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EurAsian Journal of BioSciences Eurasia J Biosci 13, 2271-2278 (2019)

Environmental graphic design for building information systems

Elif Atamaz 1* 1 Assistant Professor, European University of Lefke, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Graphic Design, North Cyprus, TR- 10, Mersin, TURKEY *Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract In our modern world, cities are growing and consequently, the complexities of the buildings are increasing day by day. The main problem in our cities is the lack of communication between the citizens and therefore rising “individualism”. Especially foreigners coming from small regions, speaking different languages, cannot easily adapt to the social life of the city and they cannot develop their life skills for urban areas. It is not easy for foreign people to walk around in the city streets and building complexes. They need effective guidance. There is a need for effective and useful building information systems. The main topic of this paper is the new subject “Environmental Graphic Design”. By using graphic design elements; typography, pictograms, photographs, and illustrations the storytelling places can be designed. In this paper, firstly environmental graphic design will be described by searching the awarded projects from all over the world and then the practices in Cyprus will be analyzed by comparing their past and present. Lastly the case study with the students of Architecture Faculty of one private university in Cyprus will be reported and in this manner, the importance of graphic design in architectural environments will be emphasized. Keywords: graphic design, way-finding, information systems, sign systems, environmental graphics Atamaz E (2019) Environmental graphic design for building information systems. Eurasia J Biosci 13: 2271-2278. © 2019 Atamaz This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.

INTRODUCTION Our world has been changing rapidly since the

industrial revolution and it has gained acceleration in the last quarter of the century with the aid of technological developments. Cities are growing and becoming complicated living centers far from human scales. However, people coming from small regions have to live in these complexes because of their difficult living conditions in their territories. These difficulties may be political, economic and natural or man-made treatments….but there is a high ratio increase in the population and this population is not homogeneous. The number of international migrants, people living outside their country of birth or citizenship, reached the highest level ever recorded in the last years. On the other hand; local people are not happy with their living in multicultural cities. Migrants bring their cultures, religions, daily life habits and consequently, the pattern of the local towns started to change.

In our modern world, urban life has been intricate because of the giant transportation systems with large vehicular streets surrounding huge complex buildings. When the multicultural population and its social problems are considered; living in an urban environment becomes very hard. People not only migrants but also

local ones prefer to stay in their own territories and unless they have to, they do not participate in city life. Especially for the people coming from small regions and not used to big city life, the sense of alienation, the fear of belonging to urban life would be higher. When they are obliged to go to a complex building such as a hospital or terminal, they need effective guidance with them. The way-finding signs and information graphics are mostly designed according to main city languages and additionally English for visitors. Indications from statistical data on migrants more widely and from the available literature suggest that refugees may overall have a greater incidence of lower educational attainment (UNCHR 2013). It is not difficult to understand that most of the newcomers know little local language and English and even if they can speak, they may not read and write. Antonsson (2010), worked in the Osire refugee settlement of Namibia and found out that not knowing the environment and trying to find the way makes newcomers scored, uncomfortable and confused and

Received: September 2019 Accepted: December 2019

Printed: December 2019

mailto:[email protected]

EurAsian Journal of BioSciences 13: 2271-2278 (2019) Atamaz

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this insecurity contributes to increased stress and thus would raise the actual problems much more.

When people do not contribute to urban life, the interaction decreases. The lack of communication and collaboration increase the individualism. Triandis (2001) claimed that “People in collectivist cultures see themselves as interdependent with their in-groups, which provide for them a stable social environment to which they must adjust”. Social responsibility motivates people to work for his/her community and integration with the city. However Triandis continued as “People in individualist cultures see the self as stable and the social environment as changeable, so they tend to shape the social environment to fit their personalities”. It can be risky for people when he/she cannot fit the environment because she falls to loneliness and also the unity of structure can collapse.

While the fear of belonging to urban life and loneliness of the people have been increasing; the need for design solutions to organize and make city life easier has increased day by day. New design terms have been regularly introduced to meet these challenges. During the1960’s, new generation designers accepted the importance of wayfinding and they searched for the solutions. Many designers experimented and applied new variations of graphic design elements by using architecture as a background and so, they started to give unique character to the buildings and environment itself. A general tendency began to see wayfinding and information design only in terms of signs. However, this subject could not be simplified to signage design; it was complicated and interdisciplinary design theory.

Urban planner and author Kevin Lynch searched the “wayfinding” term worked on cognitive maps in spatial orientation. He described the five types of city elements (paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks) in his most influential book, “The Image of the City” (Lynch 1960). By the help of these elements, people can construct the image of the city mentally and cities are assumed to be “legible” and “imageable”. Consequently, by the help of these images (cognitive map) people can navigate successfully through complex spaces of the urban areas.

Another name, Romedi Passini is an architect and environmental psychologist and worked on wayfinding design with his collaborator Paul Arthur. They published two important books “Wayfinding in Architecture”, (1984) and “Wayfinding, People, Signs and Architecture” (1992) (Passini 1984, 1992). His researches were focused on general layouts of wayfinding behaviors and spatial features of places. Wayfinding conceptualized in terms of spatial problem solving was explained in three major processes: decision-making, decision-execution, and information-processing which can be also expressed as perception and cognition. Information processing is the part of cognitive maps that are the records of direct environmental perception and cognition. Passini

presented the wayfinding concept as a major design issue and expanded it through the circulation system, spatial organization, architectural and graphic communication. In his article, he argued that “wayfinding design is not the exclusive domain of graphic designers but also involves architects and, depending on the project, might involve urbanists and landscape architects” (Passini 1996).

He also underlined the importance of close collaboration between the design disciplines by saying that “the unfortunate habit of consulting a graphic designer shortly before opening day to install some signs should be vigorously denounced”. As Passini said; graphic communication design should not be merely an overlay onto space. Wayfinding design and, more specifically, information design should overlap with the boundaries of two main professional disciplines; architecture and graphic design (SEGD 2015d).

The new term “Environmental Graphic Design” (EGD) has been developed to indicate this alliance between architectural design and graphic design. This paper presents the importance of environmental graphic design for the information systems of the buildings by using qualitative methods including documentation analysis and observation techniques. Documentation was focused on firstly the awarded project from the world; the University of Technology in Sydney. It was analyzed according to graphic design language and their contribution to the field. Another project from Cyprus; Sports Tower was enlightened for its illustrations on the wall surfaces. With the help of the illustrations, each floor having different activities gained spatial value and meaning. For the case study, elective course for architecture students of Near East University was evaluated. The process of the course and the approaches of the students were observed and the emerging projects were examined. Finally, all data’s were reported and discussed in the light of the global language of environmental graphic design.

ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN Environmental Graphic Design is a new design

profession that embraces also interior design, landscape design, industrial design, city planning, and behavioral psychology. It is concerned with the visual aspects of wayfinding, exhibition design, entertainment environments, retail projects, information design, and brand identity to develop a complete sense of place. It can be also initiated as the relation of art and science by using signs, symbols, maps, sculptures, fixtures, light, walkways and all architectural and graphic elements.

University of Technology, Sydney Wayfinding and information graphics designed by

BrandCulture Communications for the University of Technology in Sydney were awarded by SEGD (Society


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for Experiential Graphic Design) Global Awards 2011 (SEGD 2015d).

The main target of the project was to fulfill occupational health and safety requirements for space while engaging students through the school’s workspaces and fabrication studio. BrandCulture’s “find

and discover” concept fulfilled the functional requirements and created a sense of discovery for the students. Floor graphics point the start point and direct the students like playing a game (Fig. 1). The main workshop floor required a clearly delineated walkway for safety; this feature became the key graphic wayfinding interpretation. The system resolved two issues: finding the machines by the number from the entry and leading the eye to display units celebrating the students’ work (Fig. 2).

The overall visual styling shows respect to modern iconic graphic styling with an engineering influence, featuring bold use of the flooring area. A key influence was the London Underground “Tube” map originally created by Harry Beck in 1931 (Fig. 3).

Jury Commented as “An incredibly cohesive environment, with the environmental graphics working hand-in-hand with the architecture and machinery. The floor graphics are appropriate for the user and space, effectively combining wayfinding, interpretive graphics, and safety.” And also stated; “Very simply, the environmental graphics work. Color and type and graphics are done sensitively and are appropriate to the environment.” Besides the floor graphics, dotted patterns on the glass partitions give the sense of high technology in the interior atmosphere (Fig. 4).

In summary; environmental graphics of the University of Technology are logical and creative defining spaces, informing users and enhancing directions and directing while triggering students’ curiosity.

Fig. 1. Floor graphics pointing the start point

Fig. 2. Floor graphics finding the machines by number

Fig. 3. London Underground “Tube” map originally created by Harry Beck and University map


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Sports Tower, Cyprus Sports Tower in one of the private univerties of

Cyprus provides opportunities for doing sports in a wide

range. Eight-story building has different sections on each floor and each floor was illustrated by Stencil Artist Erdoğan Ergün. All the illustrations have a story and differentiate the floors from each other. For example; a fitness floor for men can be easily separated from women’s through the help of wall illustrations (Fig. 5). In front of the running and spinning machines, there is a running woman illustration on the wall expressing the activity and increasing the energy. Additionally, women and men mix sports hall can be easily separated by the wall illustration (Fig. 6).

The illustrations of Sports Tower are not decorative paintings. While directing and informing people, they emphasize energy and dynamism of the spaces with their figures and color combinations.

Fig. 4. Dotted patterns on the glass partitions giving the sense of high technology

Fig. 5. Illustrations of fitness halls for men and women

Fig. 6. Illustrations expressing a story


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Case Study; Elective Studio Course for Architecture Students in Cyprus

As Lyubava Fartushenko said; design as a field is interdisciplinary in its nature. Interdisciplinary indicates collaboration between various design disciplines. One private university in Cyprus promoted faculties to open new courses or share the present ones with the other faculty students to supply interdisciplinary approach and collective studies on the undergraduate level. With this aim, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design introduced various elective courses and one of them is Studio Course of Environmental Graphic Design involving students of Faculty of Architecture including Architectural Design, Interior Design, and Landscape Design. The course challenged students to maximize their thinking and working abilities in the new design field while clarifying their own areas of expertise.

The studio course was opened to the senior class, met for four hours each week for a total of 15 weeks for approximately 15 total students, with a uniform mixture of Architectural Design and Interior Design. Starting from fall semester 2014 to 2019; opening in each semester fall and spring, until now, totally approximately 200 students have been educated about this subject. Demographic structure of the students included Turkish, Arabian and African countries.

During the first weeks; theoretical background and issues of Environmental Graphics were examined by

showing slides. Before the students’ first exercise, students were first asked to “observe, immerse, and discover” their faculty building by taking photographs in order to develop an awareness of wayfinding and identifying problems. These problems are made up of conventions in the classrooms. After these searches and arguments through the photographs it could be easily seen that; architecture building with its blank walls, cannot communicate with the students. At first they did not feel themselves belonging to the building but later on, they got used to it. Having three main floors, it is not a big building, but when you first enter it, you find difficulty to orient yourself due to insufficient graphic signage. Briefly, there is no story, no communication and no soul for the newcomers. Being aware of this; students started to redesign the building by using graphic elements; pictograms, photographs, illustrations, and typography. Awarded projects from the world were the inspiration for them because their graphic design knowledge was limited. Before starting the design process; they illustrated their ideas by photo montaging in Adobe Photoshop. They obtained critical spaces in the building requiring communication system for the newcomers.

Generally, most of the students considered the main entrance hall on the ground floor to welcome the people (Fig. 7). Each student advised different ideas with graphic design elements. Mostly, they expressed the

Fig. 7. Ground floor plan and photographs of Architecture Building


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name of the faculty with the shapes, architectural drawings, and photographs (Fig. 8).

Another important hall which is important for information was Dean and Secretary Office Hall in the

2nd floor (Fig. 9). Students tried to give information about these offices because they experienced themselves the difficulties of finding secretary in the 2nd floor and also some of them put the number of the floor

Fig. 8. Redesigned images of the ground floor

Fig. 9. Dean and Secretary Office Floor plan and photographs


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with high scale letter on the wall to decrease the suspicions for the floor numbers (Fig. 10).

Other selected space was a staircase. The walls surrounding stair was significant while rising the stairs to perceive the architectural atmosphere and take information about the floors (Fig. 11).

Finally, when they compared their redesigned photographs with the old ones; they could observe and perceive better the importance of graphic communication in the architectural design.

Fig. 10. Redesigned images of the second floor

Fig. 11. Redesigned images of a staircase


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DISCUSSION Architecture and its fellow disciplines are the

cornerstones for creating and shaping the built environment. During the last few decades in response to the rapid changes in the built environment, design professions have undergone significant transformations. The need for place-making, wayfinding and giving information in the built environment increased the collaboration between architecture and graphic design. Consequently, the term “Environmental Graphic Design” (EGD) has been developed to indicate this alliance between architectural design and graphic design for creating story-telling places.

One of the important problems of our modern world is isolation, segregation, and loneliness of the people in the big crowded cities. There is more demand now for healthy communication than past times. Communication between local people and newcomers and also; communication between the buildings and users are vital for a prosperous future.

Everyone has his/her own communication skills like the level of voice, body posture, eye contact and

accompanying gestures besides the speaking language and use them when he/she encounters to give an image about herself. Similarly, the built environment has its own spatial language. But today, while the buildings grow up, their languages get difficult to understand. Multifunctional, complex and crowded structures such as hospitals, airports, university buildings are becoming increasingly difficult to perceive, learn, navigate and meet needs. There is a need to reduce the urban spaces to human dimensions creating a global language for better understanding of the relationships between spaces and what spaces tell. To create this global language, the visual elements of graphic design; photographs, illustrations, and pictograms beside the typography are the non-contentious best solutions.

With the rapid changes in urban life and the urgent need for solutions, environmental graphic design is the new discipline for creating a better environment which will naturally spread all over the world soon. A critical study of the sample projects from the world and Cyprus and the case study points out that Graphic Design elements; typography, photography, illustration, and pictogram have global language and storytelling ability.

REFERENCES Antonsson S (2010) A different Africa: Spatial information design for a safer refugee settlement [M.Sc. Thesis]

Sweden: Mälardalen University, School of Innovation, Design, and Engineering. Lynch K (1960) The Image of the City. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. Passini R (1984) Wayfinding in Architecture. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. Passini R (1992) Wayfinding: People, Signs, and Architecture. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. Passini R (1996) Wayfinding design: logic, application and some thoughts on universality. Great Britain: Elsevier

Science Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/0142-694X(96)00001-4 SEGD (2015d) The University of Technology, Sydney: Retrieved from https://segd.org/content/university-

technology-sydney Triandis HC (2001) Individualism-Collectivism and Personality. Journal of Personality, 69: 6.

https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.696169 UNCHR - The UN Refugee Agency. “A New Beginning – Refugee Integration in Europe” 2013. Available from

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