Friday, June 3, 2016

I Can't Get Lost With Wichita Falls Wayfinding Signage

A couple days ago I said that in a future blogging I would be blogging about the directional signage one finds all over Wichita Falls.

I have found the Wichita Falls directional signage to be extremely useful.

Basically anything you want to find in this town you can find simply by heading in the general direction of that which you seek and the wayfinding signs will get you there.

A few days after driving around in this town I noticed that the street signs also matched the color scheme of the directional signage.

And then I visited Lucy Park for the first time to discover the same type signage directed me to that which I was looking for, that being Wichita Falls.

Below you can see how the signage makes it easy to find something small, like the World's Littlest Skyscraper.


Below is an example of the park version of the wayfinding signage found along the Circle Trail. I took this photo whilst on a jogging run about a half mile from my abode.


As you can see the above signage is quite useful. In addition to pointing towards possible destinations there is also a map with a "You Are Here" indicator.

I do not recollect being in any other town with such well developed useful signage as what I have found in Wichita Falls.

I remember soon upon my arrival in Fort Worth being perplexed by directional signage in the downtown area pointing visitors to Sundance Square, among other things. I think this was when my confusion as to the location of Sundance Square began, before learning there was no such thing as Sundance Square, in the conventional meaning of the square word.

My quest to learn how the Wichita Falls signage came about led me to the following information on the City of Wichita Falls website....

As part of the Pride in the Falls Phase I campaign, the PITF committee selected a consultant to help develop a master wayfinding signage plan for the City. The goals of the wayfinding signage plan were to establish a framework to implement functional and attractive signage that enables visitors and residents alike to more easily navigate the city and find their intended destinations. This is especially important in promoting tourism and events. In addition, the design of the wayfinding signage would serve to reinforce the community identity and brand with consistent messaging and a visual vocabulary of repeated forms, colors, symbols and typefaces. In doing so, the system will convey a visitor-friendly approach and promote the “Pride in the Falls” brand initiative that arose from the Vision 2020 Plan adopted by the City in 2008.

That town I used to live in had no need for a Pride in the Fort type program because it is well known and well documented that Fort Worth is the Envy of the Nation, making cities and towns across the globe Green with Envy.

Last night I was in my friendly neighborhood Walmart where I noticed that even Walmart has adopted the Wichita Falls wayfinding signage plan.


Am I successfully conveying that I like this town?

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