Information Architecture

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to my Information Architecture blog (and the delightfully gritty world of the machine shop.)

Here you'll find a record of the design process for a shop signage system designed and created during the winter of 2005 for the Savannah College of Art and Design. The system was created by Lauren Schlam and me, Dana Smith.

You'll also see a bit of development for a concept map and process flow diagram designed to communicate the rules of baseball to those unfamiliar with the game.

There's a lot of detailed content here, so you could scroll down this front page a bit to view our final shop proposals or jump straight to:

Shop System:

Baseball Diagrams:

Or even:

My thoughts on blogging

Estimates

The signage proposal is currently under consideration for implimentation into the SCAD ID model shop. Lauren and I were asked to provide price quotes for printing the system on magnets, stickers, and card stock mounted on acrylic.

Lauren obtained an initial quote this afternoon, but we will meet on Friday to explore additional possibilities. We would like to provide a proposal that includes options at a range of price points.

The System

We identified two main ways of communicating the information – through physical means like signage and facility layouts, as well as through verbal communication. We have designed our system to support both types.

Faculty and staff are able to point the way to a visual demonstration of essential concepts on the signs throughout the shop and building – great for visually-oriented students and visitors – and all machine signs point the way to people who can provide additional, more substantial, and demonstrative assistance. Interpersonal communication provides a depth and quality of information that printed material can simply not replicate.

Machine Signs - Final Proposal

All machine signs are modular, to allow placement based on differing information priorities, as well as to fit the varying space availability on each machine. Each sign includes a Main section with Safety and Operational information, a Materials section, a Clean section, and a Communication section. On most signs, the Clean and Communication sections are the same, reinforcing important concepts that are easily overlooked by shop users.

Below is an example of the standard final layout for the machine signs. There are 16 of these type of sign proposed.

The 17th machine sign is the Table Saw. The complexity and highly dangerous nature of this machine in particular demanded a sign with more information. This sign includes the Materials, Clean, and Communication sections as well.

Emergency, Monitor Signs - Final Proposal

The Emergency sign includes the most important information in a simplified layout for easy comprehension in a highly stressful emergency situation, as well as high-contrast colors to indicate importance.

In contrast, the Shop Monitor Duties card includes a bit more information for a longer read, as well as lower-contrast colors that. The graphic layout indicates that performing all duties leads to a safe shop.

Wayfinding Signs - Final Proposal

A group of wayfinding signs provide core information for each location within the Gulfstream Center for Design, including hours of operation, safety, and access information. These are intended to be located either above the room number label to the side of the door, or above the door handle directly on each door.

Bench room - Final Proposal

We propose the removal of 4 benches and 3 shelving units from the Bench room. The current arrangement creates a dangerous situation because walkways are blocked and there is little room to move and work. The extra shelving units should be moved to the faculty storage closet, and the closet should be opened to student storage, removing much of the storage mess from the work spaces.

Lauren created these great models of the Bench room to demonstrate the rearrangement.

First version - Hallway, Document Templates

First version of the Hallway and Document templates:

Hierarchy of information - Template

These numbers are based upon the user testing, as well as our own interpretation. Qualities that determine an element's place in the hierarchy include text size, boldness, color, size and color of background box, as well as location within the sign.

It is important to note that this is a highly simplified interpretation. There are in effect at least two different hierarchical structures within the system - safety related and non-safety related (mainly cleanliness and communication).

Trial and ... Trial again

The shop had just closed when I went to test the sample sign with some users, but I was able to go in to just take photographs while they finished cleaning.

I went straight to the Band Saw with the sign, and stuck it on:

In doing so, I realized that the user will likely approach the machine at the point of main use - directly in front of the blade, so I moved the sign as close as possible to this point. I also rearranged the elements to place the Materials and Main section closer to the point of use - that information is more important before beginning a cut.

Moving to the smallest Wood Lathe, I kept using the sample Band Saw sign to test for size and placement.

I happily discovered that the modular elements allow us to fit the necessary information in the small area available. We will need to adjust the proportions of the Main section to 1/2 as tall but 2x as wide to accomodate the thin surface of the cabinet.

All 4 sections fit well on the Bender, the two tallest just need to be shortened slightly.

On to wall placement...

The yellow and red of the printout correspond well with the color language already established on the sander and other machines. The size of the signs on the wall will next to be about 4x what you see above for ease of reading from the increased distance.

The Mill was a bit of a challenge, but everything did fit - it is arranged to face the user's angle of approach, with the most important sections (Main, Clean) facing directly toward the front of the bed. The Materials section could easily be moved to the thin front surface of the bed by using a magnet (as we plan to do with most of the signage placed on the machines).

The Jointer posed another space challenge. The two thin sections will fit well along the top of the rail, which is the most effective location for them as the user looks almost directly down to use the machine. The Main section did not appear to fit anywhere, but we now think that with a bit of size adjustment it could be placed on the guard, above the DANGER sign that is already there.

For the Grinder, the user only requires 2 of the 4 sections of the sign, which fit well on the machine itself. There is little to clean after grinding, and the only materials allowed are the lathe tools, which will be specified in the Main section.

I stuck the sample sign on just about anything... Yeeeaaahhhh...

On to the way-finding sign placment:

Colors stand out, but not the right proportion for this job. I will explore a long format that is the same width as the Room # label.

The signs we plan for above the door handles will also be more effective in a thin, vertical format. Good opportunity to use the visual styling of the Materials and Question sections, just turned on end - the association works because neither of these sections have red included in them, and the graphics are simple.

Ah... All in a hard nights work...