The Research And Design Of Visually Impaired Users’ Sign System

Sign System, as a communication platform between public buildings and people, provides people with various types of information about the public buildings and helps people to complete their tasks in public buildings. With the rapid development of society and technology, the people who have access to public building become increasingly diverse. Therefore, the sign system needs to meet the information and psychological needs of various user groups. Meanwhile, China has gradually added the barrier-free system design concept to sign design. However, there is much left to be done:the visually-impaired-user sign does not meet the standardized requirements; accessible facilities are not known to the visually-impaired users. What’s more, public buildings are in lack of audio and tactile sign. China is in urgent need of the sign system which can meet information and psychological needs of visually-impaired people. On the other hand, due to the different levels of development and attention, visually-impaired-user sign system’s construction varies according to various regions. Visually-impaired-user sign systems in different public buildings have not been standardized. China is also in urgent need of national standards to regulate the visually-impaired-user sign system’s planning and the designing.In January2013, Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute has received commission from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Construction Standard Quota to write "Sign System Technical Specifications in Public Building Interior Spaces", in order to standardize and guide the design of the sign system in the public interior space in China. I had the honor to participate in the preparation of this national standard. My research is focused on setting specifications of planning and designing for the visually-impaired-user sign system. Previously, the study of visually-impaired-user sign system is still in the minority in China. My topic will be aimed at systematic researches of the visually-impaired-user sign system, specifications of planning and designing visually-impaired-user sign system, writing of Chapter V of "Sign System Technical Specifications in Public Building Interior Spaces", and the case studies and design of the visually-impaired-user sign system.My topic aims to address the following aspects. First, for the existing vacancy and defects in the current visually-impaired-user sign system, I researched the interaction between the visually-impaired-user and the sign (mainly through audio and tactile access), as well as their information and psychological needs. I conducted user research for the visually impaired as the foundation user analysis for this topic. On the other hand, under the classification of the various public buildings in China, I researched the planning and designing features of the visually-impaired-user sign systems in order to gain a wide adaptability and high feasibility of Chapter V. Second, due to the misunderstanding and operation mistakes of the current designers, my topic also conduct a visually-impaired-user sign system case study according to Chapter V. This can be served as a reference for using national standard to plan and design sign system. Third, by evaluating the usability of the case study, I confirmed the availability of Chapter V in the national standard, demonstrating the practical significance of my topic.The innovation and research result of my topic:(1) Chapter V in "Sign System Technical Specifications in Public Building Interior Spaces", the regulation and guidance for designers to plan and design visually-impaired-user sign systems.(2) Visually-impaired-user sign system case study, using Chapter V in the actual place.