Visitors' wayfinding strategies and navigational aids in unfamiliar urban environment

Abstract

The way visitors to a new city wayfind in the digital era has been given less research attention than might be expected. The main aim of this study is to examine differences in wayfinding strategies between three groups of participants who used different navigational aids: a group with a paper map, a group with the Google Maps app, and a group relying on local signage only. Methods included GPS tracking, and voice recording of decision-making using the think-aloud method. 38 participants who had never visited Brisbane, Australia, were recruited and placed in one of the three groups. They undertook a two-hour pedestrian wayfinding task and other research activities in the city centre. The results show there are significant differences in wayfinding strategies used by the three groups of participants. The GPS group preferred to follow the suggested route by their navigator, most of them ‘locking in’ as digital navigators throughout the task. By contrast, the local-signage-only group used a diverse range of strategies to wayfind. Local-signage-only and paper map users tried to locate their position in the city by using piloting or path integration strategies, the GPS group just passively followed the guidance line showed by their device. On completion of the task the digital navigators recognized less spatial information. Surprisingly, the digital navigators did not feel less anxious compared with the two other groups. Urban planners and designers may need to re-think their design strategies to interrupt digital navigation. The provision of a more diverse set of digital navigation options, rather than just shortest-path route identification, is likely desirable to assist navigators who wish to experience more on their pedestrian journeys.