Participação do usuário e eficiência em projetos de wayfinding e sinalização

Abstract

For wayfinding and signage systems to be efficient for the individuals who use them, it is essential that users’ contributions are considered throughout the design process, so that the solutions developed are aligned with real-world conditions. Therefore, this study aims to investigate user participation in design processes in order to understand the methodological factors that influence such involvement. The main objective of this research is to structure the decision-making process regarding the methodologies, methods, and techniques to be applied in wayfinding and signage projects, in order to efficiently use the information obtained from users in the development of solutions. To achieve this, the adopted methodology is Design Science Research (DSR), since the study aims to propose an artifact that contributes both practically to designers and theoretically to the advancement of the literature on the subject. The research was conducted according to the phases guided by DSR: problem awareness, suggestion, development, evaluation, and communication. The theoretical contribution lies in structuring the decision-making process regarding methodologies, methods, and techniques to be applied in design projects, based on the investigation of factors that influence the application of participatory techniques. The practical contribution consists of the development of a tool that represents the framework in a visual and functional way, enabling its use by signage designers. To evaluate the tool, it was tested with students from the Information Design Laboratory and professionals in the field, in order to assess its usability and usefulness.