Sign systems in national parks of New Zealand

Abstract

When designing sign systems, it is all too easy to become bogged down in the details and techniques of sign construction, and to lose sight of what the designer is trying to achieve. Communication does not take place in a vacuum. It involves people, and it involves a context. No manual can tell you how to design a sign system, because this is lifting the sign process out of its context and isolating it from reality. No easy answers are forthcoming, because any sign system involves communication, circulation, perception and the experience of the environment. It must be designed at the same time that these other matters are being addressed. To help pin-point some of the important factors involved, the first section of this study is divided into three areas: people, sign and environment. These three components are actually interdependent. They are segregated only for study convenience, but in reality they merge and become almost indistinguishable from one another. The second section of the study focuses on five case studys, followed by a summary and discussion of issues arising.