As a photojournalism
major I often hit up our local zoo in the area. Syracuse Gifford zoo to take
photographs nine times out of ten I often end up shooting the same thing I did
the last time I was there yet I still wonder back there from time to time. One
thing I like about our local zoo is the layout is basically just a big circle
making the chance of getting lost not very well. The down fall is the bathrooms
are in just one place in the main building at the start of the walk around.
I was wondering
around the zoo one day, and as I approached the tigers it hit me. I really had
to use the bathroom really bad thankfully there was a bathroom sign right
behind me, but sadly the sign pointed both directions. The problem the sign did
not say what way would get you there faster. Now I have been at this zoo many
of a times, and knew the fasted way the problem when you’re in a pinch and
gotta really use the bathroom usually your not thinking strait. I went the
longer way and realized it about half way through needless to say I ended up
going behind a tree after making sure no one was coming.
Passini stated
“that objective of information design for wayfinding is not to design signs but
to help people move efficiently to their chosen destinations” (Jacobson,
1999) . Sadly Syracuse local zoo dropped the ball on
this one.
“The most important
skill for almost everyone in the next decade and beyond will be the ability to
create valuable compelling, and empowering information and experiences for
others.” (pg 267 Jacobson). This is a easy fix for the zoo, and proper signs
around the zoo would make people more comfortable, that and installing another
bathroom at the furthest part of the circle.
Graphic wayfinding
has four main categories of elements first being orientation followed by
directional information then destination identification; and finely situation
and object identification. Signs are a great start without them would be like the
United States having a judicial system without laws in place such as speed
limits. However it does not just stop there at the law level you have to have
people to enforce the law, and have a system to get the laws out to the people
so they know what they are “road signs”. Then the signs are posted with mph so
we know that going over that limit would be illegal.
The zoo installed a
bathroom that’s a good start then they put up signs telling everyone there are
bathrooms. They put little arrows up showing bathrooms this way, and have
posted signs saying “no peeing outside indecent exposure is punishable by law
(I ignored this one).” Where was the “posted mph” sign the one that says go
this way, because the other would take longer and result in an accident.
