width-to-height ratio be- cap height but must be
tween 1:5 and 1:10. “size according to view-
ing distance.”

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Tunnels
Currently on campus

Currently on campus
The tunnels that connect different
buildings on campus are barren of any
sort of helpful directional information.
The only sort of map is set up right be-
fore one enters the tunnels. The empty
hallways of the tunnels could offer a
great opportunity for new wayfinding
signage. The tunnels could become
more user-friendly and allow for easier
navigation with a new signage system.
Current Map of the tunnel system at
Northeastern University. Buildings are
denoted by color and there is a map
at the entrance to every tunnel. How-
ever, once inside the tunnels it is not
clear which direction you are walking or
where you are going.

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Precedent
Tunnels

Monash University Boston Children’s Hospital

Hofstede Design
Beyond an awesomely pristine white
hallway, large floor graphics and wall
signage call out different locations, in a
space that is ordinarily quite difficult to
orient oneself in.
Two Twelve Associates
An effective solution that our current
tunnel system could benefit from is
what the firm Two Twelve implemented
at Children’s Hospital Boston. Although
their signage is not for a tunnel system
like ours, the solution they created of-
fers easy improvements to our current
system.
Children’s utilizes a color-coded system
for their directional signage. Every area
of the hospital is represented by both a
color and a symbol. Our current tunnels
map system already has different
colors to represent the respective build-
ings, so the system of hanging signs
from the ceiling with directional arrows
and the appropriate color could aid in
finding one’s way around. Currently, the
tunnels are empty and if someone does
not know their way around, it could
become confusing. This simple signage
could help to both increase directional
awareness and liven up the empty hall-
ways.

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 Curry Student Center
Information Desk
& Work Terminals

Displays
Currently on campus

In our canvassing of the campus we no- Possible uses:

ticed an incredible number of flat panel
Directional Wayfinding / Navigation
television displays. The one feeling we
were all left with after seeing them, was Student generated content
that we wanted more. It is clear that
 tandardize submission process for
S
they aren’t being used to their full po-
current artwork so that it matches di-
tential, but what is that potential?
mensions of the screen.

 reate adaptable touch screen technol-

C
Curry Student Center
ogy to outfit screens with for interactiv- Indoor Quad
ity.

Comments / Thoughts?

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Bibliography
http://www.librisdesign.org/
docs/WayfindingSignage.pdf
“Wayfinding and Signing in Library Design” provides
a a brief explanation of wayfinding principles and
how to approach a wayfinding project. Included and
especially useful are the explanation of signage/type
sizes and the user’s ability to use process informa-
tion.
Marque - Recent
North Glasgow College
Marque’s wayfinding project for North Glasgow Col-
lege provides the campus with multiple solutions to
their wayfinding problems. The firm utilizes paint to
make large, comprehensive, and cost-efficient solu-
tions. Other forms of signage include cut-outs and
lighting. The simplicity and minimalist color palette
make it much more readable.
Hofstede Design
The wayfinding and signage at Monash University
combines the use of large paint signage and room
placards to create a macro and micro approach to
wayfinding. Simplistic kiosks with clean building list-
ings and that avoid traditional campus mapping are
easy to read and point you in the right direction.
Wayfinding project | Unravel Library wayfinding | Cardiff
Creative | Design | Illustration | Design Festival
Photography
Rectangular kiosks at Cardiff Library utilize all sides
to inform users about what can be found in that
The wayfinding project at University College of
particular location and, on other sides, what can be
Gjovik gives an in-depth look at different forms of
found elsewhere. The color palette is inviting and
signage. Large outdoor three-dimensional signage
corresponds with the large exterior building signage.
corresponding to the building letters (A, B, C…)
make finding buildings easier. The project also uses
overhead signage, floor signage, thin double-sided
kiosks, and a simple color palette to guide visitors of McHenry Library Sign Project -
the campus.
a set on Flickr
Emir Bukva: design portfolio: The McHenry Library signage project is an example
of how uniformity and simplicity combine to create a
environmental friendly user environment.
Buvka’s portfolio allows a look at Kent State’s vehicu-
lar signage. They make use of symbols (i.e. informa- ADA SIGNAGE AND ACCESIBIL-
tion and parking) and directional arrows to guide
drivers around campus. ITY GUIDELINES
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) guidelines
Wayfinding - Waitakere Central provide restrictions that we will have to consider and
adhere to if there is a possibility for implementation
Library: Dallow Boss of our project.
Waitakere Central Library’s signage includes large
directional banners that provide users with the en-
trance’s address. Floor listings provide a simple way
for users to direct themselves around a building.
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