SANTA BARBARA, CA (4 October, 2007)

Santa Barbara-based CHK America, specializing in the visual communication of transportation data and wayfinding, has completed an in depth study into the Psychology of Wayfinding and Best Practice for the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (Translink).

In cooperation with the University of Essex England’s Psychology Department, the report summarizes a two-year research project into the psychology of wayfinding. The report addresses the barriers and solutions for presenting passengers’ with understandable wayfinding information. The study outlines the common problems encountered by all individuals when interpreting complex information and provides guidelines for minimizing the cognitive load associated with wayfinding within a public transportation network.

The second section of the report provides case studies of 7 international cities and how they apply Best Practice in designing wayfinding information for the traveling public. The cities included in the study are: London, Paris, Stockholm, Singapore, Birmingham (UK), Chicago and Washington DC.

“This comprehensive report sheds light on the complex nature of communicating effectively in the often hectic environment of a public transportation network” says Rick Wood, president and CEO of CHK America. “The report also offers concrete suggestions on how to present wayfinding information to the public to make it easier to understand and therefore less cognitively demanding.”