arrow development

Taking influence from my research I began to develop some arrow drawings. As the arrow will appear alongside the wayfinding map it is important that it maintains characteristics that are malleable enough to work alongside the map, but strong enough to work as a separate piece.

When analysing my initial sketches it is instantly obvious to me that the first design cannot be used purely due to its association with past cultures. When viewing the design it obviously resembles that of a tribal shield, a factor that I did not consider when designing. This impression has been derived through the shape and pattern resembled upon the arrow, thus it would not coincide with the current minimal wayfinding map.

The second arrow is much more lenient in the terms of context, and could be used in various placements. Although strong in design, I feel it could be highly influenced by the 3D approach apparent on this page. By using a smaller arrow the design would also feel much more tight rather than containing lots of disused space, an atmosphere I feel apparent within the 3D design.

When viewing the sketches it is obvious what components work and which do not. The dot system is very poor and would only work on a large scale due to illegibility. Dots are also not present within the rest of the wayfinding system thus would not comply to the needs met. Thin strokes do not work well within design as the importance of the arrow is lost, again contributing factors to this decision include illegibility. The most impactive designs are that that contain thick strokes and are evidently present, specific examples of this include the filled arrows and the 3D design. Due to these factors I will focus upon creating strong, thick designs within the following stages of development.