ZIGO sign-Signage has a stronger impact than language: subway signage guidance system

The design of signage inside the subway should have a public form, so that most passengers can adapt to their usage habits, which is both humanized and reflects the good image of the urban subway. With the continuous expansion of urban population and urban scale, cities are facing challenges that affect sustainable development, such as population growth, land scarcity, traffic congestion, and prominent safety issues. Utilizing underground space to develop underground is an effective way to solve this problem, and it is also an important direction and trend in urban spatial development.

As a fast rail transit mode that carries a large number of people, modern subways are developing at an unprecedented speed. Subway stations and related buildings, such as subway malls and street tunnels, have become the most important component of urban underground space. The subway is driving the rapid expansion of urban underground space.

However, there are many factors that affect and restrict the development and utilization of underground spaces. In underground spaces, especially in complex and comprehensive underground spaces, it is difficult for people to determine their direction and easily get lost, which is one of the factors that cannot be ignored because it often brings inconvenience to people, causes waste of time and energy, and some even creates potential pressure and tension, making people feel at a loss, worried, or even afraid. If encountering some emergency situations, it may also cause chaos in people's evacuation and cause significant losses. It is difficult for people to find their way in underground spaces, which affects their positive evaluation of the space. This is a problem that deserves attention.

The design of subway signage system is an important component of improving subway construction, and an effective and standardized public transportation guidance signage system is the soul of modern traffic diversion. Therefore, the design and installation of subway station traffic signage guidance system cannot be underestimated. It can minimize the ineffective stay time of passengers, play a very important role in the play of rail transit functions, and is also an important component of urban culture.

1、 Design of subway signage system

Identification is a non-verbal tool gradually formed in human society through long-term life and practice, which uses visual graphics and text to convey information. It provides differentiation for the public, identifies each other's things, and plays a role in indicating, indicating, identifying, warning, and even commanding. Identification has a stronger visual impact than language, has a larger amount of information, and can convey information more quickly, accurately, and strongly. The design of subway signage system is aimed at the identification design of subway transportation system, with the fundamental task of establishing a reasonable visual guidance system and providing a unified visual image and symbols to facilitate passenger travel. The fundamental purpose is to provide passengers with timely and reasonable information, and to present them in multiple spaces or complex conversion places through visual text and graphic symbols, clearly identifying the identity of each space, so that the audience can know the name of their space no matter where they are, without making them feel like they are going through a maze. Of course, the identification system has a certain regularity and symbolicity.

2、 The main components of subway signage system design

The subway signage system mainly consists of graphics, text, colors, and spatial environment. The graphics of the subway signage system include: subway signage graphics, directional signage graphics, prompt signage graphics, guidance signage graphics, route signage graphics, consultation signage graphics, prohibition signage graphics, service graphics, etc.

（1） Subway signage system - graphics

a.Subway signage graphics

The subway logo graphics are at the core of the entire subway recognition system, and as the image and symbol of the city's subway, they appear in every corner of the city. The logo graphics of urban subways display different regions and cultures of the city from the side, and are also a display of the city's strength.

b. Pointing sign graphics

Pointing sign graphics refer to sign graphics that have a certain indicating and guiding effect. For example, outbound guidance issues. Where to go at the exit, what location is outside each exit, what units, and so on. The graphic elements of directional signs are generally composed of graphics and text, and arrow symbols are often used as auxiliary graphics to enhance the sense of direction.

c. Prompt sign graphics

The warning sign graphic refers to a graphic that can indicate to passengers how far away they are from a certain location, allowing them to have a judgment on the spatial distance.

d. Line identification graphics

Line identification graphics mainly provide station names, line prompts, and other graphics, which are usually combined with colors to express.

e. Guiding sign graphics

The guiding sign graphics refer to those graphics that remind you where to buy and check tickets, which side to board the train on, and where to transfer on the route.

Overall, this type of graphic requires a simple design, strong recognition, and bright colors. Of course, these graphics are sometimes represented in conjunction with numbers. For example, in subway carriages and complex subway lines, the most recognizable ability is numbers. Using dynamic digital graphics can provide passengers with timely station names and services, vivid and convenient, allowing passengers to constantly know their location.

（2） Subway signage system - color

Color is an important component of the subway signage system, and bright colors can enhance the recognition of station platforms, making it convenient for quick reading and recognition. At present, the common solution to the confusion caused by the large number of subway lines in some cities internationally is to use a color recognition system (color discrimination method), which uses different colors to represent different lines and distinguish them, so that every subway line passenger can recognize them at a glance. Through the color information of the lines, passengers can clearly know which line they are on. The use of bright colors in underground space layout not only meets the requirements of visual guidance and information transmission, but also regulates the indoor atmosphere.

Color has a dual attribute of sensibility and rationality, with sensibility mainly reflected in its certain emotional attributes. For example, red represents passion and vigorous vitality, while yellow represents liveliness and strong affinity; Rationality is mainly reflected in functionality, that is, color differentiation, which distinguishes different objects or things through color differences.

The use of different colors on subway lines is to effectively utilize the rational attributes of colors, that is, to distinguish different subway lines through color differences. Color is an important component of the subway identification system, and bright colors can enhance the recognition of station platforms, facilitate quick reading and recognition.

From the current color pattern of subway lines in China, easily recognizable colors such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple are commonly used. And adopt a color combination of warm color - cold color - warm color or alternating cold color - warm color - cold color. The advantage of this method is strong visual contrast and eye-catching.

3、 Characteristics of directional identification system

1.Simplicity

Whether in terms of location or information itself, signage should be easily visible to the audience, rather than being found in an inconspicuous place next to them after unsuccessful searches. The principle of conciseness is most universal in order to ensure that the information to be conveyed is accepted first.

2.Bidirectionality

Bidirectionality is a prominent feature of all transportation spaces, also known as reciprocity. Not only subway spaces, but also the signage and guidance systems at airports, train stations, and long-distance passenger stations must follow this rule. The two behaviors of passengers entering and exiting the station are opposite to each other, so the signage guidance system cannot only consider one side and ignore the other opposite aspect.

3.Universality

The universality of information is slightly secondary to the previous three principles, but it cannot be ignored. There are two issues to pay attention to here, one is the subjectivity of people receiving information, that is, different people will have different understandings of the same information; Another aspect is the international nature of information systems, and if necessary, consider choosing two or more languages or using diagrams.

4.Timely suitability

The so-called timely and appropriate refers to the fact that signs should appear at the appropriate time and place. In a sense, time and space are the same here. People need to set up signs at which spatial point in the subway space is most prone to identification and directional obstacles, and this spatial point is the location where key time points occur, so the two are completely unified.

The key to the subway directional signage system is people-oriented, and a standardized and humanized design can better highlight its role. Maximizing convenience for passengers, there are giant exit numbers, entrance and exit plaques, and triangular prismatic "subway route map" signs at each subway exit, displaying exit related roads, prohibition signs, road names, and important building information on the ground. These measures help passengers retrieve the current subway location and comprehensive information on the ground. These measures can effectively shorten the waiting time in the station hall after passengers leave the gate, ensuring orderly pedestrian flow Rapid evacuation.

In emergency situations, emergency signs and related electromechanical equipment can be controlled through a single computer command, greatly improving operational efficiency. There are clear and distinct signs indicating ticket sales, ticket prices, entry and departure directions, subway route maps, and trains inside the subway station. The information on the signboard is concise and clear, and each passenger can smoothly complete their journey by paying attention to the guiding signboard hanging in front of their head during use, meeting the main functional needs of passenger evacuation. The standardization and internationalization of subway traffic guidance signs are both in Chinese and English, which reflects the level of civilization, openness, and internationalization of a city.

The subway is the main form of urban underground space development and utilization aimed at solving the three major crises of population, environment, and energy, and treating urban diseases. It not only alleviates surface traffic congestion, but also improves land utilization efficiency. A good public signage guidance system can improve the level and level of a city. While playing a functional role, it has become a beautiful decoration in the urban landscape.

ZIGO sign provides comprehensive planning and conceptual design for international five-star hotels, municipal facilities, scenic spots, schools, hospitals, real estate, commercial complexes, and other signage systems. With the support of the physical manufacturing industry, ZIGO sign creates exquisite quality and implements project implementation. It is a professional signage and signage system service-oriented enterprise that integrates planning, design, production, installation, and after-sales services. If you have any questions about the identification system, please feel free to consult (+86) -0755 2830 2655. ZIGO sign is dedicated to answering your questions.