Wayfinding: meaning, definitions and examples
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wayfinding
[ ˈweɪˌfaɪndɪŋ ]
navigation
The process of determining one's position and planning a route to a desired destination, especially in an unfamiliar environment.
Synonyms
direction, navigation, orientation
Examples of usage
- Wayfinding is essential for hikers in the wilderness.
- Good wayfinding skills can help you navigate through a new city.
- Proper wayfinding signage is important in large buildings.
- Wayfinding technology has advanced significantly in recent years.
- Wayfinding apps have become popular among travelers.
design
The system of signs, landmarks, and visual cues that help people navigate through a physical environment.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- Effective wayfinding design can improve the user experience in a shopping mall.
- Wayfinding elements include maps, signs, and symbols.
- Clear wayfinding can reduce stress for visitors in a complex building.
- The airport has excellent wayfinding to guide passengers to their gates.
- The wayfinding system in the museum is easy to follow.
Translations
Translations of the word "wayfinding" in other languages:
🇵🇹 navegação
🇮🇳 मार्गदर्शन
🇩🇪 Wegfindung
🇮🇩 penunjukan jalan
🇺🇦 орієнтування
🇵🇱 nawigacja
🇯🇵 道案内
🇫🇷 orientation
🇪🇸 orientación
🇹🇷 yol bulma
🇰🇷 길 찾기
🇸🇦 توجيه
🇨🇿 nalezení cesty
🇸🇰 nájdenie cesty
🇨🇳 路径引导
🇸🇮 iskanje poti
🇮🇸 leiðsögn
🇰🇿 жол табу
🇬🇪 მარშრუტის გაწვდილი
🇦🇿 yol tapma
🇲🇽 orientación
Word origin
The term 'wayfinding' originated from the field of environmental design and urban planning in the 1960s. It encompasses the cognitive processes and strategies used by people to navigate and orient themselves in physical spaces. Wayfinding draws on principles of visual communication, psychology, and architecture to create intuitive and efficient navigation systems. Over time, the concept of wayfinding has expanded to include digital technologies and mobile applications that assist users in finding their way in both indoor and outdoor environments.
See also: anyway, byway, multiway, way, wayfarer, waylay, waypoints, wayward.