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OCR for page 101
Terminal 101
Linear Wayfinding
Fewings40 refers to linear wayfinding as a sequential series of destinations. He
also notes three key variables that affect the traveler's wayfinding experience:
· Visual access
· Architectural differentiation
· Plan configuration
Wayfinding indoors also follows the same intrinsic process of a series of problem
solving tasks that allow the traveler to reach his or her destination. In other words,
when trying to get to a destination, the traveler tends to make a decision to go to
an intermediate destination, such as stairway, hallway or intersection point. Often,
this may be simply to get to the end of their line of sight and to see what the next
set of options may be. In a large airport terminal, some decisions are made for the
traveler in that intermediate destinations have to be sequential; for example, a typ-
ical sequence would include: check-in, security, passport control and departure gate
in that order. In smaller terminal buildings, the traveler can immediately see the air-
craft parked on the far side of the terminal but the same intermediate `obstacles'
still have to be negotiated. Inside buildings, people use several cues or visual and
spatial variables in order to find their way around. These variables include visual
access, architectural differentiation and plan configuration. Internal design features
also have an impact on wayfinding performance. Starting with visual access, when
a person is trying to find a facility or location, or trying to get orientated within a
building, it is easier to manage if there are landmarks associated with specific areas
or zones. In addition, wayfinding is eased if there is direct visual access to the loca-
tion that they are aiming towards; for example, as already mentioned, parked air-
craft that are visible when passengers enter the terminal. Therefore, the extent to
which different parts of the building can be seen from other parts of the building
can have a direct effect on the ease of wayfinding within that environment.
the mile-long concourse to the other to get to your gate. The wayfinding challenge is how to com-
municate to a passenger if they should walk to their gate or ride the Express Tram?
The directory shown in Figure 6.6 is well organized and helps orient passengers where they are
in the concourse, but does not tell a passenger if it is quicker to walk or ride to their gate.
The walk vs. ride issue at DTW has a two-part solution shown in Figures 6.6 and 6.7. The
MUFIDs add an extra column on the far right to indicate if a passenger should ride the Express
Tram. The directional signs in the concourse indicate specific gate ranges to passengers to ride
the Express Tram for the quickest connection. A comprehensive design and planning approach
at DTW helps provide the passenger with a positive wayfinding experience.
6.2 Considering Terminal Users in Design (Human Factors)
6.2.1 Terminal Users Categories
There are a number of user groups that travel through airport terminal buildings. These
include departing passengers, arriving passengers, passengers with a connecting flight, and non-
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102 Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside
Figure 6.4. Passenger flow diagram used for planning purposes. Red and blue
dashed lines represent typical passenger circulation paths to help identify each
decision point in the wayfinding journey.
travelling visitors who are picking up or dropping off passengers. Terminal users include famil-
iar and unfamiliar passengers and visitors. In addition, users may have physical, visual, cogni-
tive disabilities that may make the wayfinding task more challenging. Unfamiliar passengers may
have added stress from fatigue or jetlag. The wayfinding system must consider and accommo-
date all terminal visitors and passengers.
6.2.2 Terminal User Tasks and Information Requirements
Passengers can be separated into three basic types: departing, arriving, and connecting. Within
these three types, a passenger can also be classified as a domestic or international passenger.
Accounting for the information requirements for all of the various passenger combinations is a
tedious but important step in developing a well planned wayfinding system.
6.2.2.1 Departing Passengers
A typical wayfinding task for the departing passenger includes the following wayfinding chain
elements: entrance, ticketing counter, security checkpoint and airline gate. In addition to these,
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Terminal 103
Image courtesy of: Boston Logan International Airport.
Figure 6.5. "Making Connections" at BOS is a good example
of the type of planning and communication that can help
overcome the complexity of architectural configuration.
Figure 6.6. Airport directory map at DTW.
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104 Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside
Figure 6.7. MUFIDs and directional signing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Airport (DTW).
other secondary destinations should also be considered such as elevators, washrooms, telephones,
frequent traveler lounges, stores, Internet stations, currency exchange counters and information
kiosks. Understanding the difference between these primary and secondary destinations will help
airports establish a clear message hierarchy.
Many airport terminals service a large array of airlines. The scale of the departures hall and the
large number of available airline ticketing counters can easily overwhelm unfamiliar passengers
entering the terminal. Airline ticketing counters should be organized systematically and signs,
directories, or maps should be used near entrances to direct passengers to ticketing counters that
are not directly in view.
Large airports have a number of gates, sometimes spanning several buildings. For example,
airports like Denver and Atlanta have gates distributed across multiple concourse buildings that
are accessed primarily by underground rail. Research has shown that decision points that require
a change in level have a greater negative impact on wayfinding compared to same-level decision
points56. In order to guide passengers through a complex path between origin and destination,
more wayfinding tools are required such as signs, maps, and directories.
6.2.2.2 Arriving Passengers
A typical wayfinding task for an international arriving passenger includes the following primary
wayfinding chain elements: passport control, customs, baggage claim area, baggage carousel, exit
to parking, car rental, ground transportation, or passenger pickup. Domestic passengers experi-
ence similar wayfinding tasks minus the passport control and customs. Other secondary wayfind-
ing destinations may include elevators, washrooms, telephones, and information counters. In
large airports arriving passengers may have to walk a long distance from their gate in order to
reach the baggage claim area. In these cases signs should be placed every 150250 feet along the
path to remind passengers they are heading in the right direction. Carousels in the baggage claim
area should be well-marked with flight number and departure city. In large terminals that have
several carousels, a directory should be placed at the entrance to the baggage claim area to iden-
tify flight information for each carousel. To aid passengers as they wait for their luggage, an infor-
mation desk for ground transportation should be located adjacent to the baggage claim area.
6.2.2.3 Connecting Passengers
Many passengers arrive at an airport terminal for a layover before taking a connecting flight to
their destination. For international passengers, a typical wayfinding task may include primary des-
