The Curious Case for Waylosing

This presentation made at SECAC 2024 explores ways that waylosing might enable curiosity. In 2005, Per Mollerup coined the term ‘wayshowing’ to differentiate the designer's role from the user's in navigation. Wayfinding is the user's activity, while wayshowing is the designer's responsibility.

Transcript

1. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 The Curious Case for Waylosing Cassini Nazir Assistant Professor University of North Texas SECAC 2024 · Atlanta secac https://youtu.be/uD4izuDMUQA
2. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project Kevin Lynch (1960) introduced the notion of wayfinding within the city. “In the process of way-­finding, the strategic link is the environmental image, the generalized mental picture of the exterior physical world that is held by an individual.” (p. 4) Lynch, K. (1960). The Image of the City. MIT Press.
3. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Arthur and Passini (1990) extended wayfinding to architecture and signs. Arthur, P., & Passini, R. (1992). Wayfinding: People, Signs, and Architecture. McGraw-Hill. Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project 1. Decision-making 2. Decision executing 3. Information processing Wayfinding is a three-stage, spatial problem-solving process:
4. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Mollerup (2005) reminds us that designers can only show the way. Mollerup, P. (2005). Wayfinding. Lars Müller. Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project “The purpose of wayshowing is to facilitate wayfinding.” (p. 71)
5. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Mollerup’s W>W (2013) shows how to show the way. Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project Mollerup, P. (2013). Wayshowing>Wayfinding. Lars Müller.
6. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 These concepts are rooted in architecture and the built environment. Reggio, G. (Director). (1983). Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of balance [Film]. IRE Productions.
7. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Information architects like Richard Wurman connected wayfinding to digital systems. https://youtu.be/QMdtsNMFFrQ
8. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 I first learned of wayfinding through Information architecture. https://youtu.be/QMdtsNMFFrQ
9. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 9 Find-ability To me, information architecture is about ooh’s and ahh’s. Finding things we were looking for… Discover-ability … and discovering things we weren’t. Ooh! Ah!
10. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Wayfinding seems easy enough: Here, a traveler finds his way to a ticket machine… Wayshowing>Wayfi
11. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 …but has lost his way within the interface. He pushes a call button… Wayshowing>Wayfi ?
12. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 …and a friendly railway officer helps him find the way back. Mollerup, P. (2013). Wayshowing>Wayfinding. Lars Müller.
13. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Wayshowing Mollerup (2005) Designers can only show the way. It is up to the individual to find it. Wayfinding Lynch (1960) Arthur & Passini (1992) Waylosing Mollerup (2005) Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project Designer creates artifacts or experiences that show the way The individual picks up the scent of information The individual loses the scent of information
14. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Wayshowing Mollerup (2005) Let’s now connect waylosing to the concept of exformation. Wayfinding Lynch (1960) Arthur & Passini (1992) Waylosing Mollerup (2005) Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project “professional activity of planning and implementing orientation systems in buildings and outdoor areas” “consistent use and organization of definite sensory cues from the external environment” “the stuff mazes are made of; don’t forget serendipity, the luck of finding the unexpected”
15. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024
16. Viktor Shklovsky (1917) Defamiliarization (art & literature) making strange приём остранения (priyom ostraneniya) Bertolt Brecht (1936) Estrangement effect (theatre) Eugene Ionesco The Bald Soprano Self-estrangement Exformation has familiar echoes in art and theatre.
17. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 At least two kinds of waylosing exist. Waylosing Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project Common waylosing • Intention remains the same • Retain original path • Goal: Find the way back
18. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 At least two kinds of waylosing exist. Waylosing Created by Oleksandr Panasovskyi from the Noun Project Serendipitous waylosing • Recalibrate intention • Redirect the path • Goal: Chart a new course Common waylosing • Intention remains the same • Retain original path • Goal: Find the way back
19. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 "Midway along the journey of our life I woke to find myself in some dark woods, for I had wandered off from the straight path.” — Inferno, Canto I, lines 1-3, trans. Allen Mandelbaum Doré, G. (1885). Dante lost in a dark wood before entering Hell. What kind of waylosing do we see in Dante’s Inferno?
20. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Dante’s curiosity can be viewed as serendipitous waylosing. Doré, G. (1885). Dante, guided by Virgil, observes those guilty of simony in the eighth circle of Hell.
21. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 The Ten Commandments (1956) Story in Exodus 3:1-4 It was not the great faith of Moses that led him to a burning bush, but his curiosity.
22. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Serendipitous waylosing inverses our understanding.
23. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Wile E. Coyote is a true designer. © Warner Brothers
24. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Wile E. Coyote is a true designer. Not a successful one, but a designer nonetheless. © Warner Brothers
25. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 https://vimeo.com/166896478 Can we as designers make serendipitous waylosing possible?
26. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 https://vimeo.com/166896478 …to intrigue and beguile?
27. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 https://vimeo.com/166896478 …surprise and delight?
28. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 https://vimeo.com/166896478 …surprise and delight? And create an altogether engrossing experience?
29. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 We can increase the likelihood of curiosity through a meaningful invitation. invitation Nazir, C., & Wang, J.: Designing Curiosity: A Beginner’s Guide. User Experience Magazine: UXPA Magazine
30. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 trust surprise invitation response reward Nazir, C., & Wang, J.: Designing Curiosity: A Beginner’s Guide. User Experience Magazine: UXPA Magazine The Inviting Curiosity framework allows us to create waylosing experiences…
31. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 …with at least eight approaches to arouse curiosity. create a new moment of discovery invite playfulness through games engage through the senses show over time delay, hide, or tease provide a different view create an appropriate challenge use humor to delight aha play perceive reveal obscure alternative challenge haha A P P R O A C H Nazir, C. Lee, K. Courtney, M. (2024). Leveraging Curiosity to Care for An Aging Population. In Marcus, A., Rosenzweig, E., Soares, M.M. (eds) Design, User Experience, and Usability. HCII 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Springer.
32. Dante and Virgil aha play perceive reveal obscure alternative challenge haha aha play perceive reveal obscure alternative challenge haha Moses aha play perceive reveal obscure alternative challenge haha Wile E. Coyote From the sublime to the banal, each story demonstrates the pattern of curiosity.
33. the curious case for waylosing · secac 2024 Get lost. Cassini Nazir cassini@unt.edu http://unknowing.design secac https://youtu.be/uD4izuDMUQA The Curious Case for Waylosing