Orlando International AirportWayfinding sytem and branding process book

By Justin Sooter3/6/12

Design Brief:The concept for this project was to rebrand Orlando International Airport and provide them with an effective and new wayfinding system that would be constructive to the experience and ef-ficiency of the user.

Competition:Airports are competitive and are based on the airlines sales and traffic. For the airports management, it is judged heav-ily on the first impression and experi-ences that a user or traveler encounters while navigating and utilizing the air-ports commodities. Most airports were very similar to OIA in style, layout, and wayfinding, however, to best grab the attention and cognition of the user, I thought it was best to have a very dif-ferent and modern logo.

Brainstorming/Thumbnails:When planning out the brand, I was trying to embody a memorable, fun, and different logo that would be easily recognizable. By condensing the name to OIA, it gave me the opportunity to explore the marketing options of such a simple and manipulable logo. The idea of breaking through the language bar-rier of international travel would help make the airport one of a kind and truly user friendly.

Design Goals:Represent the brand through an easy to recognize, internationally friendly, and understand ablewayfinding system that is just as cognitively adaptable as a soda machine. The navigation system of the airport would be the factor that would make the brand popular and memorable, and if the system is successful it will increase return customers.

Reasoning:The wayfinding system, which would depend on the placement of the interactive kiosks in convenient and needed places, would help direct even the most untrav-elled user to their destination. They would simply press their language, where they need to go, and then they would read and listen about what colored path they need to follow to get there. All different types color-coding, shape recognition, and fol-lowing lines on the ground, would help the user get to their desired location.

Competition:Airports are competitive and are based on the airlines sales and traffic. For the airports management, it is judged heav-ily on the first impression and experi-ences that a user or traveler encounters while navigating and utilizing the air-ports commodities. Most airports were very similar to OIA in style, layout, and wayfinding, however, to best grab the attention and cognition of the user, I thought it was best to have a very dif-ferent and modern logo.

Brand Construction:The brand, OIA, would be a recogniz-able secondary logo that would be displayed throughout the airport heav-ily, this is to increase cognitive memo-rization of the user-friendly experience they are encountering. The lines on the ground, which would direct users to their location, would have a repetitive pattern printed on the sticky plastic, stating the end location of the line in many languages. The large instillation shapes would be made of a thick plastic with a slight powdercoating, to reduce ware. Any road signs would be lit from the bottom with flood lights.

Conclusion:I strongly believe that if a wafind-ing system like this was implemented it would bring, not only success but, security and continuous business. The brand design for OIA is a combination of the new simple design utilizing rep-etition and of the wayfinding systems utlized visuals. I believe that my design is conclusive and sarisfies the needs and wants of both the consumers and man-agers.