A Design Framework of Medical Wayfinding Signs for the Elderly: Based on the Situational Cognitive Commonness

Jianfeng Wu, Xinyu Liu, Chunfu Lu (), Shihan Yu, Dongfang Jiao, Xinyu Ye and Yuqing Zhu
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Jianfeng Wu: Industrial Design and Research Institute, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Xinyu Liu: School of Design and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Chunfu Lu: Industrial Design and Research Institute, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Shihan Yu: School of Design and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Dongfang Jiao: School of Design and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Xinyu Ye: School of Design and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Yuqing Zhu: School of Design and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-16

Abstract: Older people in China have a poor understanding of hospital signage. To address this problem, in this study, we combined the theories of situated cognition and cognitive commonness in order to introduce the three main factors that affect the generation of situational cognitive commonness: composition of the situation, familiarity, and concreteness. We used these theories to construct a methodological framework for the design of geriatric hospital wayfinding signs that were based on situational cognitive commonness. The design of nine healthcare signs for Chinese national standards were used as examples in the study. First, users who were familiar with medical scenarios were asked to draw concrete cognitive conception graphics for the purposes of individual wayfinding targets from both physical and social situations. Next, we coded and grouped the generated graphics based on their situational features in order to extract groups of representative common graphics. Finally, we reorganized the common graphics and developed concrete designs, which were tested by the judgment test. The wayfinding signs designed according to the methodological framework of this study effectively improved the understanding of hospital signage among older Chinese people. This study took geriatric hospital wayfinding signs as the examples to provide a feasible theoretical basis and research reference for symbol design.

Keywords: cognitive commonness; situation theory; wayfinding sign; elderly; geriatric hospital; medical signs; design framework (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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