Designing a seamless travel experience for all

Wayfinding is often described as the process of moving from one point to another, broken down into a series of decisions. But its impact goes far beyond that. How people find their way influences their confidence, comfort, experience, and even the operational and financial success of a place. When wayfinding is overlooked, inclusivity suffers—and so does everyone’s ability to use the space well.

When navigating somewhere unfamiliar, our minds are often racing:

“Should I go left or right?” “Is this the right entrance?” “Have I ended up on the wrong floor?”

A good wayfinding system answers these questions before they need to be asked. It offers the right information, at the right time, in a way people can understand. And it doesn’t just rely on signs. Layout, materials, lighting, landmarks, and even furniture all contribute to how we make sense of space.

But there’s a risk if designers only draw on their own perspective. It’s easy to assume that what works for you will work for everyone. That assumption can unintentionally exclude people with different needs—whether that’s vision or hearing loss, neurodiversity, mobility challenges, or even pushing a pram. If we haven’t experienced those barriers ourselves, we can easily overlook them.

That’s why we take a human-centred approach to wayfinding. We engage with the people who use the space. We listen to what they need, what they struggle with, and what makes them feel confident. That could mean stakeholder workshops, one-on-one interviews, journey mapping, or simply walking through the space together.

A recent feasibility study with Transport for Wales gave us the opportunity to do just that. The project involved planning a new transport interchange and bus station in central Cardiff. We held a workshop with the Cardiff Council Access and Focus Group (CCAFG), which included representatives from the blind and partially sighted community, deaf users, older adults, and cycling advocates.

To make the session meaningful, we used tactile drawings, a physical prototype with texture, a virtual reality walkthrough, and a sign-language interpreter. This gave everyone a chance to experience the proposed design in ways that worked for them—and to give real, practical feedback.

That session gave us powerful insights. It reinforced the importance of staff visibility and presence within the station. It highlighted how critical clear views to bus departure points are, and how important it is to include real-time travel information. It also underlined the value of nearby drop-off facilities for people with limited mobility.

These are the kinds of details that make or break a user’s journey. They’re not nice extras—they’re essential. And we only uncover them when we listen.

Wayfinding isn’t just a set of signs or instructions. It’s part of the architecture, part of the user experience, and part of the culture of care we build into public spaces. By involving users early and testing ideas properly, we can remove barriers, reduce stress, and design travel experiences that are seamless for everyone.