Design For Social Impact Students at BSM

November 9, 2016

“Where is the bathroom?” and “What services are offered today?” are two questions we hear a lot from guests, volunteers, and newcomers to BSM. To help us address these and other logistics concerns, we are collaborating with University of the Arts students in the Design for Social Impact graduate program.  Their field of study calls this type of logistical questioning “Wayfinding”. Our UArts Wayfinders began by volunteering at BSM, as well as researching and documenting our spaces in August. Since then the creative and eager students have gathered data and input from staff to prepare a presentation of what they saw as our primary needs, and ideas on how to address them. The Wayfinders identified inconsistent signage as a huge factor in how visitors navigate the space and understand our services offered each day.

Recently we had the pleasure of checking in on the students’ progress by visiting their studios. Even though the Wayfinders are only halfway through their semester, they already have some simple yet clever designs for us.

They proposed things like a welcome sign at the main entrance, a way to list the current day and/or time on the front doors, and suggestions for signage at each service. These signage ideas are all within a trauma-informed approach using positive and unified language, icons for visitors with low literacy or learning differences, and other aesthetic tools.

Staff who attended their midterm presentation are very excited to see how these projects develop! Special thanks to Tony Guido and his students. Tony Guido is the Program Director of Design for Social Impact MDES and Professor in the Industrial Design Program at The University of the Arts.

 

Written by: Ruthie Iglesias