Pedestrian Totem Poles
Explorer’s highly-skilled cartography and creative teams understand the intricacies of successful wayfinding, and are experts in designing systems that allow people to navigate complex spaces with ease. As part of our long-standing partnership with Dubai's Roads & Transport Authority, Explorer created a network of pedestrian totem poles to be installed in high pedestrian-traffic areas near some of the city's busiest public transport stations.
Client
Roads and Transport Authority
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Language
Arabic | English
Format
Digital
Services
Proofreading | Creative Concepts | Graphic Design & Layout | Cartography | Map Design | POI Collection & Categorisation
Creative Approach
Explorer's team combined RTA's branding guidelines and Dubai's accessibility standards with best practices in wayfinding and design to create the concept for these pedestrian totem poles. Our creative and cartography experts worked together to determine what information to include to best serve pedestrians on their journey and establish the hierarchy within which that information would be presented. As these totem poles were part of the broader integrated public transport passenger information system Explorer produced for RTA, our design team employed the same fonts, colours, symbols and icons that were used on other outputs to ensure information was conveyed consistently, further streamlining the passenger journey.
Mapping Approach
In line with best practices in wayfinding, these pedestrian totem poles comprised three sections of information. The very top prominently displayed the location, while the middle section gave directions to the nearest public transport stations and points of interest. Finally, the third section, situated at eye level, contained two maps. The top map showed the area within a 1,000m radius (12 minute walk) of the totem pole's location, highlighting the prominent services, major transport stations and attractions. The bottom map, which represented a 500m radius, or six minute walk, gave even more detail, showing things like individual bus stops, supermarkets, mosques, banks and other service centres. Both maps were produced using 'heads-up' mapping principles, meaning what the pedestrian saw in front of them in the real world was oriented at the top of the map on the pole, making navigating the city even simpler.
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