A collaboration between Rachel Knight, Laura Prescott, Isaac Minogue and Jason Sheardown. In this brief we were asked to design a way-showing system for Wellington High School that would work for a range of users. After doing thorough audience research, we realised that social way-showing was a massive part of how students became familiar with the space. Instead of slapping on a static and irrelevant way-showing system, we wanted to incorporate the current social element and design both an experience and system that worked for new users, current users, and visitors. We did this by designing the first day experience for year nines, and a typographic and colour based system that is approachable and friendly.

We facilitated three workshops with year nines and year thirteens to understand their needs. We did this by journey mapping their experiences of coming to a new school and how they found their way around. We then identified problems with them, and rapid prototyped possible solutions.

We then used our new understanding of our audience to re-design a journey map for their first day. This journey map worked for new students, late entry students, and visitors as they interacted with the different stages.

The first touchpoint is that students are greeted by a peer supporter when they first arrive at the school on their first day. T-shirts help distinguish who they can go to if they need to know something, and a new stamp system divides students into groups so that hundreds of names don't have to be called out. A day plan is printed on the back of the t-shirt so that students know what is happening throughout the day.

The students then set out on a scavenger hunt: completing activities in each space in order to move onto the next one. This helps them get to know the spaces better in a fun, social, and interactive way that will help them feel more orientated around the school.

Next, students meet their form class and are given their timetables. These are colour co-ordinated to the spaces and the different areas were re-named by the students themselves. This made the names easier to remember instead of inhuman names such as 'M Block, room 078'. 

Rip-able maps in each space help new visitors find their way around. 

Supergraphics greet users at the entrance of each space to let them know where they are, and what happens in that space. Maori and English words were used interchangeably to create an inclusive culture.  

Lastly, transition spaces were highlighted to show when a user moves from one space to another, to keep them orientated in the school where it is so easy to get lost.