ExplorationGetting There at Design Museum Boston
Recently, our team had the opportunity to help out with a Design Museum Boston exhibition called "Getting There: Design for Travel in the Modern Age." Open until Sept 1st at Grand Circle Gallery in Boston, "Getting There" showcases how design has transformed the experience of travel over the last century. From the experience of getting to the airport or train station, to the flight check-in interface at the terminal, to the design of luggage and how it fits into storage compartments, every one of these experiences has been considered by a designer. With affordable air and train fare making travel more accessible for millions, the experience of travel is transforming rapidly, and with it, designers' vision for how to make it more efficient and enjoyable.
The exhibit offers a survey of this transformation through a collection of travel artifacts. Maps, guide books, posters, signage, train and airline seat prototypes, noise-canceling headsets, even vintage cutlery fill the gallery space, offering a fascinating look at the evolution of the travel "accessory."
As wayfinders, this exhibit was particularly interesting for us, as we love getting into the psyche of the traveler. In creating comprehensive wayfinding and signage systems, it's our job to think like a traveler, to figure what they need to know, and where and when to deliver information to help them reach their destination. If they can reach their terminal, hotel, or city sight with ease, then we've done our job!
For this exhibit, we shared one of our most interesting pieces of design research: mental maps. These maps are the mental picture a traveler creates of a new place they are navigating. The resulting images demonstrate how a visitor understands the geography of their environment; what landmarks stand out, which streets seem most significant, where they are in relation to where they are going. We shared our research from the NYCDOT I Walk New York Pedestrian Wayfinding Master Plan, which includes mental maps of a confused traveler's worst nightmare: New York City. Take a look these the drawings below from travelers and residents alike, or for more on the exhibit check out Design Museum Boston's site here.
