Davis Associates Limited – RESEARCH INTO SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING AT STATIONS 2005

Description

This Davis Associates report (Work Package 2) consolidates findings from user needs, good practice and current practice studies on station signage and wayfinding. Key findings: users’ basic wayfinding needs are not documented; good wayfinding reduces stress, travel time, missed connections and supports safety and crowd control; the rail industry’s approach is fragmented with inconsistent design, maintenance and approvals; large but uncoordinated investments have produced varied systems tailored to individual stations; conflicts arise with other station requirements (CCTV, listed buildings, retail) and funding limits; legal duties (DDA) require inclusive information but resources are limited; there is no guidance for selecting dynamic display technologies. Recommendation: RSSB should issue voluntary guidance to promote consistency. Options include a Good Practice Guide or a Railway Guidance Note, each as either best-practice advice or a detailed style guide. Proposed guidance should cover user needs, consultation, terminology, style (fonts, colours, symbols, arrows, sizes), dynamic displays, maintenance and safety, and be developed with stakeholder consultation.