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Mannheim Inner City Navigation

Addressing inner-city navigation challenges to simplify pedestrian transit.

UX Produkt Design Graphic Design

Project Overview

The redesign of Mannheim's inner-city navigation workshop was initiated by Prof. Göetz Gramlich and featured Cologne/Bonn Airport navigation designer Toan Vu-Huu. Mannheim's complex inner-city layout has posed significant challenges for pedestrians trying to navigate through it.

The Solution

An extension to the existing navigation system that helps pedestrians identify upcoming blocks and navigate Mannheim's inner city more effectively. This typographical navigation system provides clear guidance on the locations of historical monuments.

Client

HS Mannheim, Mannheim - Stadt im Quadrat

My role

User research, concepting, prototyping and design

Tools

Paper, Illustrator and Blender

Platform

Analogue Project

Timeline

2014 (3 Days)

“The main problem is that you don't know which block comes next…"

Ines, sub-urbran commuter

The Process

Understand

Research on topic and observation of inner city navigation structure

Mapping the user journey to identify interaction touchpoints within the service

Interviews with people during observation phase inside city center grid and fellow students and friends

Identification of pain points and mapping out fields of opportunity for concept creation

Sketching ideas and concept based on observation and interviews

Testing paper prototypes to identify best solution possible

Refinement of concept and visual design creation

City Navigation Structure

Mannheim stands out among German cities for its unique grid-pattern layout of streets and avenues, earning it the nickname "die Quadratestadt" ("The City of Squares").

Solution

To enhance the existing navigation system, I introduced a directional indicator utilizing Sans-Serif and Serif fonts. As shown in the image above, Mannheim's most prominent historical buildings are located outside the grid pattern. This approach created a clear distinction, helping users better understand their navigation direction.

Navigation Sign

An accordion-style sign was designed to complement the two typographical navigation systems. This innovative design ensures that users moving in a particular direction see only one of the two fonts displayed on the sign, enhancing clarity and usability.

inspiration

The inspiration for this design came from old flyers scattered on my roommate's desk. Intrigued by how this effect came to life, I decided to explore it further. After conducting research and speaking with pedestrians in the city center, I adapted this approach to address the navigation challenge.

Iterations

Some pictures of iterations along the process.

Conclusion

One of my favorite projects during university, this was a 3-day workshop that I truly enjoyed. It gave me the opportunity to explore possibilities that would help Mannheim's pedestrians and inhabitants. Personally, this project marked a turning point in my design career, as it pushed me to think about how to solve problems for others. The solution we came up with would have helped me back in 2009 when I moved from Mexico City to Mannheim. After this experience, I became even more passionate about user-centered design, which ultimately led me to move from Mannheim to Berlin to pursue further learning.