Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) leaders want to know what new students, patients, and other visitors experience as they come to the organization’s main campus in Loma Linda.
“People visit the LLUH campus for a variety of reasons,” suggests Rachelle Bussell, senior vice for advancement, LLUH, “sometimes during difficult or stressful times.” She adds, “Having clear, concise directions on a large campus will improve the visitor experience.”
“We made an intentional decision to take a step back,” explains Beth Rose, executive program manager for the integrated wayfinding project, and director of hospitality services for LLUMC. “We’re looking carefully at what it means to provide seamless pathways for visitors to approach our campus.”
Wayfinding tools combine signage with kiosks and interactive technologies.
Members of the integrated wayfinding steering committee, led by Ms. Rose, have been assigned the task of developing a master wayfinding plan for the campus. The committee considered four vendors to help with the evaluation process, master plan creation, and plan implementation. A wayfinding and environmental graphic design firm, fd2s, headquartered in Austin, Texas, was selected to partner with LLUH.
The process will require a number of critical steps. First, fd2s representatives will be on campus April 1-5 in order to immerse themselves in the campus experience. They will interview a number of individuals representative of various users—students, staff, patients, family members, and other visitors. In addition, they will test the effectiveness of temporary signage and other wayfinding tools.
Representatives from fd2s will follow paths typical for a variety of users. Their evaluation will lead to a proposal, which will ultimately result in a master plan. “Once fd2s completes its evaluation and master plan,” Ms. Rose indicates, “we intend to implement the campus upgrades over the next five to eight years.”
Ms. Rose and her fellow steering committee members want to emphasize the importance of the six-month investigative phase. “Our goal is to make our campus more accessible to visitors,” she concludes, “providing them with wayfinding aids that will take them exactly where they need to go as efficiently as possible.”
