How Travelers Get Through the Season without Losing their Way…or their Minds
Whether driving in a new town or navigating through an unfamiliar airport, the stress of the unknown can be daunting – and coupled with holiday traffic, downright unbearable, but Patrick Murphy, an environmental graphic designer whose job it is to make the entire process effortless is taking a new approach to this difficult task and lighting the way for travelers.
Understanding the significant role that directional signage plays to high traffic locations, Murphy-of 115 Degrees West Wayfinding Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada-took the design and development process to another level when soliciting the help of New Mexico-based Insight Lighting. While designers have been teaming up with sign fabricators for decades to illuminate sign systems, it’s the Sky Harbor Airport project that brought on the idea that energy efficiency, low maintenance, light uniformity and sleek design could be achieved with the right industry experts.
“The uniqueness of the relationship came through Insight’s recognition of wayfinding as being increasingly important to end users and my recognition that lighting expertise needed to come to the wayfinding discipline. Through the development of the custom sign system for Phoenix Sky Harbor, which also had the requirement of being extremely versatile, we developed a sign module that solved so many problems for the end user and eliminated the need to “re-invent the wheel” for designers every time they started an illuminated wayfinding project,” Murphy said.
Airports, downtowns and campuses are investing millions of dollars into simply making it easier for people to get around. While signs have been pointing people in the right (or wrong) direction for many years, it’s recent that the industry has taken the turn toward intense planning, design and production.
“Our lighting products have always done a good job of lighting the way for people to get from point A to point B, but being able to incorporate our lighting into signage is a new and exciting venture for us,” said Reed Powers, Senior Vice President of Insight Lighting.
With major expansion ventures underway like that of Sky Harbor Airport and most recently Las Vegas’ McCarran Airport, Insight has developed new products to accommodate the demand of such projects, creating The SmartWay product family developed specifically for consultants and owners searching for solutions when creating sophisticated wayfinding systems. SmartWay products can be placed indoors and outdoors, reduces energy by as much as 50 percent and extends the life of the lighting system by as much as 30,000 hours.
“Everyone is becoming more aware and more educated on the need for good wayfinding systems. Cities, counties and states involved in increasingly complex and expensive transportation projects realize the need to address how people use these facilities and wayfinding is a huge part of success. Sport venues, campuses, and hospitals are extremely sensitive to providing an environment that enhances the user’s experience, and this increase in customer service is reflected in their bottom line,” said Murphy.
When an airport or town takes less time, stress, and brainpower to navigate, it’s easy to be thankful but many do not give a second thought to how this was accomplished. With one major travel holiday behind us and Christmas ahead, Wayfinding Experts may be one group to add to the “thankful for” list.
About Insight Lighting
Based in Rio Rancho, NM, Insight Lighting has been committed to exceeding expectations in lighting technology and setting new standards in performance and application for over 20 years. Keeping all production in the US, Insight is dedicated to creating the finest designs in linear architectural lighting, graphic displays, way finding, luminous walls, ceilings and high performance pipe systems. Insight has contributed to some of the world’s most notable structures. For a list a projects and products visit www.insightlighting.com.