Spatial Orientation and Wayfinding in Airport Passenger Terminals: Implications for Environmental Design

Abstract

Passengers and visitors of our nation's major airports often encounter problems of spatial orientation and wayfinding. The present study used a multiple method strategy to determine the sources of guidance information that passengers deem most important, how successful those sources are, and what design qualities facilitate or inhibit their effectiveness. The results are consistent with established theories of human navigation and spatial cognition, and are used to generate specific guidelines for effective redesign.