Wayfinding Signage Design Utilizing Regional Cultural Characteristics : Focused on Korea’s Historical and Cultural Spaces

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

As globalization accelerates, the importance of regional culture in urban development is increasingly emphasized. To enhance urban competitiveness, it is necessary to promote urban vitality while preserving regional cultural characteristics. This study aims to explore how to showcase regional cultural features through wayfinding signage systems, providing designers with innovative and localized design concepts to enhance the cultural appeal and competitiveness of cities. Through research on wayfinding design in modern historical cultural spaces, we aim to provide insights for the construction of wayfinding signage systems in urban cultural spaces, promoting urban vitality and the sustainable development of regional culture.
This study focuses on the wayfinding signage of three historical cultural spaces registered as Korean national cultural heritage in 2018: Mokpo Modern History and Culture Space, Gunsan Inner Harbor Historical and Cultural Space, and Modern History and Culture Street, Yeongju. By combining regional cultural features with the component systems of wayfinding signage, this research conducts indepth analysis and evaluation of the application of regional culture in the wayfinding signage of these three spaces. The study adopts a comprehensive method combining literature analysis, induction and qualitative analysis to explore the influence of regional cultural elements on wayfinding signage.
Firstly, by conducting surveys and organizing historical background information and the current status of the target cultural spaces, a deeper understanding of their regional cultural connotations and characteristics is gained, providing a foundation for subsequent regional cultural analysis. Secondly, the cultural analysis process method in CCBD method is used to analyze the cultural code types of regional cultures, identify the characteristics and importance of each cultural element, and provide the cultural basis for the design of a wayfinding sign system. Through the analysis and comparison of the regional cultures of Mokpo, Gunsan, and Yeongju, it is found that Japanese colonial rule brought about brief changes in regional culture but also deepened certain aspects, particularly in natural geography and material culture. These three cities collectively exhibit unified cultural code characteristics: institutional culture, spiritual culture, and some aspects of material culture are indicative of Proposed Culture code (PCc), meaning they are susceptible to the social or cultural features of the time. Mokpo's grid-like urban street planning and modern architectural complexes showcase significant traces of its historical legacy, while Gunsan's Inner Harbor Historical and Cultural Space highlights the influence of natural geography on port cities. Yeongju is characterized by its developed transportation network and economic prosperity. The regional cultural characteristics of these cities exhibit Proposed Culture code (PCc) characteristics in institutional culture, while some aspects of material culture and natural geography serve as the basis for Active Culture code (ACc), preserving and developing their unique regional cultural features.
Next, an analysis of the constituent elements of the wayfinding signage system in the target cultural spaces is conducted, including information content, graphic systems, and hardware systems, to comprehensively understand their current status and characteristics. Finally, the constituent elements of the wayfinding signage system are correlated with regional cultural elements, exploring the connections between them and the types of regional culture, and uncovering the patterns and characteristics of regional cultural representation in the wayfinding signage system. Mokpo's wayfinding signage system maintains uniformity in design, with colors and three-dimensional forms reflecting the characteristics of certain regional cultures, primarily derived from material culture and institutional culture. While Gunsan's Inner Harbor wayfinding signage system lacks uniformity, although the colors and three-dimensional forms of some wayfinding signs reflect the characteristics of material culture, institutional culture, and spiritual culture, Proposed Visual Culture code (PVCc), the signage as a whole lacks coherence. Yeongju's wayfinding signage system mainly showcases regional cultural features through colors. The wayfinding systems of the three cultural spaces generally exhibit characteristics of General Visual Culture code (GVCc), with wayfinding information easily identifiable, fewer wayfinding constituent elements reflecting regional cultural elements, and less differentiation compared to wayfinding signage in other cultural spaces. In the future design of historical and cultural space wayfinding, the initial step involves identifying regional cultural elements belonging to the Proposed Culture Code (PCc) in local history. From these, the most representative elements are selected, considering also those that have persisted over time and transformed into Active Culture Code (ACc), with natural geographic elements serving as reference points throughout this process. Ultimately, these selected regional cultural elements are integrated into the design elements of the wayfinding signage, such as color, form, and material, to showcase the unique history and culture of the region, aiding visitors in better understanding the local geographical features and cultural traditions.
This study aims to delve deeply into the critical role of regional culture in the design of way-finding signage systems, providing new perspectives for the construction and development of wayfinding signage systems in urban cultural spaces. Through analysis, it is evident that regional cultural elements are paramount in the design of wayfinding systems, encompassing aspects such as color, three-dimensional form, and material, effectively reflecting cultural characteristics. The design process must balance normativity and practicality, incorporating local material culture and natural geographic elements to showcase regional characteristics and cultural traditions, while also aligning with contemporary aesthetic trends. This research offers fresh insights and inspiration for both design practice and academic inquiry, injecting new vitality into the sustainable development of urban vitality and regional culture.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• TABLE OF CONTENTS i
• LIST OF FIGURES iii
• LIST OF TABLES v
• ABSTRACT viii
• Chapter I. Introduction 1
• 1. Research Background and Scope 1
• 2. Research Purpose and Methods 3
• Chapter II. Literature Review 7
• 1. Wayfinding Signage 7
• 1.1 Wayfinding signage 7
• 1.2 Wayfinding signage categories 11
• 1.3 The signage pyramid’s component systems 17
• 2. Regional Culture and Cultural Space 22
• 2.1 Regional Culture 22
• 2.2 Background and concept of Modern History and Culture Space 28
• 2.3 The necessity of regional cultural elements for wayfinding signage in cultural space 31
• Chapter III. Research Design 34
• 1.Scope and Objects of Analysis 34
• 2.Analytical Framework 36
• Chapter IV. Regional Analysis of Historical and Cultural Space Wayfinding
• Signs 46
• 1.Mokpo History and Culture of Modern Times 46
• 1.1 Regional Overview and Analysis of Regional Culture 46
• 1.2 Current Status of Wayfinding Signs 55
• 1.3 Regional analysis of the components of wayfinding signs 61
• 2.Historical Cultural Space in Gunsan Inner Harbor 65
• 2.1 Regional Overview and Analysis of Regional Culture 65
• 2.2 Current Status of Wayfinding Signs 73
• 2.3 Regional analysis of the components of wayfinding signs 78
• 3.Modern History and Culture Street，Yeongju 83
• 3.1 Regional Overview and Analysis of Regional Culture 83
• 3.2 Current Status of Wayfinding Signs 92
• 3.3 Regional analysis of the components of wayfinding signs 97
• 4.Summary 100
• Chapter V. Conclusion 105
• REFERENCES 109
• 초 록 116
• 摘 要 119