Different stages of Design:
- Understanding the organisation and the signage environment
- Identifying a facility
- Locating the place for signage
- Designing the elements of the signage system
- Design Process for developing a Directional Signage System

-  What is the brief from the Client?
-  Is it a new design or a redesign?

The Design Process design process for directional signage systems involves 6 stages as below:

• Stage One: Understanding the organisation and the signage environment:
  - What is the name/title of the organisation/environment?
  - What are the major activities of the organisation/environment? (useful for creating visual expressions connected with the organisation)
  - What is the unique identity specific to the organisation/environment?
     . Is there a well conceived visual identity program?
     . look at the background, history, context, etc. of the organisation
     . look at the vision, goals, future directions of the organisation
     . talk to your client and consolidate their viewpoints.
  - What is the need for the signage? How will the signage make a difference?

• Stage Two: Identifying a facility:
  - What are the facilities specific to the organisation/environment for which the directional signage is required? (including staircase, lift, toilet, help, dustbin, etc.)
  - Identify the different types of signage that you might require:
     . Informational? statuary? directional?
     . Floor mounted? grouted? free standing? hanging?
     . Indoors? outdoors?
     . Back lit? front lit? not lit?
  - Debate over these issues for imparting identity to a facility:
     . whether to use graphical pictograms/visuals only?
     . whether to use graphical pictograms in addition to text?
     . whether to use text only?
     . whether to use graphical pictograms/visuals/expressions around the facility
       when one reaches the facility?
     . whether to use numbers/alphabets to identify a facility?
     . (multilingual considerations, visibility, remembrance, etc.) . . . .
  - If you have chosen pictograms/graphic symbols, whether they should reflect the function of the facility or be arbitrary (like selecting different animals/seasons/plants to depict the      facility):
  - Semantic factors? should the signage have an unique identity? should it express the identity of the organisation? or should it have a unique theme?
     . expressions, meaning, content, feeling, etc.
     . macro view, micro view, etc
  - Functional factors? How should the signage be? Should it convey additional information?
     . educational, entertainment, emotional, promotional
     . humorous, serious, expressive, etc
     . to Identify, to differentiate, to focus, etc.
     . to inform, to direct, to warn, etc.
  - Influencing factors? Can you make use of shape, form, colour, number, size, texture derived from contextual themes for this?
     . cultural factors, local idioms and conventions
     . aesthetics, trends, etc.
  - Usability factors? Do you need to conduct experiments to verify these factors?
     . visibility, readability, recognisability, etc.
     . human factors, etc.
     . human product interactions
  - Technology and economic factors? The cost factor can influence the selection of material and the determine the method of fabrication
     . materials and processes
     . method of manufacture - batch, mass, hand fabrication?

• Stage Three: Locating the place for signage:
  - If the facility already exists, do a walk through the outlet
     . identify the location for the main signage - usually at the entrance of the lobby or visible from the main approach road
     . identify the places/corners/forks where one needs additional information to move ahead
  - How would the users navigate through the different spaces in the organisation/environment?
     . Note the places where there is need for display of information, the types of information, etc.
     . If it is redesign, by observing, studying and documenting (using photography, sketches, video-taping)
     . the users navigate through different spaces
     . the different interactions the users have with the environment and how they use the facilities
     . interact with the users to talk to them, narrate their experiences and getting their feedback
  - Use the map of the site or floor plans of the environment and mark the positions where different types of signage’s are required.

• Stage Four: Designing the elements of the signage system:
  - Classify/group these facilities into information chunks that make more sense.
     . functional? floor wise? direction-wise?
     . colour coded?
  - Sequence/order them for easier information retrieval:
     . alphabetical?, numbered?
  - The elements of the signage:
     . Use of expressions, colours (foreground and background), shapes, textures for designing the elements of the directional signage system         
  - How would you represent the 'The Directional Sign'?
     . arrow? pointing finger? layout?
  - How would you represent the 'the name of the facilities' in text?
     . typeface, style, etc.
  - How would you represent the 'the name of the facilities' in visuals:
     . symbols, icons, pictograms, etc.