Wayfinding Information Syntheses: A Study of Wayfinding Efficiency and Behavior in Complex Outdoor Institutional Environment

Objective: This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of wayfinding information (destination reference images) in real-time complex environmental settings through the syntheses of mobile and static information sources. This investigation will help in improving the wayfinding information design for complex institutional environments which will enhance the environmental legibility. Background: Complex environments are challenging for wayfinding efficiency. Identification of the location and orientation are considered to be important for wayfinding efficiency. This study investigated the user behavior in synthesizing the wayfinding information for identifying the users’ location and orientation in a complex environment. Method: Twenty-five university students have participated in the desktop-based virtual reality experiment. Five experimental conditions were developed for the assessment of wayfinding efficiency and users’ preferred information sources. Results: Reference images of destinations with user-matched angles were found more effective than the building’s facade images. Participants synthesized the mobile wayfinding information with real environmental information to identify their location and orientation. Real environment information (road intersections and shape of the road) and mobile information (reference images of building facades) were found influential in the identification of the user’s location and orientation. Conclusions: The study suggested a need for thorough investigation regarding the users’ wayfinding behavior with different types of environmental information. Future studies have been recommended to investigate other complex institutional environments with larger sample groups for enhancing environmental legibility and institutional efficiency.