Wayfinding (urban or indoor)

[citation needed] In 2010 American Hospital Association published "Wayfinding for Health Care: Best Practices for Today's Facilities", written by Randy R. Cooper.

Whilst wayfinding applies to cross disciplinary practices including architecture, art and design, signage design, psychology, environmental studies, one of the most recent definitions by Paul Symonds et al.[5] defines wayfinding as "The cognitive, social and corporeal process and experience of locating, following or discovering a route through and to a given space".

This understanding helps designers develop empathy for the user, as they research and test various wayfinding systems adapted to each context.

Modern wayfinding has begun to incorporate research on why people get lost, how they react to signage and how these systems can be improved.

A study published in Nature showed that growing up in a grid-planned city hampers future spatial navigation skills.

[9] In 2011, Nashville, Tennessee introduced a wayfinding sign and traffic guidance program to help tourists navigate the city center.

[13] Such spaces that involve areas outside the normal vocabulary of visitors show the need for a common set of language-independent symbols.

[17] A number of recent airport terminals include ceiling designs and flooring patterns that encourage passengers to move along the required directional flow.

[18] The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) represented a milestone in helping to make spaces universally accessible and improving wayfinding for users.