Name: Wayfinding Basics for Beginners for Navigational Planning
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Created byDr Paul Symonds

Last updated 5/2025

English

What you'll learn

Understand the core principles and stages of wayfinding.
Explore human behaviour and how it influences navigation.
Identify key elements of wayfinding systems, such as landmarks, paths, and nodes.
Analyse and evaluate real-world wayfinding systems.

Course content

8 sections • 38 lectures • 1h 43m total length

Introduction1:49
Welcome video to welcome students to this Introduction to Wayfinding Course for beginners.
Meet Your Instructor1:42
A quick introduction to your teacher Dr Paul Symonds, who has a Ph.D in Wayfinding, has published several academic papers and provided wayfinding assessments for some international airports and other locations.
Wayfinding Terminology and Expressions0:18
Understanding Wayfinding Terminology and Expressions.

What is Wayfinding?3:43
A beginning introduction to what is wayfinding by asking about your own experiences of getting lost and finding your way, followed by a few examples of wayfinding in the real-world.
Why is Wayfinding Important?4:15
It can be useful to understand exactly why wayfinding is so important so here I explain how wayfinding impacts, safety, security, user experience (UX), commercial opportunities and making places inclusive.
An Interdisciplinary Subject Discussion3:07
What discipline does wayfinding comes under when it comes to college and university studies or in the business world? Does it come under graphic design? Business? Tourism? Architecture. See the video to learn more.
Where does Wayfinding Take Place?1:54
Learn about what types of locations and situations where wayfinding takes place in the real-world.
Airport Example: Users for a Wayfinding System3:20
We often make the wrong assumptions about who the users of a wayfinding system are. Here I explain many of the user types for wayfinding, using an airport as an example.
What are the Key Differences Between Wayfinding and Navigation4:49
What is the difference between wayfinding vs navigation? i will explain my thoughts in this video.
Human wayfinding vs Non-human wayfinding1:08
A quick video on animals and wayfinding and how wayfinding is important for many species.
ACTIVITY: Your Own Wayfinding Experience - 5 Bullet Points1:06
Wayfinding training activity to get you thinking about your own wayfinding and navigational experiences.
Recognizing Wayfinding Elements

Section Introduction0:36
Introduction to this Section where we have a couple of wayfinding case studies.
Wayfinding Flows Diagram for Airport Example2:25
I explain about some of the things to consider as we go through the airport wayfinding case study.
Airport Case Study7:13
A walk through of an airport to look and some of the wayfinding system elements that you might see in a typical international airport for helping people navigate and find their way seamlessly.
Wildlife Park Wayfinding Case Study8:13
Wetlands and Wildlife Park Wayfinding assessment and case study walk through.
Quick Quiz: Signage Basics

Section Introduction1:12
Introduction to this section on understanding human behavior in wayfinding.
The Role of Memory and Senses for Navigation and Wayfinding2:35
Learn about how memory and the senses impact navigation and wayfinding.
The Four Stages of Wayfinding3:51
What are the 4 stages of wayfinding and how are they used in the real-world.
How People Form Cognitive Maps in Wayfinding for Navigating Spaces.3:17
How do we form cognitive maps in order to know the route and know how to navigate when we repeat routes?
The Impact of Psychology and Sociology on Wayfinding3:55
An explanation of why sociology and psychology are so important in wayfinding and for navigation.
What are Desire Lines and Desire Paths and Routes?2:31
Learn all about desire lines and desire paths which are paths we take that are not intended by those who makes the routes for us.
Behavioral Factors in Navigation Success2:43
Learn what behaviors are relevant to wayfinding and how we navigate public spaces.
Cultural Considerations in Wayfinding Design2:05
Emotional Influences on Wayfinding2:27
ACTIVITY: Signage Observation and Thinking1:42
Quiz: Human Wayfinding

Section Introduction1:10
Introduction to the Elements of Wayfinding section.
Paths, Edges, and Districts - Wayfinding Elements2:23
Explanation about Paths, edges and districts - 3 of the 5 wayfinding elements.
Nodes and Landmarks - The final Two Wayfinding Elements2:16
Explanation of nodes and landmarks, the final two of the 5 wayfinding elements.
Real-World Examples of Lynch’s 5 Wayfinding Elements in Public Spaces1:40
A walk-through of a real-world NYC example of the 5 wayfinding elements.
Architectural Cues for Wayfinding (Entrances, Exits, Corridors, Sightlines)3:43
Learn how architecture and architectural cues and design can impact wayfinding design and practice.
Using Environmental Elements Flooring, Lighting and Soundscapes in Wayfinding3:39
What natural and environmental factors can impact wayfinding and how we navigate? We look at flooring, lighting, and soundscapes.
Quick Quiz: Wayfinding Elements

Requirements

You will learn everything you need to know. This is a beginners course.

Description

*Please Note: If you have several years of experience in design or wayfinding, this course is likely to be too basic for you.

Wayfinding Basics for Beginners for Navigational Planning

Have you ever visited a place and felt lost or confused? Wayfinding plays a crucial role in ensuring visitors can navigate public spaces easily and efficiently. Whether in airports, museums, hospitals, stadiums, or tourist attractions, clear and intuitive navigation improves the overall visitor experience.

This course provides a beginner-friendly introduction to wayfinding and visitor experience design. It is designed for students, junior facility managers, visitor experience teams, event organizers, and those new to public space design. Through real-world examples and case studies, you will learn how to make spaces more accessible, user-friendly, and easy to navigate.

By the end of this course, you will have a solid foundation in wayfinding principles, visitor behavior, signage placement, and spatial navigation strategies.

What You Will Learn:

The fundamentals of wayfinding and visitor experience
How people navigate spaces and the psychology behind wayfinding
The key elements of an effective wayfinding system
How to improve visitor flow in public spaces and attractions
Real-world case studies from airports, museums, hospitals, and more

Who This Course is For:

Students in tourism, urban planning, hospitality, or business
Junior facility managers and visitor experience professionals
Event planners, designers, and those new to wayfinding

No prior experience is required. Enroll today and start designing better visitor experiences.

Who this course is for:

Beginners interested in learning about wayfinding.
Students studying design, architecture, business, tourism, or urban studies.
Anyone curious about how people navigate spaces.

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction3 lectures • 4min

Introduction to Wayfinding8 lectures • 23min

Wayfinding in Action: Case Studies4 lectures • 18min

Understanding Human Behavior in Wayfinding10 lectures • 26min

The Elements of Wayfinding6 lectures • 15min

Intro to Universal and Inclusive design in Wayfinding1 lecture • 3min

Introduction to Technology and Wayfinding5 lectures • 13min

Course Wrap-Up1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: