Ontario Science Center Redesign

Ontario Science Centersignage system

3IntroductionVisual System

Pictograms

Signage

Conclusion

i. Typefaceii. Colours

i. Regulatoryii. Identificationiii. Directional

i. Mapii. Main Directoryiii. Floor Directoriesiv. Floor Directional Signagev. Escalator Signage

vi. Exhibit Identificationvii. Signage Construction

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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5INTRODUCTION

This booklet is meant to outline the proposed signage system for the Ontario Science Centre/Centre des sciences de lOntario located in Toronto, Ontario.

This facility is meant to increase understanding and awareness of science and technology amongst the general public. The Ontario Science Cen- ter encourages a hands-on approach towards science in a unique and fun manner, igniting interest in different areas of scientific knowledge and further experimentation within this field.

Traditionally, the Ontario Science Centres target audience consisted of families and primary school groups but the facility is now attempting to expand its appeal to include a more general audience. Although the Centres main appeal is geared towards children, with the inclusion of hands-on activities, exhibits and school programs, there are adequate facilities to meet the needs of adults as well, such as con-ference meeting rooms and auditoriums. There are also general appeal art gallery exhibits. Other than residents of Toronto, the bilingual centre is visited by many national and international tourists and therefore must be easily ac- cessible to all.

VISUAL SYSTEM

8TYPEFACE

Avenir LTAvenir Medium

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890 !?@$#().,

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Avenir Heavy

Avenir Black Avenir Heavy Oblique

Avenir is a typeface that is strong at larger scales. It has soft edges and is well rounded, intended to be a humanist approach to classic geometric sans-serif typefaces. Vertical strokes are heavier than horizontal strokes, ascenders and descenders are shorter than average, and letters are not perfectly round which aids in legibility.

9COLOURS

The colour choices are meant to appeal to a youthful audience. Each individual floor of the Ontario Science Centre has been assigned a unique individual colour which is extended to symbol usage. By implementing the use of colour coding, each floor is identified as a cohesive unit. This allows for easy identification.

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PICTOGRAMS

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Regulatory signage is standard universal symbols for easy comprehension by everyone who visits the facility.

REGULATORY

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IDENTIFICATION

Identification pictograms have been designed to help identify specific exhibits/attractions throughout the centre. These pictograms are not child-like, but child-friendly, to appeal to both the youthful audience as well as older visitors.

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DIRECTIONAL

Directional pictograms simply and clearly provide information on how to get to a particular location. These symbols incorporate the circular element established in the identification pictograms to create a more unified visual system. An arrowhead has been added to the circular element to denote the direction of the location represented within the circle. These directional pictograms are accompanied with text when placed on signage.

SIGNAGE

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MAP

Colour is used within the map to indicated floor designa-tions. Floors that are similar in scale and appearance are placed next to one another (for example level 1+2, level 3+4) and their colour choices are opposite on the spec-trum to aid in contrast and help in retention of each floor designation. Pictograms for exhibits and rooms hover above the relevant areas on the map rather being placed

on the map itself so as not to complicate the typographic details of the map. Areas shown in grey illustrate general-ized shapes of the floor above or below and help orientate the viewer as to the relationship of one level to the other. The cross section of the map provides an explanation of the order of floors and illustrates the unique placement of the facility on a downward sloping valley.

MAIN DIRECTORY

Directories provide a guide to visitors unfamiliar with a locations layout and orientation. Therefore a main direc-tory will placed on a lit LED pillar in the centre of the main floor to greet visitors upon entering the Ontario Science Centre. The main directory includes a list of what is found on each floor as well as a map indicating their locations. Both French and English versions are placed side by side as the centre is bilingual. The information is set up at a comfortable reading level with a blank buffer of 1ft 2 in at the bottom of the pillar. Content placed on the pillar never exceeds 6 ft 4 in. The lowest point size used within the directory is 16 pt, which is seen on he legend. This point size is comfortably read at a distance of several feet. Large numbers appear at the top of the pillar, designating the current floor, and allowing quick cross reference with the directory underneath. To aid in quick comprehension and scannability, lowercase letters are used for level tiles and supporting text.

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FLOOR DIRECTORIES

Upon entering each floor, the visitor is greeted by a floor directory. The directory includes a larger view of the specific floor map but also includes the main floor directory as a reference to the rest of building. The current floor map is expanded in the left column where the smallest text size is 24pt. The main directory is 22pt, which is legible from up to 7 ft away and provides a comfortable reading distance when standing 3-4 feet away. The smallest point size is found on the legend with-in the main directory which is 14pt. The exact location of the viewer is indicated on the map with a red circular popout. Pictograms for exhibits and rooms are superimposed outside of map area as floating elements for increased scannability.

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FLOOR DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE

Once arriving on a particular floor, the usage of floor directional signage provides a quick reference to help navigate the space. The placement of most signs would be near the of the escalator, hanging from the ceiling. The placement allows the signs to be quickly seen as approaches the relevant floor. This signage is legible from a distance of 45 ft. Current floor identification is a consistently placed large number on the left of the sign. Pictograms with directional arrows are placed next to written information to aid in directional understanding. Regulatory signs, such as washroom signs, are displayed in black for immediate recognition and to provide contrast to the coloured exhibit signage. Placement of elements on the signage are congruent with the direction of relevant room/exhibit. For example, if the exhibit is to the left of the sign, the icon and written information appears on the left portion of the sign.

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ESCALATOR SIGNAGE

Escalator signage is used to demonstrate the different levels that can be accessed by taking a particular escalator. This helps to clearly represent the somewhat confusing layout of the Ontario Science Centre. Level numbers and colours with directional arrows are placed on the left por-tion of the sign to denote whether the visitor must go

up or down to get to a certain floor. Exit and entrance arrows are displayed in black for immediate recognition and to provide contrast to the coloured level arrows. The smallest type size is 124 pt which is legible from a distance of 40 ft away.

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EXHIBIT IDENTIFICATION

Identification pictograms appear as large scale wall graphics that are immediately visible at great distances. These pictograms are consistent with the designated floor colour system. To provide another level of communication,

the name of the exhibit/attraction is displayed above the entrance in large lit LED text. The smallest point size would be 332pt which is very legible from large distances.

SIGN CONSTRUCTION

All signage is backlit to allow easy visibility throughout the centre. Each sign is constructed with four layers including a metallic frame, frosted glass with transparent vinyl, a LED lit frosted container and a metallic backing.

CONCLUSION

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The signage system proposed in this booklet for the Ontario Science Centre excels at meeting the needs of the facility. The target audience is properly identified and the suggested system is geared towards this youthful group while still taking into consideration the facilities less frequent visitors. The intergration of exhibit pictographs allows for an additional level of visual appeal that inter-grates the physical space of the facility itself. The signage system is clear, concise and graphically appealing allowing all users to easily navigate the facility and at the same time providing an attractive enviroment that would encourage users to return.

Design 593

Agnes Czegus Skye Oleson-Cormack