source: Pentagram
New Work: NYC Wayfinding
A new system of wayfinding signs helps pedestrians navigate New York City streets.
Finding one’s way through the streets of New York when coming up out of the subway or walking through an unfamiliar neighborhood can be confusing, even for the most seasoned New Yorker. on Monday the New York City Department of Transportation introduced WalkNYC, a new program of pedestrian maps that makes it easier to navigate the city streets. DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan unveiled the initiative’s first signs at a news conference in Chinatown, where four maps were installed over the weekend. In addition to Chinatown, the first phase of the program will be implemented this summer in Midtown Manhattan, Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, and Long Island City in Queens, with more to follow next year in other parts of the city. The maps are already installed on over 300 kiosks of the CitiBike bike-share program.
Pentagram helped create the graphic language of the maps, working on the project as part ofPentaCityGroup, a special consortium of designers that also includes wayfinding specialists CityID, industrial designers Billings Jackson Design, engineers and urban planners RBA Group, and cartographers and geographic information specialists T-Kartor. The team worked closely with DOT and the city’s local Business Improvement Districts (BID) and other institutions and agencies to develop the program.
Finding one’s way through the streets of New York when coming up out of the subway or walking through an unfamiliar neighborhood can be confusing, even for the most seasoned New Yorker. on Monday the New York City Department of Transportation introduced WalkNYC, a new program of pedestrian maps that makes it easier to navigate the city streets. DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan unveiled the initiative’s first signs at a news conference in Chinatown, where four maps were installed over the weekend. In addition to Chinatown, the first phase of the program will be implemented this summer in Midtown Manhattan, Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, and Long Island City in Queens, with more to follow next year in other parts of the city. The maps are already installed on over 300 kiosks of the CitiBike bike-share program.
Pentagram helped create the graphic language of the maps, working on the project as part ofPentaCityGroup, a special consortium of designers that also includes wayfinding specialists CityID, industrial designers Billings Jackson Design, engineers and urban planners RBA Group, and cartographers and geographic information specialists T-Kartor. The team worked closely with DOT and the city’s local Business Improvement Districts (BID) and other institutions and agencies to develop the program.
The kiosks present two maps, one of local streets and the other of the area's location in relation to a larger section of the city.
The maps use a 'heads up' orientation that corresponds to the direction the user is facing.
The maps are designed to encourage people to walk, bike and use public transit, and feature all local streets and major landmarks and destinations, as well as bike lanes. The kiosks will be located near subway stations, business districts and other high-traffic pedestrian areas, and the DOT is working with the Metropolitan Transit Authority to install the new maps in subway stations and at Select Bus Service stops.
The maps are designed to encourage people to walk, bike and use public transit, and feature all local streets and major landmarks and destinations, as well as bike lanes. The kiosks will be located near subway stations, business districts and other high-traffic pedestrian areas, and the DOT is working with the Metropolitan Transit Authority to install the new maps in subway stations and at Select Bus Service stops.
The signs are designed to guide users to public transit and major landmarks.
Maps are already installed on the new CitiBike bike-sharing kiosks.
Each side of the 8 ½ foot tall kiosks displays a large map of the streets within a 5-minute walking distance and another map showing the area in relation to a larger section of the city. The orientation of the WalkNYC maps uses “heads-up mapping,” in which north, south, east or west is rotated to correspond with the direction the user is facing. (If you’re facing south in Manhattan, the top of the map is downtown, and the bottom is uptown; on the other side of the map, the information is reversed.) The design was extensively tested with pedestrians, who found it easy to use; in the city, it is often hard to know which direction one is facing. (One study by the DOT found a third of New Yorkers didn’t know how to find north.)
Each side of the 8 ½ foot tall kiosks displays a large map of the streets within a 5-minute walking distance and another map showing the area in relation to a larger section of the city. The orientation of the WalkNYC maps uses “heads-up mapping,” in which north, south, east or west is rotated to correspond with the direction the user is facing. (If you’re facing south in Manhattan, the top of the map is downtown, and the bottom is uptown; on the other side of the map, the information is reversed.) The design was extensively tested with pedestrians, who found it easy to use; in the city, it is often hard to know which direction one is facing. (One study by the DOT found a third of New Yorkers didn’t know how to find north.)
'Heads up' orientation puts West at the top of a map of the Flatiron District.
The signs provide an estimate of walking time to points in the neighborhood.
User testing of a prototype.
Pentagram designed a unique system of icons for the maps, including the drawings of the landmark buildings. The graphics use a custom version of Helvetica created by Monotype for the program. Helvetica was chosen to complement the iconic graphic language of the New York City subway system, originally developed by Massimo Vignelli and Robert Noorda at Unimark. WalkNYC’s customized version, Helvetica DOT, makes all of the font’s square dots round, giving the program its own unique look.
Pentagram designed a unique system of icons for the maps, including the drawings of the landmark buildings. The graphics use a custom version of Helvetica created by Monotype for the program. Helvetica was chosen to complement the iconic graphic language of the New York City subway system, originally developed by Massimo Vignelli and Robert Noorda at Unimark. WalkNYC’s customized version, Helvetica DOT, makes all of the font’s square dots round, giving the program its own unique look.
A customized version of Helvetica was created for the program.
The customized typeface replaces the square dots of Helvetica with round ones.
Icons designed by Pentagram for the program.
The icons were drawn to match details in 18 pt. Helvetica DOT.
Illustrations of landmarks created for the maps.
Icons for the Pepsi-Cola sign, the Chrysler Building, Manhattan Bridge and the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch.
The landmarks are layered into other information on the map. Subways are indicated by tabs that resemble station signs.
Diagrams guiding the placement of building labels.
The program's palette is inspired by the colors of the city.
'You' icon that locates the user on the map.
A range of kiosk and signage types have been designed for the various urban environments and locations around the city (at intersections, mid-block, in plazas, etc.) The maps are printed on clear vinyl, which is applied to the second surface of the glass. The vinyl is easily removed and the glass reused for any updates to the map.
A range of kiosk and signage types have been designed for the various urban environments and locations around the city (at intersections, mid-block, in plazas, etc.) The maps are printed on clear vinyl, which is applied to the second surface of the glass. The vinyl is easily removed and the glass reused for any updates to the map.
Hierarchy of information on a sign.
A range of signage types has been developed for different urban environments.
The kiosks designed by Billings Jackson echo the forms of the city's architecture.
Pentagram also designed the graphic identity for the program. The logo appears at the bottom of the new signs, and will eventually be used to endorse any maps that use graphic language of the program as “official” city maps. City agencies and BIDs will be able to utilize the mapping system in their own communications, and will have the ability to add their own data layers to their printed maps. For example, the 34th Street Partnership could create a printed shopping directory map to give to visitors.
Pentagram also designed the graphic identity for the program. The logo appears at the bottom of the new signs, and will eventually be used to endorse any maps that use graphic language of the program as “official” city maps. City agencies and BIDs will be able to utilize the mapping system in their own communications, and will have the ability to add their own data layers to their printed maps. For example, the 34th Street Partnership could create a printed shopping directory map to give to visitors.
WalkNYC logo.
'You' icon on the back of a t-shirt.
PentaCityGroup continues to work with the DOT on the next phases of the project, which will expand the system into additional neighborhoods and districts, as well as new print, mobile and digital media applications.
PentaCityGroup continues to work with the DOT on the next phases of the project, which will expand the system into additional neighborhoods and districts, as well as new print, mobile and digital media applications.
Maps being installed in Chinatown.
New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan unveils a newly installed map at a news conference in Chinatown.
Pentagram previously worked with the DOT on the redesign of the city’s parking signs and theLOOK! traffic safety campaign.
Project Team
Pentagram: Michael Bierut, partner-in-charge and designer; Tracey Cameron and Hamish Smyth, designers; Jesse Reed, icon designer; Tamara McKenna, project manager.
City ID: Mike Rawlinson, Harriet Hand, David Gilliam, Sam Coultrip, Rachel Abrams, Matt Jephcote, Jason Smith and Jenny Janssen.
T-Kartor: David Figueroa, Charu Kukreja, Wendy Bell, Kathryn Green, Rich Perkins, Jeff Vonderheide, Hanna Lindahl and Thilda Garö.
RBA Group: Jackson Wandres, Chris Lucas, Klaus Weidemann and Kevin Ballantyne.
Billings Jackson Design: Duncan Jackson, Eoin Billings, Paul Leonard, Aidan Jamison, Dale Newton and Simon Kristak.
Pentagram previously worked with the DOT on the redesign of the city’s parking signs and theLOOK! traffic safety campaign.
Project Team
Pentagram: Michael Bierut, partner-in-charge and designer; Tracey Cameron and Hamish Smyth, designers; Jesse Reed, icon designer; Tamara McKenna, project manager.
City ID: Mike Rawlinson, Harriet Hand, David Gilliam, Sam Coultrip, Rachel Abrams, Matt Jephcote, Jason Smith and Jenny Janssen.
T-Kartor: David Figueroa, Charu Kukreja, Wendy Bell, Kathryn Green, Rich Perkins, Jeff Vonderheide, Hanna Lindahl and Thilda Garö.
RBA Group: Jackson Wandres, Chris Lucas, Klaus Weidemann and Kevin Ballantyne.
Billings Jackson Design: Duncan Jackson, Eoin Billings, Paul Leonard, Aidan Jamison, Dale Newton and Simon Kristak.
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보기엔 심플해보여도 직접 이런 디자인 작업을 해보지 않은 일반인들은
이게 얼마나 디테일이 요구되는 꼼꼼한 작업인지 아마 감도 안 올듯 ㅎㅎㅎ
매우매우 아주아주 오래 전에 뉴욕 지도 작업을 직접 일러로 해본 경험자로서 드는 생각 ㅋㅋㅋ
그 땐 정말 proofreading을 몇 번을 해도 계속 잘못된 부분이 나오더라는 ㅋㅋㅋ
아무리 회사규모가 작았다 하더라도 어떻게 그걸 유학생인 나한테 다 떠맡길 생각을 했었을까 ㅋㅋㅋ
완전 노동력 착취였음 -_- 그래도 그 때 그렇게 배울 수 있어서 좋은 경험이긴 했다.
엄청나게 꼼꼼해야 하는 작업이었고 그만큼 결과물이 나왔을 때 뿌듯하긴 했던 기억이 난다.
선 하나, 점 하나의 굵기와 크기, 길이가 엄청난 차이를 가져온다는!! 글자 하나, 따옴표 하나도 그냥 지나칠 수 없다.
만약에 누가 나에게 이런 작업 또 하라고 시킨다면 다른 사람 사서 시킬거야 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
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