Collaborative navigation: a real-world project in spacial orientation

David Shields, Assistant Professor, University of Texas

This presentation examines a studio assignment given to Junior design students at the University of Texas at Austin. This was the first collaborative project the students undertook as part of their studies in the program, and fostered a focused learning experience through collaborative working between the students. It provided for direct interaction with professional practitioners, as well as working closely with a client, and gave real-world experience in using visual and verbal communication skills to present the final proposals.

The assignment grew out of request from and academic unit on campus to develop signage for their main building. The project would focus on responding to, and expanding upon, the client brief by developing a proposal for a new visual navigation system. In-class lectures provided context for the project through the presentation of historical and contemporary navigation systems. Issues of user interface and visualizing the challenges of spatial navigation were also discussed. Local environmental designers were invited to participate in interim critiques to discuss the students work in terms of their own professional "best-case" practices. The students were organized into working groups to observe, document, analyze and map all aspects of the assigned site. This information was compiled for collective use as a database to develop each groups comprehensive proposal for the site’s new physical visual interface. The project culminated in a formal presentation, as well as a physical document, of the proposed solutions to the client.