ImpactAssessing The Design Concept: The Importance of Prototyping
More often than not, we design environmental graphics in front of a desktop computer and in relation to architectural elevations drawn to scale. Our specifications for materials are derived from previous experience and what we have samples of in the studio. But we all know that what looks good on paper may not always look good in the space. If we are able to stay on the design path long enough, and the project budget allows for it, we can do what's truly most useful to assess the quality of a design concept: prototyping.
In environmental graphic design, prototyping is producing one or more samples of a sign or structural design concept at actual size, often using specified materials and production methods, and ideally conducting an on-site evaluation of its design attributes. Through prototyping, we can accurately tell if we've designed something to the right size, if the words are legible, if the material functions as anticipated, the colors work well in the lighting conditions, and so forth.
For an identification pylon for the Alexandria Center for Life Sciences on Manhattan's east side medical corridor, we had the opportunity to conduct a thorough prototyping process. First we made a plywood mockup to assess the massing of the sign. Then we stuck printed plots of our graphic layouts on the face to review the letter spacing and scale of the type and artwork. What appeared huge in studio reviews suddenly looked just right. A few adjustments had to be made, like refining kerning and cap heights to compensate for the foreshortening effect we saw when we looked up at the long, tall pylon from street level. Next we had a fabricator build a small prototype with different variations of the letter treatment. We tried every combination we could think of: applied vinyl, engraved and in-filled, silkscreened, raised and painted, raised with a polished surface, and so on. We took the prototype on-site and elevated it to actual height using a crane. Although we couldn't get it in exactly the right place due to ongoing construction, having it hoisted high up allowed us to accurately compare the legibility of the different treatments as people would ultimately see them.
We left the prototype there for a few days, going back to observe it during different times of the day and in different light conditions. The raised letters seemed easier to read than flat graphics. The polished face-raised letter treatment was a particular surprise; it caught light in a way that we could never have guessed from our computer renderings. The raised letters didn't cast as strong shadows as we had worried about, either. We also reviewed the internally lit sign at night. We tested the subtleties of a warm white versus a cool white as well as the other colors in the RBG color spectrum.
When it came time to make the final decision, the choice was unanimous among the client and design team members -- we chose the polished face-raised letters. We all agreed that it had been helpful to see the design in context and at full scale. The prototyping had not only helped us avoid the costs of implementing a weaker solution, but helped us build consensus for -- and confidence in -- the most effective design.
