DIRECTED VS UNDIRECTED

I googled “wabi sabi” and found the following texts related to our idea:

Description

Wabi now connotes rustic simplicity, freshness or quietness, and can be applied to both natural and human-made objects, or understated elegance. It can also refer to quirks and anomalies arising from the process of construction, which add uniqueness and elegance to the object. Sabi is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear, or in any visible repairs.
 
In art books, it is typically defined as “flawed beauty”.^[6]
 
Simon Brown^[9] notes that wabi-sabi describes a means whereby students can learn to live life through the senses and better engage in life as it happens, rather than be caught up in unnecessary thoughts.
 
The idea is that being surrounded by natural, changing, unique objects helps us connect to our real world and escape potentially stressful distractions.
 
Wabi-sabi can change our perception of the world to the extent that a chip or crack in a vase makes it more interesting and gives the object greater meditative value. Similarly materials that age such as bare wood, paper and fabric become more interesting as they exhibit changes that can be observed over time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi

When nothing is certain, everything is possible!
 
The Japanese philosophy encourages us to focus on the blessings hiding in our daily lives, and celebrating the way things are rather than how they should be.
 
A great example of wabi-sabi in creativity is the art of kintsugi, where cracked pottery is filled with gold dusted lacquer as a way to showcase the beauty of its age and damage rather than hiding it.
 
The fault is not hidden but highlighted.
 
Wabi-sabi draws attention to the cracks in a tea cup as part of the beauty of the object.
 
In his book The Unknown Craftsman, Soetsu Yanagi argues that imperfections are necessary for a full appreciation of the object and the world.
 
The cracks in the old teacup are seen as assets rather than flaws.

https://medium.com/personal-growth/wabi-sabi-the-japanese-philosophy-for-a-perfectly-imperfect-life-11563e833dc0

LAUGHING IN THE FACE OF UNTRANSLATABILITY
The hermit was no longer a sad outcast, but a wise man freed from the trappings of an increasingly decorated and artificial Japanese society.
 
THE HERE AND NOW
Wabi-sabi can seem like a dated concept, and even defeatist: “If you can’t make straight lines, learn to love the wonkiness.”

https://www.tofugu.com/japan/wabi-sabi/

2.
Abandoning “Perfect”
 
Life – the fingerprints, scars, and laugh lines – is itself perfectly imperfect, and we should embrace the beauty in that…

https://theuppers.com/the-japanese-philosophy-of-wabi-sabi-seeing-beauty-in-the-everyday/

In the house:
 
Think a rustic table that’s been passed down through generations, each scratch adding to the narrative of the object’s history. 
 
In the kitchen:
 
Think about it, you don’t love homestyle cooking for its beauty, you love for the story and care behind the creation.
 
In the beauty world:
 
Rather than stressing about those wrinkles, appreciate the laughter that caused them. Instead of hiding that scar, think of it as a permanent reminder of the adventures you once had.

https://savvytokyo.com/wabi-sabi-the-japanese-philosophy-of-embracing-imperfectionism/

WABI-SABI AND THE ART OF KINTSUGI
 
Kintsugi, or “golden joinery,” is an art form where breaks and repairs are treated as part of an object’s history.

https://thethirty.whowhatwear.com/wabi-sabi

I’m also attracted to Kintsugi.

As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.^[5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi

Every repaired piece is unique, because of the randomness with which ceramics shatters and the irregular patterns formed that are enhanced with the use of metals.

The scars become what to exhibit
With this technique it’s possible to create true and always different works of art, each with its own story and beauty, thanks to the unique cracks formed when the object breaks, as if they were wounds that leave different marks on each of us.

How many beautiful messages the kintsugi technique conveys
Each of us should look for a way to cope with traumatic events in a positive way, learn from negative experiences, take the best from them and convince ourselves that exactly these experiences make each person unique, precious.

https://www.lifegate.com/people/lifestyle/kintsugi

Instead of sweeping our problems under the metaphorical carpet, we can put ourselves back together in a way that embraces the challenges we have faced as part of our life’s journey, while acknowledging that it is our scars that make us strong and interesting people.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/mind/kintsugi-should-embrace-imperfections-japanese-way/

Artists study

Bruce Nauman

At the end of the 1960s, Nauman began constructing claustrophobic and enclosed corridors and rooms that could be entered by visitors and which evoked the experience of being locked in and of being abandoned.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Nauman

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Audio Video Piece for London, Ontario (1969–70) – Nauman uses a closed-circuit television, a camera, and an audio recording to confuse sensory perception as the television broadcasts images and rhythmic noises of an adjoining room.^[16]

Learned Helplessness in Rats (Rock and Roll Drummer) (1988)^[26] – Plexiglass maze, closed circuit video camera, video projector, two videotape players, two monitors, and two videotapes. Collection of MOMA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Nauman

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Charlie Sofo

I also researched about signage & behavioral change:

Effectiveness of signage

According to him [27], signs are more effective when
(1) they are displayed in close proximity to the point of action of the requested behavior [21],
(2) they specifically state what behavior is desired or describe alternative behaviors [22, 23],
(3) the requested behavior is relatively convenient [24, 29, 30], and
(4) the prompt is presented in a polite, non-demanding language [21, 22, 25].

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0182975

Comprehension process

There are two processes by which linguistic speech can have an effect on its receiver. The first route is the direct understanding of the literal meaning, that is to say, ‘what is said is what is meant’.
 
The second route isindirect.In contrast to the direct route, there is no explicit correspondence between what is said and what is meant. Take the example of someone saying to you, “There is a recycling bin in the room.” If you take the direct route as outlined above, you would interpret this utterance as information that there is a recycling bin in the room. However, you would not come to this interpretation under most circumstances, but would infer that the speaker is directing you to place recyclables in the recycling bin. In this case, the speaker isnotsaying what hemeans, but what he is sayingimplieswhat he means [44]. Therefore, the listener mustinferwhat the speaker means. The critical point of the indirect route is that the receiver has to infer correctly the course of action that the speaker is requesting [for further examples see 43, 45, 46]. The ease with which these inferences can be drawn depends on the clarity of the message.
 
In the case of signage, too, the direct and indirect routes can both occur; just as in linguistic speech acts, the likelihood that one or the other occurs depends on the extent to which the sign receiver is familiar with the sign.
 
Present studies

Thus, there are two routes in the comprehension process to an appropriate action representation based on a sign. First, if the sign is familiar, it takes the direct route. The viewer of the sign will directly “read off” the intended meaning. However, if the sign is unfamiliar, the viewer will need to “infer” the intended meaning to activate an appropriate action representation. To infer the appropriate action representation via the indirect route, however, clarity of a message’s intent is critical. This analysis provides a testable hypothesis about a sign’s effectiveness. There should be an interaction effect between familiarity of a sign and clarity of purpose discernible from the sign on the sign’s effectiveness. If signs are unfamiliar, clarity of purpose should predict effectiveness; however, if they are familiar, clarity of purpose should not matter.
 
Study 1
Results and discussion
For familiar signs, Clarity of Purpose does not influence Perceived Effectiveness of the sign.
 
However, for signs that are not familiar, Clarity of Purpose impacts Perceived Effectiveness of a sign.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0182975

General discussion

First, our perspective advises sign designers and implementers that they need to pay close attention to familiarity and clarity of a sign. In particular, in designing new signs, emphasis should be placed on the clarity of the transmitted message and purpose of the sign. This is because people would not be familiar with those new signs, and therefore the clarity of the purpose of those signs is critical.
 
For established signs, reassessing the clarity of purpose in those signs may become increasingly more important in a highly diverse world with high rates of immigration and travel.
 
In conclusion, because signs are an important and inexpensive method for changing behavior, understanding the underlying mechanisms in behavior change through signage is fundamental for effective signage in the future.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0182975

In general, it seems, we’re pathetically obedient, queueing where we’re told to queue, walking where we’re told to walk, just because it’s printed on a sign.
 
Studies suggest “invoking norms” is a very effective tactic: to get people to reuse hotel towels, tell them lots of other guests do so. And specificity matters: asking hikers to keep to the footpath to preserve particular trees is better than asking them to protect the forest, which, in turn, is better than “save the planet”.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/26/change-your-life-signs-burkeman

I also read about signage and design:

Colors can effect a person’s mood; image complexity can make signs difficult to interpret; text that is small, too close together, or too long can be hard to read; and placement can directly impact the usefulness of the sign and it’s size, content or materials.
 
1. Shape- For example, a stop sign is an octagon. No other common street sign uses that shape. Triangle signs are often used for hazards.
 
2. Color- Some colors, like blue for instance can provide a calming effect. That may be something to take into consideration when you are designing a sign for the customer service desk! Other colors, such as red, stand out and can provoke agitation or alarm and may be more useful for marking emergency exits, emergency shelter areas, etc.
 
3. Images/Complexity- If an image has a lot of detail or complexity, it can be difficult to make out what it is from a distance and sometimes the message can get lost.
 
4. Text-However, unless we’re talking about a waiting room where customers have the time to stop and read—you want to avoid lengthy text. Try to break up signage and only include necessary information. A directory only needs to tell you that the billing department is on the first floor, room “x”. Strategically placed room number or department signs in the rest of the building can help route the customer further. A map with a lot of color coded arrows or rooms can be confusing, and the customer may forget the route by the time they get where they are going.
 
5. Placement-For example, if you have a smaller parking lot on the street side of your building and another lot with unused space in the back, you can place a reasonably sized sign as customers pull into the drive that directs them to more parking in the back.

https://www.iclasspro.com/blog-article/business-management/the-importance-of-signage

1.0 Introduction 
Concepts 
Visual confusion 
Visual confusion can be created if too many signs are located in close proximity. 
2.0 Developing a Strategy

https://www.sportengland.org/media/4426/wayfinding-and-signage-2013.pdf

‘…basic design principles in sign design: 
• Signs should be used only when necessary
• Signs should be consistent, using prescribed typefaces, colour and contrast…’
June Fraser Sign Design Society

3.0 Layout and Organisation 
Architectural features and landmarks 
A well-designed building should have a logical and efficient layout that will make wayfinding and general use of the building as intuitive as possible.

https://www.sportengland.org/media/4426/wayfinding-and-signage-2013.pdf

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3.0 Categories of Signage
Duplication of information should be avoided where possible and practicable to do so.

https://www.sportengland.org/media/4426/wayfinding-and-signage-2013.pdf

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4.0 Signage Design 
Colour and contrast

Sign characters and symbols should contrast with the sign background – 70% is the optimum level of contrast

Typography

Text signs should use a mixture of upper and lower case letters, as words are recognised by their shape as well as their letters

The size of text on a sign should be consistent

Recommended text sizes for short-distance reading are 15-25 mm

Sans serif fonts, such as the Helvetica type, are easier to read than serif-type fonts

Left-justified text is preferable except where arrows are used, in which case the text should be justified in the direction of the arrow.

https://www.sportengland.org/media/4426/wayfinding-and-signage-2013.pdf

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Size and positioning

Signs should be suitably illuminated and positioned where they are free from glare

Where practical, signs should be located on walls at average eye level.

https://www.sportengland.org/media/4426/wayfinding-and-signage-2013.pdf

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Key findings – King’s Cross, London Bridge, Stratford 
Way out to key locations 
Evaluation 
Black and yellow thought to have more stand out than blue and yellow

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/lu-signage-post-research-report.pdf

Signage conventions[edit]
Pictograms
For example, In UK and EU signage, the width of a sign’s pictogram must be 80% the height of the area it is printed to.
 
Sign shape
Some common signage shape conventions are as follows:

Rectangular signs are often used to portray general information to an audience.

Circular signs often represent an instruction that must be followed, either mandatory or prohibitive.

Triangular signs are often warning signs, used to convey danger or caution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signage

I also researched about wayfinding:

Basic process[edit]
The basic process of wayfinding involves four stages:
1.   Orientation is the attempt to determine one’s location, in relation to objects that may be nearby and the desired destination.
2.   Route decision is the selection of a course of direction to the destination.
3.   Route monitoring is checking to make sure that the selected route is heading towards the destination.
4.   Destination recognition is when the destination is recognized.^[1]

Wayfinding in architecture, signage and urban planning
Urban planning
Nashville, Tennessee has introduced a live music wayfinding plan. Posted outside each live music venue is a guitar pick reading Live Music Venue.^[10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayfinding

Wayfinding principles
Do not make them think

https://www.designworkplan.com/read/wayfinding-introduction

What Discpline Does Wayfinding Come under

Stakeholder studies additional is a vital aspect of wayfinding because many routes are designed with commerce in mind.
 
The intentional strategic use of smells and fragrances to attract a consumer towards a retail outlet is an example of steering behaviour.

The Role of Signage in Wayfinding

Wayfinding is far more than signage, i.e it is a more all-encompassing field, which includes the design of spaces.
 
Lighting, the use of people to direct other people etc. also come under the banner of wayfinding and all provide ways of directing people.

https://www.travelwayfinding.com/what-is-wayfinding/

What design elements can be used in wayfinding other than signage?
For example, the complexity of the edges, how the lighting falls and the colour of the materials.” 
“Human physiological psychology explains that our eye is naturally drawn to complexity and contrast.

http://dwp.com/the-tao-of-wayfinding/

I also researched about direction, position, or indication sign:

Design
Unlike the other classes of sign, direction signs remain broadly undefined by the convention; the only restrictions given are that direction signs must be either a rectangle or an arrow shaped pentagon, and that they may not contain placenames in more than two languages. Additionally, direction signs on motorways must be blue or green, while temporary direction signs are yellow or orange.^[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direction,_position,_or_indication_sign

I also researched about traffic sign:

United Kingdom
Three colour schemes exist for direction signs:

On motorways they are blue with white lettering

On primary routes they are green with white lettering and yellow route numbers

A non-primary route has white signs with black lettering

A fourth colour scheme, black on yellow, is seen on temporary signs, for example marking a diversionary route avoiding a road closure.

Two typefaces are specified for British road signs. Transport “Medium” or Transport “Heavy” are used for all text on fixed permanent signs and most temporary signage, depending on the colour of the sign and associated text colour; dark text on a white background is normally set in “Heavy” so that it stands out better. However route numbers on motorway signs use a taller limited character set typeface called “Motorway”.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_sign

I also researched about passage of time:

“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by little in their own time, turning into memories, mists from other days, until they were absorbed into oblivion.” 
― Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera
 
“Steadfast Seas and Mountains

The lofty mountains and the seas, 
Being mountains, being seas, 
Both exist and are real. 
But frail as flowers are the lives of men, 
Passing phantoms of this world.” 
― Reiko Chiba, Hiroshige’s Tokaido in Prints and Poetry
 
“Time is standing still. We are measuring ourselves by how far we are going.” 
― Debasish Mridha

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/passage-of-time

How do we perceive time when we look back at periods of life? ‘Memory content’ is the key to an answer. The more changing experiences we have, the longer subjective duration in retrospect. 
 
First, we can recall many different and novel experiences. This “memory load” expands subjective duration. Second, because we were open for new experiences (increased attention) in a joyful context (heightened affect) memory formation is enhanced.
 
That is, when we grow older, fewer events of significance are experienced and stored in memory. As a result subjective time speeds up, at least in theory.
 
We suggest that people who can actively regulate their emotions have more nuanced, fine grained experiences at a given moment which are then stored in long-term memory. During affective self-regulation one is more aware of what is happening and one feels a sense of agency. The ability to actively cope with one’s emotions, as opposed to a mere reactive sensibility, would lead to an intensified experience which, when looking back over a period of life, would lead to more events retrieved from memory–thus expanding subjective time in retrospect.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sense-time/201604/the-passage-time-across-the-life-span