intuition

Aha, the TOKE building LAK recently acquired.

Scandic will then be s shorter walk than Hilton ^

Google has a panorama from the top of the building (wrongly labeled as taken from Hilton)
https://www.google.se/maps/@60.31700...0!9m2!1b1!2i40

intuition

The signage at HEL airport is a mixed bag IMHO. I think it is great they do signage in multiple languages and scripts, but I've also criticized Finavia for not signing many important locations like transfer desk.

Now it seems they are upgrading signs and have indeed included directions to transfer service. That's great, but the style has also changed for the worse IMHO. See sign at bottom of post, a rather messy new sign at HEL.

I don't know if it is a standard, but many airports use a very dark blue background and a warm mellow yellow tint for the text. Some airports use a slightly brighter yellow and some use entirely proprietary colours, but IMO this basic dark blue/mellow yellow can be found all other the world. If not an explicit standard, then at least a de-facto one. Here is a sign in Bali:


Finavia has also used this well known colour scheme previously, but have now "updated" it. I got curious and found out that they decided to change colour scheme after a Danish consultant told airport management that blue and yellow are the colours of Sweden and did Finavia really want to be associated with that?!?
Seriously?
Rest assured that Danish airports has no issues being "associated" with these generic colours...

I am totally OK with breaking off from standard if done with a purpose and done well - DOH airport is an example of very consistent and purposely done "look&feel".

But this isn't very pleasing for they eye, is it?
Strange alignments, language inconsistencies, multiple font sizes, at least 5 colours (exit number kept the mellow yellow!). And boxes, boxes, boxes...

Abducted Alien

Posts here are always one's opinions, you stated that three times (IMHO/IMO) 😄
Otherwise good writing, I agree your point of view.

intuition

Hehe, I guess I felt it might be a sensitive subject...


Here is another example of a messy new sign:



When you design, you should do it consistently and with purpose. I don't agree with some of the new ideas, but if you go for these ideas you should still do it properly, like this:

a) Departing passengers are looking for gates - let's keep all gate info in the same area of the sign, making it consistent and easy to read

b) If we are re-designing to get a new "look&feel", let's do it properly and drop the old colourful baggage claim icons

c) In the name of consistency, let's keep all director arrows in the same relative location. People first look for the descriptor and then look for the instruction/direction, just like in a directory (first scanning the sign for "Arrivals" and when found, looking for where to go. Not the other way around!
All scripts used here are left-to-right read, so all arrows should go after the text they belong to.

d) They eye needs a physical guide - make sure you use alignment for that. There are different solutions to this, but I suggest using right-alignment for all data entries as that will make all direction arrows align.



Voilà! A few strokes in photoshop and this is the result.


How much did #finavia pay the Danish consultant? (Too much!)







By the way, do observe the inconsistency to the extreme right, where the gate sign has kept the traditional colours and font...

lento

Worldwide Yellow colour because of Sweden ! What a Genius consultant!
Yellow text is for a reason as human eye is most sensitive to a yellow-green color. And dark blue background is for good contrast.

heatsink

I'm ok with the new color, but the sign itself is a mess like you say. In addition to what you mentioned, it's not immediately obvious whether "Arrivals 2B" should be associated with the arrow of "Exit" or "26", which is *really* stupid.

Another thing that has always bothered me is that the big sign on top of the building says "Helsinki Airport". Why? Just "Helsinki" would look a lot more stylish. It's obviously an airport!

Hartsa

Well somebody might suspect it is a shopping mall nowadays.

heatsink

That's true, maybe it should be renamed to Helsinki-Jumbo.

SPBanker

Perhaps by 2035 they have actually merged?

intuition

LOL! ^



Actually, in 1983 the sign had only cityname on it (first terminal expansion, do note the observation deck):

intuition

Here is another signage ssue, but it might be my personal problem as I've gotten confused in many other places too...

To me, the direction arrows are projected in 2 dimensions and showing direction in map-style, the x-y-plane. Ie, an upwards pointing arrow does not mean "go up" but indicates "walk straight-ahead from here", and a right/left pointing arrow indicates "walk right/left here".

So when you introduce an arrow pointing to the upper right quadrant in this frame of reference, I take it as either "walk diagonally from here" or if the walkways are orthogonal, "walk straight ahead first, then turn right". Or in map-lingo, toilets are somewhere North-East from where I am standing now.

But in this case, the toilets are indeed to the immediate right, but upstairs. So suddenly the arrow is showing directing in the y-z plane instead of the x-y-plane.

I'd rather have the arrow in the ceiling mounted sign pointing right in this situation. That would send me in the right direction. Then, just as can be seen in the pictures lower right corner, once at the destination, there is an arrow on the wall pointing to upper right quadrant. In that context, I think it is more clear that it now means "up-stairs to the right".


Just a minor issue - maybe I am the only one reading the diagonal arrow wrong?

nordic

I read the diagonal arrow as it was meant to be. But it may because I know that the toilets are upstairs.

Anyhow, please send your photoshop sign to Finavia as it is excactly how I think it should have been designed.

lkrt

Checking out the CX forum something quite reminded me of the days when citro posted here every day (for 38 pages on one thread). Hope to see him/her here soon again.

SPBanker

When two AY+ Forum regulars meet in the Executive Lounge of Conrad Beijing... They go for the good stuff!

cistavoda

Well done guys!