Built environments impact every individual in distinctive ways and sway them in various directions. A particular situation can be seen from diverse perspectives, so no ecosystem has the same effect on the same individuals, as there are slight variations in every. One such perspective is that of persons with autism.
Autism is a disorder that affects the capability of the person to perceive events, occurrences, and happenings around it. They decipher situations and comprehend their surroundings unusually. Their power of perceiving habitats is affected, and sometimes even the most basic instructions seem to be confusing. Autism is a spectrum, so within this cognitive disorder, every individual discerns life differently.
Wayfinding as a catalyst to improve navigation | Persons with Autism
Articulative built spaces exude confidence in users to navigate freely and easily to reach their destinations. A slightly complex setting can start diverting the decisions of the mind towards hesitancy. This is where efficient wayfinding jumps to rescue. It can be tangible or intangible but should be true to its cause.
Wayfinding is an intuitive process. In any surroundings, the first response is to relate ourselves to the context and develop a strategy to move around in a place that is more comfortable and congenial. For persons with autism, sometimes producing even the most basic responses can prove to be a herculean task. At times, the inability or impossibility can trigger uneasiness in normal people as well. Taking this as a cue, it has become cardinal to have structured way-finding systems incorporated into built spaces, which not only facilitate thinking patterns but also relieve users of unnecessary anxiousness.
Comfortable, interactive, and collaborative planning is the right start in the right direction. This is the foundation over which other elements come together in making a relevant and impactful ecosystem. Thus, such a sensitive condition needs to be tactfully handled before one starts designing. Wayfinding, as the name suggests, is the ability to find your way. At times a few structures are designed in a very confusing manner, and the absence of signs or symbols, or any other barometers of guidance, makes persons with autism feel lost and helpless. Here, the use of the right materials, colors, shapes, patterns, natural light, and ventilation can help create sociable designs. These are the ingredients that tap into the world of psychology, impacting the different parts of the brain, making them more informed, and feel participated.
Role of colors, shapes, and materials in the making of Signages
The world is made up of a zillion objects, engulfing us and directing our consciousness subconsciously. Still, all of these have three aspects in common. First, each has a color to help it stand out. Second, each has a shape to create its image. And third, each has a material to give it an identity. The three together create powerful magic.
At the same time, it is necessary to be mindful of the colors. Some hues create a feeling of calmness and safety, while others can make them aggressive. With shapes, persons with autism rely on visual cues to move forward to find their directions. With materials, tactile communication makes a difference in their lives. Due to the neurodivergent character of autism, these aspects are a vital link between design and autism.
In a wayfinding strategy, signages are an imperative and indispensable tool. Directional signs located on floors, walls, and ceilings keep guiding a user till they reach their destination. Every line painted on a wall leading a person somewhere is a form of Wayfinder. Signs are primarily meant to be functional. With time, art has been tacitly implied into the making of signs, giving it more character and meaning. As a cognitive disorder, autism affects the senses unexpectedly, and so by focusing on the three aspects it gets easier to keep their attention in a space intact.
Signages are slowly gaining prominence for their power and potential and the unimaginable ways in which they add value. Sometimes, all an autistic person wants is to communicate or get communicated by someone or something, consciously or unconsciously, which just makes their life fluent. It’s also crucial to understand that they won’t have somebody with them at all times. Such gaps are possibly to be filled through the appropriate use of signages not only in public spaces but also in private. Signages are information-givers, or rather suggestions. They are like mini landmarks that become easy to remember and identify. An appropriate number of signs, thoughtfully located, and precisely designed are equal to effortless guidance.
Final Words | Persons with Autism
It is never easy to live and work in an ecosystem, being handicapped physically, mentally, or socially. But it does get better when others around help make life smoother in any way. Designing in architecture has reached a stage where anything is possible to achieve. Design has the power to heal people and make lives better. Wayfinding, when done creatively and artistically, starts engaging people & subconsciously keeps them on track. Playful and cheerful ideas get them inspired to get better. If looked at from another perspective, the right kind of work can make persons with autism forget about their problems and become a friend that continuously backs them. The purpose of signage in the world of wayfinding is to be a gentle reminder to carry on with what one is doing and be a beacon of light illuminating the road ahead.
In the end, this article wishes to leave its readers with a few questions:
- What would your life be like, if you were disabled?
- How would you react to situations upon not being able to comprehend them?
- How much of an impact do signages make in our everyday life?
- Can designers create universal solutions to improve the life of every human on this planet?
