ZIGO sign-What is the significance of interesting design of signage in children's public spaces?

With the relaxation of the three child policy, the arrival of the three child policy will be a significant benefit for the long-term development of the parent-child travel market. There have been many emerging public spaces for children in China, especially emerging interactive experiential spaces for children. With parents born in 1985 and 1995 becoming the main consumers, the parent-child travel market has shown a clear trend of diversification and quality improvement.

For the psychological and visual perception characteristics of children, it is necessary to design novel, beautiful, and highly recognizable visual guidance system diagrams and texts specifically for this special group of children. The design of the guidance system for children's space aims to achieve guidance, recognition, indication, and management functions by combining cartoon and animated images with pictorial text, so as to integrate the guidance signs with the environment and unify artistic and functional aspects.

As an important component of image recognition system design, guidance design is increasingly emphasizing the psychological needs of individuals, and designing for specific groups and locations has become a trend.

Analysis of Children's Physiological and Psychological Characteristics

Before designing the child guidance system, we have a preliminary understanding and analysis of the psychological characteristics and psychology of children. Children have different psychological characteristics at different stages of growth, because their brain development is not yet mature, and their psychology and physiology need to grow. Specifically, creative thinking is more active, while logical thinking ability is relatively lacking.

At the beginning, the activity of thinking triggered by actions, that is, thinking while doing or thinking while doing, gradually forms visual thinking as the brain grows and develops. The perception of concrete images of things, and even the ability to understand language, are based on brain impressions. Abstract logical thinking develops after visual thinking, and as children grow up to around 5 years old, they can engage in simple reasoning and classify objects from multiple perspectives. Based on these characteristics, guidance design is also widely used for children aged 5-12, and targeted guidance system design can be carried out for this group.

Preliminary research on the design of children's space signage guidance

Designing signage guidance for children's spaces requires careful consideration of several factors including readability, visual appeal, and understanding of the target audience's cognitive abilities. Here are some preliminary steps and considerations for conducting research on this topic:

1.Review Existing Literature: Start by researching existing literature on signage design principles, particularly those focused on children's environments. Look into psychology, education, and design journals for insights into cognitive development, visual perception, and readability factors relevant to children.

2. Understand Developmental Stages: Familiarize yourself with the cognitive and developmental stages of children in the age group for which you are designing the signage. Consider factors such as reading ability, attention span, and comprehension levels at different ages.

3. Visit Children's Spaces: Spend time observing existing signage in children's spaces such as schools, playgrounds, libraries, and museums. Take note of what works well and what could be improved, considering factors like visibility, clarity, and engagement.

4. Conduct Surveys and Interviews: Gather feedback from children, parents, educators, and other stakeholders through surveys or interviews. Ask about their experiences with existing signage, what they find helpful or confusing, and what they would like to see in improved signage.

5. Involve Experts: Collaborate with experts in child psychology, education, and design to gain insights into the specific needs and preferences of children in the target age group. They can provide valuable guidance on language use, color choices, iconography, and overall design approach.

6. Consider Multisensory Approaches: Explore the potential for incorporating multisensory elements into the signage design, such as tactile features for children with visual impairments or audio cues for preliterate children.

7. Prototype and Test: Develop prototypes of different signage designs and test them with children in real-world settings. Observe how easily they understand and follow the guidance provided by the signage, and gather feedback for further refinement.

8. Iterate Based on Feedback: Use the insights gathered from observations, surveys, and testing to iterate on the signage designs. Make adjustments to improve readability, clarity, and effectiveness based on the feedback received.

9. Consider Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Ensure that the signage is inclusive and accessible to children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Use universally recognizable symbols and consider offering translations or alternative formats where necessary.

10. Document Findings and Recommendations: Compile your research findings, design principles, and recommendations into a comprehensive report or presentation. Share your insights with relevant stakeholders and decision-makers to inform the development of signage guidance for children's spaces.

By following these preliminary steps and considerations, you can conduct thorough research to inform the design of effective signage guidance for children's spaces, promoting safety, engagement, and usability for young users.