b"wayfindingalso impairs perception of the built environment as it can make itinmulti-levelfacilitiesprovidesrelativelyeasyvisualcuesforResene Resene Resene Quarter difficult for individuals to identify key design elements and cues.users. Installing colour coding and large-scale signage at everySea Fog Tango Fuscous GreyBright or poor lighting and the reflectance of glare exacerbatekey intersection throughout a building assists with orientationResene Resene Resenethese problems. Careful allocation of paint colours with low lightandwayfinding.Wherepossible,avoidusingmorethanfourTurbo Hyperactive Double Foundryreflectance values (LRV) can help mitigate glare reflectance issues. distinct colour schemes because multiple colour schemes mayfar left, top and centre: Pronounced typographic painted signage and You may recall from past issues of BlackWhite magazine thatbecome confusing and difficult to remember. bold colours help students navigate their way through the Wellington LRV is expressed as a percentage, which can be found on the backGirls College campus. Gym signage in a custom made Resene green of your Resene swatches and colour cards and in the online ResenePutting colour to work with lettering in Resene Sea Fog, library in a custom made Resene Colour Library, www.resene.com/colour. Generally, whites and verypink with lettering in Resene Sea Fog, brook signage in Resene light colours have a high LRV (close to 100%) while blacks and veryThankstotheversatilityandaffordabilityofResenepaints,Hyperactive with lettering in Resene Sea Fog and various painted virtually every surface in your project can be leveraged to improvecladding elements in Resene CoolColour Double Foundry, Resene dark colours have low LRV (close to 0%). Some project typologiesyour wayfinding and add visual environmental cues. Quarter Fuscous Grey and Resene Sea Fog. Project and images by have guidelines to help you determine how much of a difference inIconographywhich are the graphic symbols that appear onMcKenzie Higham Architects, www.mckenziehigham.co.nz. Painting LRV percentage will result in adequate contrast. Paying attentionsignage that we collectively associate with many aspects of lifeby Switched On Property Maintenance Ltd, www.switchedon.net.nz. to LRV contrast is also critical for signage visibility. For example, can be painted on walls, doors, floors, ceilings and more bothWayfinding design by Neil Pardington Design, www.neilpardington.com.theAmericanswithDisabilitiesActAccessibilityGuidelinesinside and outside by choosing the right Resene paint for eachfar left bottom: You cant miss the quirky painted iconography that marks (ADAAG) recommend a contrast in LRV values between a signssurface. The use of these symbols instead of relying on wordsthe gendered bathrooms in Te PukeTara Community Centre, which also text and background colours to be a difference of 70% or above. alone can help improve navigation for those who cant read theinclude English and te reo labels. Red walls painted in Resene Red Berry, Zena says that when she is devising colour schemes for heryellow walls in Resene Turbo and iconography and typographic labels in projects, she generally focuses more on the range and contrastsame language and those who havent yet learned to read at all,Resene Tango. Design and images by Pacific Environments NZ Ltd,oftonalvaluesofpaintcolours(theirlightness-darkness)such as young children. Painted lettering can also offer a cost- www.pacificenvironments.co.nz. Build by Practec, www.practec.co.nz.than specific hueswhich are often tied to existing materialeffective and easy-to-change solution to create signage that above: When visitors are navigating a place like the Museumto quickly and easily find their way. In such contexts, colour- selections. However, she offered up a number of colour-relatedcan be painted over or corrected, if needed. Painted guide lines or pathways added to walls or flooring can provide visual cuesResene of Transportation of Technology (MOTAT), which is acoded pathways and coloured interior landmarks unambiguouslyideas that can be helpful. that are simple to follow when navigating confusing or expansiveWayfinding tips Red Berrycomplex comprised of separate buildings, painting eachdistinguish pathways and delineate spaces, and this is mirrored inWarm colours: Research indicates that red and warm colours of their exteriors in a different unique colour makes itResene floorplans to keep foot traffic flowing. Colour coding is key to much easier to find your way and agree on an easilyIrresistible the use of colour in signage. attract attention and draw people in. Referred to as the hearthhelping users make sense of getting around in some types ofCreate clearly defined paths. Depending on the recognised meeting place when visiting in a group.effect, this colour strategy can be used to create landmarks andprojects, and by choosing paint colours from the Resene Multi- project, this can sometimes be accomplished with Building 6 is painted in Resene Irresistible with mechanicalWhy colour is key different interior zones. Adding a mural in warm Resene coloursfinish range, you can be positive that your hues will be consistentpainted guide lines on walls or flooring.ducting in Resene Hero. Refurbishment design byIdeally, wayfinding should support all types of users, regardlesschanges the impact of a bland hallway by attracting attentionacross your entire designeven when different formulas haveCreate regions of differing visual character, so Athfield Architects, www.athfieldarchitects.co.nz.Resene of their different needs and goals within a given environment.and drawing people towards it. A yellow wall can be welcomingbeen applied to a wide variety of different substrates.And as welldifferent locations have unique identities.Refurbishment build by C3 Construction, Sometimes too much signage can be a bad thing. www.c3construction.co.nz. Image by Mark Scowen. Hero Colourisanidealtoolinwayfindingbecausehumansareand enticing, an orange door beckons people towards it and a redas providing much needed navigational cues, colour can also addDont overwhelm with too many navigational choices. hard-wired to notice certain colourssuch as redas well aswall at the end of a hallway can attract attention and encourageto the enjoyment of the space. Communicate the right message at the right time, strong contrast (light-dark contrast, colour contrast, saturationpeople to approach it.did you know? contrast), says Zena. In addition, we tend to look for and findWarm/coolcombinations:Usewarm/coolResenecolourWhen subtle cues will meet the needs of your project, evenand never block the flow of traffic or important patterns in our environment so the use of colour-coded pathwaysschemes to offset the impact of local climate. In cold climates,paintingguidelines,numbersorotherdesignsinthesamelandmarks and destinations.Resene colour but in a contrasting sheen level may be all youIncorporate painted murals to act as landmarks and Resene has products that can be used to provide wayfindingand similar strategies harnesses that tendency and can be used touse warm colours in an entry area to counteract the impact ofneed. This same tactic can also be achieved by overcoating areasprovide orientation cues.and safety benefits at the same time, such as using Reseneguide people to specific destinations. Painted surfaces, wallpaper,the external environment. Use cool colours throughout publicin a clear product such as Resene Concrete Clear gloss overUse strong colour contrast between key design elements.Non-Skid Deck & Path, or Resene Walk-on or Resenecoloured textured surfaces or cladding can also be easily and cost- spaces in buildings located in hot climates. This will make userswalls that have been painted in Resene SpaceCote Flat, ReseneMinimise unnecessary visual clutter. Too many visual Uracryl 403 with a slip-resistant additive. These products caneffectively installed and changed, if needed. In this context, paintof the built environment feel cooler and more comfortable. SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Sheen, for example.distractions, patterns and colour/contrasts hijack be used when incorporating directions, patterns and designsisprobablythemostcost-effectivemethodofimplementingColourcontrast,muralsandfeaturewalls:ThesesupportThis strategy has the added benefit of making the surface extraattention and add to cognitive load, thereby diminishing as part of your wayfinding solution for walking surfaces wherewayfinding strategies. orientationandwayfindingstrategiesbeyondregularsignage.durable, which can be necessary for wayfinding componentsyour design's effectiveness.there may be a higher risk of slipping on glossy, sloped or wetColour contrast plays an important role in visual perception,Pathways, districts, zones and landmarks can be created usingthat might be regularly touched or rubbed up against.Consider the use of iconography to help those who areas. Find out what product options will work best for yourZena adds. When there is too much contrast, the visual informationvariations in colour contrast as well as visual cues like murals. cant read or are unfamiliar with the local language.project by contacting your Resene Representative or ask acan be distractingand this can become problematic dependingColour zoning/coding: Colour zoning is an ideal non-verbal way toTo learn more about Zenas work through Design Research Associates,Resene Paint Expert at www.resene.com/paintexpert. on the situation and individual. Weak contrast, on the other hand,create and identify different zones. Colour coding different levelsvisit www.zenaoconnor.com.au.58 blackwhitemag.com blackwhitemag.com 59"