Finding the way
Technology meets physical brand touchpoints at the juncture between wayfinding and navigation. Brittany Golob explores AR navigation and wayfinding experiences.
Imagine stepping off a red-eye and into Miami International Airport. The massive, 3,300-acre hub serves 1,000 flights per day and 52.4m passengers each year. Signs abound. Directions to different terminals and immigration; coffee shops and luxury lounges; ground transportation and duty free shopping. It’s a bustling, visually intense landscape.
But figuring out where to go no longer relies solely on a complex network of signs and arrows. American Airlines has introduced augmented reality navigation into its app, allowing passengers to find their way around airports like Miami.
Sita, the IT provider for the transport industry, says that interactive navigation solutions are one of the top two investment priorities for airports, alongside biometric security solutions. AR apps, robot info booths and customisable AR technologies are providing passengers with easier routes through busy terminals. The US’ National Renewable Energy Laboratory studied this investment. It says that any investment in tech-powered indoor navigation should function alongside traditional signage, enhancing and customising the user experience.
It should, in short, blend wayfinding and navigation.
The University of Hawaii at Manoa points to the difference between wayfinding and navigation. Wayfinding is the process of moving from place to place. Navigation “implies precise knowledge of where you are and where you are going.” It’s the difference between having a map and using a compass or a sextant to navigate the space indicated on that map.
Wayfinding and signage have long been crucial brand touchpoints that are carefully developed and deployed to create the best possible relationship between the brand and its audiences. Consultancies that work in this space tend to be brand-oriented. They focus on the way a brand’s expression can be implemented in physical media.
Gideon Wilkinson, co-founder and MD of wayfinding and signage consultancy Endpoint, says, “Wayfinding and navigation can be much more than just an efficiency tool, they can serve as a subtle but powerful extension to a brand’s identity, helping shape how audiences feel and engage with the brand’s environment on an emotional level. Through designing and curating experiences that are seamless, joyful, accessible and that reduce frustration, surely builds trust in that brand.”
Navigation, on the other hand, tends to be under the purview of a growing number of technology consultancies which overlay physical spaces with interactive technology through apps or smartphone-enabled experiences.
A competitive advantage, globally
There are interesting AR navigation examples popping up around the world. From the British Museum’s tablet tours programme to Mercedes-Benz’s AR-enabled route guidance to Milwaukee’s historic ghost signs app. Alongside those, immersive AR experiences draw eyeballs – and social media posts – everywhere from Doha to Denver.
For brands to ensure they’re pursuing AR integrations while also protecting their brand experiences, they should maintain a balance between the immersive nature of the wayfinding and the brand’s touchpoints, both physical and digital.
Pixel Artworks builds immersive brand experiences that toe the line between wayfinding and attraction. Most of its work has dealt with massive international spaces like the Rugby World Cup or Dubai International Airport, at which immersive installations capture the attention of thousands.
Simon Graham, creative technology director at the immersive experience studio, says, ”Web-based AR wayfinding is evolving brand-customer interactions, crafting more accessible and engaging experiences. When combined with programmatic marketing, it unlocks new avenues for personalised, data-driven experiential campaigns.”
If brands can draw on the magic and wonder of these kinds of experiences to inform their AR-enabled wayfinding, they may just alight upon the perfect balance of brand expression and brand experience.
Gideon Wilkinson says that tech-enabled internal navigation is best used when it can add to the brand in another way than simply navigation. If it can provide revenue streams or richer information, then it might be worth the larger investment. “From my experience, there needs to be a sound financial reason for brands to make the serious investment and long-term commitment to 'navigation services,’” he says.
But in some environments, like airports, “I can see it having a real benefit for travellers,” Wilkinson adds. “Translating directions, providing walking distances, real time based information for queueing etc. Will it really be something that a supermarket or a gallery or museum wants to invest in, environments where browsing, discovery, impulse and product interaction are an important part of the experience? It feels to me that putting a phone between the customer and the products on display may be counterproductive from an enjoyment, ergonomic and business perspective.”
Enhancing physical spaces
Finding that balance is crucial so that the AR navigational system doesn't draw people out of the physical experience and into the world within their smartphones.
Take Yosemite National Park. Part of the stunning wonder of the park experience is down to a physical interaction with the site. The majestic heights of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls set among the natural splendour of the Sierra Nevadas are unrivalled sights. Outside Academy has launched an AR navigation app in association with National Geographic and Hyundai. This experience allows tourists to delve into the sights throughout the park and explore more deeply.
On the one hand, this could potentially encourage people to be so immersed in their phones they don’t spare a moment to look up. But on the other, learning more about the park through a media that people are familiar with and happy to engage with is a huge benefit. It can deepen the connection between the place and the person by ensuring they aren’t just visiting, but exploring the park. Knowledge is power.
In hospitals, knowledge is not only power, but lifesaving power. ARWay has a groundbreaking AR solution for healthcare companies that guides patients around hospitals, reducing stress and improving efficiency in a challenging setting. Las Vegas’ Southern Hills Hospital has even used AR to navigate the insides of patients’ bodies. The technology, the hospital says, can change the nature of surgery by improving visualisation and leading to safer procedures.
Chief of surgery Dr John Anson says, “It's amazing. This is real time, me being able to view the actual anatomy as I'm doing surgery. We still do the same operations but this allows me to make much smaller incisions and with much more precise guidance.”
Gaining popularity across sectors
AR navigation is even making its way into sports and retail. Sydney FC worked with Australian tech company 7DX to create an augmented reality version of Sydney Football Stadium ahead of its 2022 opening. This deepened the connection fans had with the space, even ahead of a referee blowing the opening whistle. Julian Ward, 7DX’s CEO says, “The experience has been balanced to deliver a creative impact, as well as being functional and giving fans engaging content.”
Las Vegas’ Comic Con improved wayfinding with AR to orient people, allow them to navigate the sprawling venue capably and also provided in-app advertising. At London’s Westfield shopping centre, retail giant Marks & Spencer worked with Hyper AR to trial an AR app in 2021 to allow people to improve their navigation of its massive food hall. Not only did this help improve navigation, but it also provided those with accessibility needs greater resources with which to do their shopping.
These kinds of brand experiences are layering information atop the physical environment in a seamless way that inspires people to delve deeper into the brand world.
Graham says, “One of AR’s most exciting features is its ability to deliver contextual information without cluttering physical spaces. By overlaying directional cues onto the real world, brands can simplify user interfaces and immerse visitors in a curated journey. Imagine effortlessly guiding participants through vast events or retail spaces, directing them to specific products or displays. Picture cityscapes transforming around users through their phones, leading them to immersive events where the journey is part of the experience.”
One company that is doing this is Blippar, whose AR City technology aims to eliminate the need for traditional maps by allowing people to navigate cities through their phones in a more immersive way than via Google Maps. CEO Ambarish Mitra said upon the programme’s launch, “The technology seamlessly combines the digital with the physical, and is a significant step in our mission to create AR natural enough that users don’t feel any disconnect.”
Even if they don’t pursue tech-enabled solutions, wayfinding and navigation remain essential aspects of a brand experience. When asked when brands should consider improving their wayfinding systems, Wilkinson said, “Before they start getting lots of complaints!”
The intersection between wayfinding and navigation might be a sweet spot in which brands can build richer, more immersive experiences while also ensuring their brand worlds remain true to their DNA and cater to the needs of their audiences.
Emerging into the sprawling landscape of Miami International Airport may still be a challenge, but with an enhanced interconnection between wayfinding and navigation, it can be a surmountable one.
This article was taken from Transform magazine Q4, 2024. You can subscribe to the print edition here.
