Abstract
Wayfinding is a coping process involving perception, cognition, locomotion, and navigation, where visual coherence, spatial legibility, and sensory cues play crucial roles. Although interior colors significantly affect spatial legibility and visual communication, overreliance on colors in visual wayfinding design can conflict with the principles of inclusive design. Individuals with color vision deficiencies may struggle to distinguish colors and accurately understand the visual information. This exploratory study examines how different types of color vision influence wayfinding in healthcare environments. Color-coding and visual analysis methods were used in this experiment. We created a healthcare building model and incorporated a color-coded wayfinding system based on our previous studies on gaze behaviors in interior wayfinding. Drawing from prior research on healthcare colors, we applied five distinct color schemes that were consistent across signage and color cues on the floor and walls, indicating different service sectors. We used the CMYK color system to measure the color properties, regarding the nature of color presentation on the commonly used physical materials and finishes. In addition to the numerical measure, we visually assessed the colors and adjusted them regarding different types of color deficiencies, including protanopia, deuteranopia, and achromatopsia, to evaluate the legibility of interior elements. We applied the color-proof filter in Photoshop to reflect four different color visions and created walkthrough videos to simulate their visual perception. Addressing the challenges faced by individuals with impaired color vision, we further analyzed the five color schemes and proposed enhanced solutions for wayfinding design.
Presenters
Jain KwonAssistant Professor, Interior Architecture and Design, Colorado State University, Colorado, United States Chenyi Luo
Student, Master of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design
KEYWORDS
Color Deficiency, Color Vision, Healthcare, Interior Design, Visual Communication, Wayfinding
