Agora Maximus, Tactical Urbanism Project / LAAB Collective + Signature Design Communication. Image © Raphaël Thibodeau

作为界面的城市：易读城市如何利用用户体验设计重新思考导视系统
The City as Interface: How Legible Cities Rethink Wayfinding Using UX Design

由专筑网Zia，小R编译

用户体验（UX）设计可以使数字界面更加清晰，易于浏览。该学科通过深入了解用户需求，并绘制图形来实现这一目标。城市代表着多个用户体验的物理界面——居民、游客、不同年龄和性别的人，每个人都在以独特的方式体验城市。在数字界面为无障碍体验而设计的时代，为什么许多城市仍然在导视系统方面遇到困难？

美国城市规划师和作家凯文·林奇（Kevin Lynch）首次创造了“城市易读性”（urban legibility）一词，将人们如何轻松理解和浏览城市布局的研究正式化。与应用程序和网站一样，城市环境需要直观的设计，通过清晰的路径、独特的地标、明确的区域以及易于识别的节点或聚集地来实现。这种清晰度能带来安全感，鼓励人们探索，并提高居民和游客的整体生活质量。

Design disciplines, like user experience (UX) design, have evolved to excel at devising experiences that make digital interfaces navigable. They accomplish this through a deep understanding of user needs and by mapping user journeys with meticulous attention to detail. The city represents a physical interface experienced by multiple users - residents, tourists, people of various ages and genders each experiencing it uniquely. In a time where digital interfaces are crafted for frictionless user experiences, why do many cities remain challenging to navigate?
Kevin Lynch, American urban planner and author, first coined the term "urban legibility" to formalize the study of how easily people can comprehend and navigate a city's layout. Much like apps and websites, urban environments require intuitive designs, achieved through clear pathways, distinctive landmarks, well-defined districts, and easily identifiable nodes or gathering places. This clarity brings a sense of security, encourages exploration, and enhances the overall quality of life for residents and visitors.


Rachel de Queiroz Park / Architectus S/S. Image © Joana França

布里斯托和南安普顿“易读城市”等结构化导览计划展示了城市对于清晰性的积极提高。布里斯托“易读城市”的交通、信息和标识项目综合计划使这座城市更受欢迎。该项目考虑了用户在整个旅程中的需求，包括方向指示牌、游客欢迎板、城市和地区地图、提供当地信息的解说、综合交通信息网络、艺术装置、电话亭、信息亭、交通枢纽市场和社区出入口。

这些项目的重点是实施统一的标识、清晰的地图系统和用户友好型信息，以引导人们有效地浏览城市景观。城市空间设计受用户体验设计原则的启发，提供了几种打造易读城市的方法：

Structured wayfinding initiatives such as Bristol Legible City and Southampton Legible City demonstrate how cities actively enhance their legibility. Bristol Legible City's integrated program of transport, information, and identity projects makes the city more welcoming and "readable." The program considers user needs throughout their entire journey, encompassing directional signs, visitor welcome panels, city and area maps, interpretation points providing local information, an integrated transport information network, an arts program, telephone kiosks, information booths, markets at transport interchanges, and neighborhood gateways.
These projects focus on implementing consistent signage, clear mapping systems, and user-friendly information to guide people effectively through the urban landscape. Strategic spatial design, inspired by UX design principles, offers several approaches to creating a legible city:


层次结构与信息架构

Hierarchy & Information Architecture


Wayfinding in London. Image Courtesy of APPLIED

正如网站采用清晰的标题、菜单和导航流程一样，一个清晰易读的城市也会在其导向系统中采用信息分层。这类导航工具优先考虑街道名称和主要地标等基本信息，以合理易懂的形式呈现。街道标志、地图和数字交互设施提供了多层次的信息，使用户能够快速找到自己所在的位置和所需的信息。

Just as websites employ clear headings, menus, and navigation flows, a legible city employs information hierarchy in its wayfinding systems. Such navigation tools prioritize essential information such as street names and key landmarks, presenting it in a logical and digestible format. Street signs, maps, and digital kiosks offer layers of information, enabling users to quickly locate where they are and what they need.


New York Subway. Image Courtesy of CityID

南安普顿“易读城市”指出，人们需要的信息各不相同，这取决于他们的环境和用户出行计划。该市开发的寻路系统将这些需求分为三个层次： 直达（提供从A点到B点的最有效路线）、指引（帮助人们最大限度地利用在城市中的时间）和展示（方便人们探索和发现城市中隐藏的风景）。


品牌识别设计

视觉或品牌识别对于数字和物理环境都至关重要。在城市地图、标牌和公共交通中统一使用字体、颜色和符号，可以加强品牌效应，强化城市形象，提高导航的直观性。

The Southampton Legible City initiative recognizes that people require different information depending on their circumstances and user journeys. The city's wayfinding system was developed to categorize these needs into three levels: Direct (providing the most efficient route from point A to point B), Guide (helping people maximize their time in the city), and Show (facilitating exploration and discovery of the city's hidden treasures).

Branding Identity Design
A visual or brand identity proves essential for both digital and physical environments. Consistent application of fonts, colors, and symbols across city maps, signage, and public transport creates a recognizable brand that reinforces the city's identity and enhances intuitive navigation.


Bristol Legible City 2.0. Image Courtesy of CityID

布里斯托尔“易读城市”致力于打造一座“可展示的城市”，优先考虑用户需求。利用公共艺术提升城市特色，鼓励探索。艺术装置散布在城市的各个角落，使城市更易于理解、记忆和吸引人。

Bristol Legible City strives toward creating a "showcase city" prioritizing user needs. The project leverages public art to enhance the city's character and encourage exploration. Art installations are scattered throughout the urban landscape to make the city more comprehensible, memorabe, and engaging.


用户反馈机制

User Feedback Loops


User testing and participatory design workshop. Image Courtesy of CityID


Bristol Legible City 2.0. Image Courtesy of CityID

在数字领域，用户反馈推动着设计的迭代改进。在城市环境中，这可以转化为实时数字更新，如交通信息、公共交通时刻表、提供个性化导航的互动式信息台，以及允许用户报告问题或提出改进建议的移动友好型导航工具。

从静态标识到数字方案的演变进一步改善了城市导航。现在，智能地图、增强现实（AR）应用和人工智能导航工具可为用户提供个性化导航。城市正在将实时交通数据（包括公交车到达时间、交通状况和行人分析）纳入导视系统，这样就能对标识和导航建议进行动态调整，同时确保用户获得最新信息。

通过广泛的研究和测试，南安普顿以用户为中心的产品和服务协调改善了城市的街景，并在整个旅程中提供相关信息。在开发过程中，雷丁大学字体设计与图形交流系和英国皇家盲人学院对字体和地图进行了测试和验证。

In the digital realm, user feedback drives iterative design improvements. In the urban context, this translates to real-time digital updates like traffic information, public transport schedules, interactive kiosks offering personalized directions, and mobile-friendly navigation tools allowing users to report issues or suggest enhancements.
The evolution from static signage to digital wayfinding solutions further improves urban navigation. Smart maps, augmented reality (AR) applications, and AI-powered navigation tools now provide users with personalized guidance. Cities are incorporating real-time transport data—including bus arrival times, traffic conditions, and pedestrian analytics—into their wayfinding systems. This enables dynamic adjustments to signage and navigation recommendations while ensuring users access the most current information.
Drawing from extensive research and testing, user-centered products and services in Southampton deliver coordinated improvements to the city's streetscape and provide relevant information throughout the journey. During development, typefaces and maps underwent testing and verification by the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication at the University of Reading and the Royal National Institute for the Blind.


Paddington Portable Event Signage. Image Courtesy of Maynard

直观的导向标识对行人体验和城市生活有多重益处。清晰、一致的标识和地图可改善游客、新居民和残疾人的无障碍环境，从而使他们更有信心地出行。有标识的城市鼓励步行探索城市，增加商店、餐馆和当地企业的人流量，从而支持当地经济并激活公共空间。

步行友好城市还通过宣传明确的步行时间、安全路线以及与公共交通的连接，鼓励人们选择步行和骑自行车等其他积极的交通方式，从而提升公众健康。南安普顿“步行友好城市”项目通过提供消耗的卡路里和减少的二氧化碳排放量等信息，强调了步行对健康的益处，进一步激励人们采用更积极的生活方式。

城市形象和建筑环境质量对当地经济至关重要。因此，城市应该作为一个互动系统来运作，让人们感觉到城市导览是直观和易读的。通过采用用户至上的城市导航方法，城市规划者、设计者和决策者可以打造更方便、更适合步行、更令人愉悦的城市环境。

Intuitive wayfinding has multiple benefits towards the pedestrian experience and city life. Clear, consistent signage and mapping improve accessibility for tourists, new residents, and individuals with disabilities, thereby empowering them to navigate with greater confidence. Legible cities encourage urban exploration on foot, increasing foot traffic in shops, restaurants, and local businesses to support the local economy and activate the public realm.
Legible cities also promote public health by encouraging other active transportation options like walking and cycling by communicating clear walk times, safe routes, and connections to public transport. The Southampton Legible City project highlights the health and fitness benefits of walking by providing information on calories burned and CO2 emissions saved, further motivating people to embrace more active lifestyles.
A city's image and built environment quality are fundamental to its local economy. Therefore, cities ought to function as interactive systems where wayfinding feels as intuitive and approachable. By adopting a user-first approach to city navigation, urban planners, designers, and policymakers can create more accessible, walkable, and enjoyable urban environments.


A man examines a prototype of a Legible London wayfinding sign in a transit center. . Image Courtesy of APPLIED


Southampton Legible City. Image Courtesy of Maynard