Wayfinding signage ideas

[wilson_wu]

I thought I'd create a thread where you guys can post ideas / drawings to improves TTC signage.

What do you guys think of this? Concepts copied from Hong Kong I found their wayfinding system absolutely easy to use. No useless logos of staircases when it was obvious there were stairs.

Features
-Get rid of Northbound/Southbound/Inbound/Eastbound directions. These are absolutely useless to tourists and those unfamiliar with the system. In many cities such as Montreal, Hong Kong directional signage refer to the last station of the line.
-Include wheelchair directions in signage information. Also label elevators with numbers so they are easier to find. Sometimes there are multiple elevators on the same level with different destinations and finding the right one can be a hassle.
-Declutter signage. By introducing these information boards to the system, the TTC can declutter some of it's directional signage. If someone is lost, they can consult the board and then follow the symbols.

EDIT: Nevermind. Now that I relook at my idea. It looks confusing -__-

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

I thought I'd create a thread where you guys can post ideas / drawings to improves TTC signage.

What do you guys think of this? Concepts copied from Hong Kong I found their wayfinding system absolutely easy to use. No useless logos of staircases when it was obvious there were stairs.

Features
-Get rid of Northbound/Southbound/Inbound/Eastbound directions. These are absolutely useless to tourists and those unfamiliar with the system. In many cities such as Montreal, Hong Kong directional signage refer to the last station of the line.
-Include wheelchair directions in signage information. Also label elevators with numbers so they are easier to find. Sometimes there are multiple elevators on the same level with different destinations and finding the right one can be a hassle.
-Declutter signage. By introducing these information boards to the system, the TTC can declutter some of it's directional signage. If someone is lost, they can consult the board and then follow the symbols.

EDIT: Nevermind. Now that I relook at my idea. It looks confusing -__-

I think you've got some ideas there that can be massaged into a workable alternative...

The N/S/E/W labelling on trains definately could use replacing, especially since a southbound Y train becomes northbound after Union. Something like "Downsview via Union" might make more sense. No?

 

[Hank]

I agree with getting rid of the east/west/north/south signage and replacing it with the terminal stops, as is done pretty much everywhere else in the world I've been. I also really agree with numbering the exits (and elevators), and I would also like to see maps of the area immediately surrounding a station with the various numbered exits shown.

 

[jwill]

Many systems still use directions in one way or another. I find it more useful, as I always know what cardinal direction I'm going but don't always know the end points on a system I'm unfamiliar with. I lived in a city with these terminal-bound directions and it took months before I could intuitively use an unfamiliar line without checking its terminals.

 

[Hank]

Although having both direction-based and terminal-based might be fine, the direction-based signs may still be confusing in some situations (for example if you're at King station and need to go to Spadina, you should head south on the YUS line - not the most intuitively obvious path given that Spadina station is a fair ways north of King).

 

[jwill]

I agree thats a problem for somebody unfamiliar with the system. But I don't see how terminal signage will solve the problem.

You find a map, find the station you want to travel to, then instead of just knowing what direction you start out going (most people know the north=up convention), you have to continue all the way up to the end of the line to see that you want a 'downsview' train, not a 'finch' train.

 

[DavidH]

The general concepts behind this are good, but the visual presentation is a bit cluttered. Still, for a first pass it's pretty good and the potential is there.

I'd also suggest trying to leverage the work that GO has done at Union (and which will eventually be spread to all other GO stations). It would be helpful to have a common visual language for signage in the Toronto area, and GO's stuff would be a good starting point.

Finally, having such a common language actually is one of the points in the Metrolinx RTP. The specific requirement is:

5.9 Develop a consistent set of procedures, visual and audio cues, and wayfinding measures, that make the transit system easier to use and navigate, including
consistent numbering and naming of transit stations and stops, consistent schedules, and common transit signage standards.

No idea if they'll ever take action on it, but the fact that it's there might make them receptive to your ideas.

 

[wilson_wu]

And I absolutly hate hte TTC's idea of cramming intersections.

It takes a while to actually interpret this in your head.
"Queen Street West South Side, University Avenue West Side, Streetcars Eastbound"

When this would make so much more sense.
"Queen St. W. & University Ave. (SE Corner)"

 

[Jayomatic]

One thing i'm alway confused to see is how we treat most exit signs as red when red is a universal treatment of stop / avoid / danger. It really should be green.

 

[TTC12]

One thing i'm alway confused to see is how we treat most exit signs as red when red is a universal treatment of stop / avoid / danger. It really should be green.

I also think it means End and that is why I think its fine that we use red on exit signs. Exits are the end of a building, like our subways use red headlights at the end of the train.

That is how I see it.

 

[TTC12]

Ive always wanted to try an redesign some of the TTC's signs. I used the style it is using currently, only because I rather like it.

Please comment and tell me what would make it more user friendly, this is my first attempt, I'd like to make something the public agrees on! here's my first edition for the sign that was mentioned previously:

Tell me what you think should be change, and if you have any ideas in what to put in that big white space:

The fonts for the stations might need to be changed, hmm that arrow needs work!

 

[GenerationW]

And I absolutly hate hte TTC's idea of cramming intersections.

It takes a while to actually interpret this in your head.
"Queen Street West South Side, University Avenue West Side, Streetcars Eastbound"

When this would make so much more sense.
"Queen St. W. & University Ave. (SE Corner)"

Good point.

 

[indense]

We could copy the Tokyo system. Each line gets a colour and a letter. Each station gets the corresponding colour and letter plus a number as well as keeping its current name. So Kipling is B1 in a blue circle. Tourists, children and people who don't read English just need to know their destination stop's colour and number. You don't need to know East, West or the name of the terminus. You are in station B5, the museum is at B16 and the platforms are labeled "Toward B1" and "Toward B30". It's pretty simple to pick the right platform.
A decision would need to be made whether to have the Yonge and University/Spadina lines as two separate lines for labelling purposes with Union as both Y1 and U1 or keep as one line with Finch as "Y1". If Finch is Y1 and you add additional stops, you have to renumber all of the stops. If they are labelled as separate lines, picking the right platform at Union becomes super easy. One platform says "Toward U22" and the other says "Toward Y17".

Also, get rid of the labelling of exits and just number the exits. Then post maps of the station and the immediate surroundings including streetcar and bus stops and charge local businesses/office towers a fee to get highlighted on the map (maybe this is already done, I haven't been on the subway in Toronto in a couple of years and can't remember, to be honest). Businesses and tourist attractions will find it easy to provide directions - "Take the subway to Y11 and use exit 4."

 

[picard102]

Can you imagine how long it would take for the TTC to replace the signage when a new terminal station opens? It would never happen.

I played around with the old idea from Pual Arthur a while ago. I still think iconography would work much better for most of the RT system.

http://leschinskidesign.com/20090914/the-better-way-finding/

 

[EnviroTO]

Considering the effort of changing signage after an extension is built it would probably make more sense to label the end stations on each line with a letter. For example, A=Downsview, B=Finch, C=Kipling, etc. At each station there could be signs showing the subway map and the associated lettering as well as vicinity maps showing exit numbers closest to nearby buildings and attractions.