Inclusive Signage:
Opening the Arboretum to Everyone

Enhancing wayfinding with inclusive signage to improve accessibility for all visitors at Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle

Team

2 UX Designers, 2 UX Researchers

Timeline

Oct - Nov 2024 (2months)

My Roles and Contributions

- UX Research: Field Observations, Contextual Inquiries, User Interviews, Surveys
- Project Management: Stakeholder Presentation, Budget and Timeline Management
B.usiness Driven: Prioritized a Minimal Budget and Development time to ensure a Realistic, Low-burden Implementation
U.ser Focused: Interviewed over 40 Participants with all different needs through Qualitative and Quantitative Research
T.rustworthy: Suggested a Reliable Navigation for People with Mobility Limitations

🧐 Background

Required Improving Accessibility at Washington Park Arboretum
Washington Park Arboretum is a beloved Seattle park known for its diverse natural wood species. Even with 4.8/5.0 rating, the park was facing challenges with park accessibility. The project was to enhance visitors' satisfactions regarding accessibility.

👀 Discovery

Field Observations!
To discover current problems from visitor's point of view
Our first visit allowed us to step into the shoes of park visitors. Despite the park's natural beauty, we noticed several usability challenges:
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- Navigation Frustrations: We couldn't stop asking, “Where are we?” due to insufficient signages across the park. Trails lacked clear markers, and paper maps were unhelpful, leaving Google Maps as the only reliable tool.
‍- Feeling Lost: Some pathways had no direction cues, contributing to a sense of being lost.
Contextual Inquiries!
To validate the main problem
We hypothesized that poor navigation was the primary barrier to a positive park experience. To validate this, we interviewed 10 visitors about their personal experiences at the park, focusing on their navigation challenges.
- Most visitors confirmed difficulty with way-finding, especially infrequent visitors.
- Signage and maps were inadequate for decision-making, especially for accessibility needs like wheel-friendly paths.
‍"We got a map, but we couldn't figure out whether if it was stroller friendly or not. Having that information would be helpful.”
"I don't think I used any paper maps. I was also where’s the paper map?"
Surveys!
To gather broader visitor needs
Expanding on interview insights, we conducted a broader survey with 15 people about park navigation and accessibility.
- Google Maps Reliance: 65% of respondents used Google Maps, but an equal proportion expressed discomfort relying on digital tools. This indicates that they use digital platforms to rely on navigation but they are still not comfortable in using them.
User Interviews!
To gain accessibility-specific insights
Finally, our team interviewed 2 participants with accessibility needs, who were partially vision impaired and who had chronic digestive illness.

Arboretum visitors with mobility limitations including them faced challenges navigating paths due to insufficient information. While digital tools offer guidance, many prefer a device-free, immersive experience.
BUT...Too many research data led to difficulties in prioritization
Given the park's diverse visitor demographics and varied needs, identifying a single segment of visitors was challenging. We categorized visitors and prioritized their pain points by matching each group with their specific needs. And we focused on visitors with 'mobility limitations,' that could include the larger group.

❓ Research Questions

"How might we design arboretum experiences for visitors with mobility limitations to feel confident in navigating the path?"

👀 Ideation

Physical Signage for device-free experience
We ideated multiple solutions using an impact–effort matrix and chose an improved physical park signage as a device-free approach. Drawing from our research insights, this solution blends with the natural environment, reduces ecological impact, and helps visitors confidently explore the arboretum.

💡 Design

Which path information should we provide to visitors?
Our research revealed key informations that visitors need for confident navigation. We prioritized and simplified the information by showing "difficulties of the path" in the signage for clarity and ease of understanding.
Created an improved signage system featuring:
Our team sketched two types of signages; main for the entrance of the trail and midway located along the path.
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Trail Information: Highlights elevation, tactile features, and upcoming attractions to aid navigation.
‍Device-Free Guidance: Aimed at enabling confident exploration without relying on digital tools.
- Sketches
- Main Signage in the entrance
- Midway Signage that will be installed near the bench
How our prototype would look like at the park!
We have imagined how our new signage would look like at the park-at the main entrance of the trail and at multiple benches located along the path.
BEFORE
AFTER

😍 Impact

1. Our Team Presentation, 2. Group Photo with All the Stakeholders and Other Teams

"The tactile feature in the signage is so creative! People can truly experience the park even for those with vision impairment."
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"It is impressive that your team has made the estimated budget and timeline for the project.

- by stakeholders from Washington Park Arboretum

Feasibility Assessment
To persuade stakeholders of our prototype's value, we conducted a feasibility assessment covering the required materials, budget, and timeline. With a reasonable investment, we believed that the park could enhance its accessibility and navigation, leading to increased visitor numbers and providing a more enjoyable and immersive experience with nature through the improved signage system.
Materials: Metal signage and natural materials from the park (e.g., rocks)
Budget: Estimated $14,000 total
- Main signage (10 units*): $4,000
- Midway signage (20 units): $10,000 (leveraging existing benches to reduce costs)
Timeline: Development projected at 6 months

* Two signages on entrance for major 5 trails

🥹 Lessons learned

Prioritizing accessibility for broader audiences
Balancing diverse user needs was challenging, but the “curb cut effect” taught me that focusing on accessibility can unexpectedly benefit everyone. This insight became a guiding principle for my inclusive design approach.
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* Curb cut effect: a phenomenon of disability-friendly features being used and appreciated by a larger group than the people they were designed for. (Wikipedia)
Estimated Assessment still matters!
As a Project Manager, I conducted development time and budget estimations to assess feasibility. These insights played a critical role in securing stakeholder buy-in and shaping the project roadmap, reinforcing the importance of feasibility assessments in strategic planning.
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