Wayfinding Study: Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden
Partner organization: Honolulu Botanical Gardens
Team members: Kyle Dinwoodie (Electrical and Computer Engineering ’25), Paige Littlehale (Architectural Engineering ’25), Jackson Pelletier (Biochemistry ’25), Brady Hogan (Mechanical Engineering ’25)
Download the team’s final presentation.
Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden was originally designed and built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as flood protection for the nearby Kāneʻohe community, and it opened to the public in 1982. It is located at the base of the Koʻolau Mountains and contains views of Windward Oʻahu and Kaneʻohe Bay. Ho‘omaluhia is also the largest of the five botanical gardens, spanning 400 acres. It contains the Kaneʻohe–Kailua Dam, a 32-acre lake, and houses over 4000 species of plants grouped based on their tropical native region. The park also allows hiking, camping, biking, and other popular recreational activities.
Visitation to the park has increased drastically throughout the past decade. Moreover, with the recent cessation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the gardens have been flooding with tourists at a daily average of 1600 visitors in 2022 (Jacques et al., 2023). The growing number of visitors has begun to cause concern and present challenges among park staff and residents in the area. The recent influx of visitors has prompted the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation to consider implementing an admission fee and a reservation system” (Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden Considers Limiting Visitors and Charging Fees, 2023). Major challenges the park faces include, but are not limited to, overuse of accessible areas, underutilization of other certain areas, visitor hesitation to explore new trails, and visitor lack of directions or guidance.
The goal of our project was to develop and expand upon new wayfinding resources to improve visitor navigation experience and provide deeper information on the plant life present in the Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden. We accomplished the following objectives:
- Redesign and reimplement trail maps for each area of the garden.
- Provide a guide recommending locations for deploying wayfinding signage, along with formatting instructions and budget.
Methods
We accomplished our objectives by employing the following methodologies: we began by conducting an initial walkthrough of the botanical garden to analyze pre-existing signage and visitor dispersion throughout the park. We then worked with Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden administration and staff to establish an initial idea for our designs. Additionally we conducted interviews with both park staff and visitors to better understand the park’s needs and concerns. Lastly, we used all the information we gathered to design and create a wayfinding plan for the garden which includes a map rework and signage proposal.
Map
In visiting the garden, visitors may find themselves presented with a variety of different maps, ranging from a 3×4 foot printed version of the “detailed garden map” to a vague and inaccurate representation of the garden printed in black on blue legal-size paper. To improve upon the current map system, we obtained a wide set of information on issues and potential improvement pathways for the maps through desktop research, group observations, and interviews with staff and visitors.
To mitigate some of the navigational issues posed by the existing maps, we developed a new base map for the garden. Through various iterations and versions, we have been able to apply this map in multiple use cases, such as a mobile phone accessible map, cropped maps for trailheads, a large text version map for accessibility, and a grayscale version for print. To create the reworked map, the existing detailed park map was first imported into Affinity Designer, a vector graphic design software developed by Serif. Using the various tools in the software, all areas and trails were traced and given new thicknesses, dashing, and colors to suit the new map. New text was added to the map, with location names, trail names, plant information, campsite information, and titles all being retooled in new fonts. Iconography was changed to use symbols from National Park wayside exhibit maps to improve visual clarity and accessibility. New symbols for scenic views and pavilions were drafted to match the visual style of the NPS icons, making them more instantly recognizable and distinct versus the current map’s designs.
A collage of garden photos was added to the side of the map, featuring photos from various marked scenic viewpoints on the map. These photos and their corresponding scenic view icons are numbered together, giving visitors an idea of how the scenic views look and incentivising them to explore further into the garden.
From the base version of the revised map, our team created several modified and cropped maps to fit the many trailhead signs. These maps focus on an area specific slice of the garden, cropped down to just show the area immediately surrounding the trailhead sign. To aid visitor navigation these maps also feature directional indication on trails which exceed the cropped bounds, and for a more zoomed out view a copy of the base map was created to work in conjunction with the cropped maps. With the larger physical size of these trailhead maps, information on plants and campsites in the area was able to be added without compromising thevisual style and impacting map readability.
Trailhead Signs
Oftentimes guests are very hesitant to leave the main road and experience these areas due to lack of direction. We believe the best way to solve this issue is through the use of trailhead signs. Trailhead signage is a specific type of signage that is placed at the beginning of a trail or area that provides area-specific information and a localized orientation map. Localized mapping holds significance for visitors as it enables them to promptly concentrate on a particular section of the garden without the need to locate it on a comprehensive garden map. This approach eliminates confusion about location within the garden by immediately providing guests with all the necessary information for that area.
We recommend there be seven trailhead signs marking each major section of the garden—two for Loko Waimaluhia, and one each for Kuou, Lehua, Kukui, Hau, and Nui. The signage should contain the following aspects:
- Name of Specified Area
- Full Map (scaled-down)
- Localized Area Map
- “You Are Here” placement
- Area-Specific Information (including region, possible language from region, possible region history, and plant information)
- HBG Logo
- Background Image (image will pertain to each given section)
- QR Map
We were informed by both garden staff and visitors that they would like to see localized maps throughout the garden that contain a “You Are Here” indication. According to Wayside Exhibits, “The You Are Here is the most important feature on orientation maps,” and this is because it allows for visitors to orient themselves by seeing only the trails in the area specified by the trailhead sign (Wayside Exhibits p. 53). This can be done most effectively by having a scaled-down version of the full map with a full-size, zoomed-in localized map on each sign.
Trailhead signage should be in upright orientation and 36”x48” in size per request of HBG Director Joshlyn Sand and Garden Supervisor Brian Groelsma. The signs themselves should be posted 32” off the ground, which aligns with National Park Service Guide standard height recommendations. Size 36”x48” signs are typically accompanied by 2×3 posts. We believe that CHPL is the best material for trailhead signage at Ho‘omaluhia. CHPL, otherwise known as Custom High Pressure Laminate, is a multi-layer, pressure-treated, resin-impregnated material that is commonly used for wayfinding and wayside signage due to its weather-resistivity (“Frequently Asked Questions,” n.d.). Given the consistent tropical weather in Ho‘omaluhia, this becomes imperative for signage. Additionally, CHPE proves to be a cost-effective alternative compared to other signage options, enabling the incorporation of more detailed signage. The NPS recommends galvanized steel posts for tropical climates. Galvanized steel is “virtually maintenance free, shows little if any sign of rust inhibition, and does not require painting once installed. (The posts) can last well over 15 years” (Harpers Ferry Center, n.d., p. 8).
Program Specialist Alma Phocus mentioned to the team directly that she would prefer to locally source these signs through Hawaiian-based companies, however after extensive research, the team could not find any companies in Hawai’i that could provide the necessary services required for producing these signs. Other companies such as Wood Product Signs or Fossil Graphics are currently viable sources to acquire Custom High Pressure Laminate (CHPL) signage.
Junction Signs
One of the most important aspects of conducting the wayfinding study was walking the garden ourselves to understand the experience of a visitor. We utilized the resources that the garden currently possesses to navigate our first full walk through. We could see firsthand how some of the areas of the garden are visited more often than others due to a lack of signage. During our second full walk through, we took pictures of all of the areas that require more junction signage and the direction the new signage should be pointing. From our garden exploration, we learned about the current state of wayfinding in the garden and how it needs to be improved through directional junction signage.
In the interviews that were conducted with new and returning visitors, we asked questions that pertained to the improvement of junction signage. Many agreed that the garden needs more directional signage as visitors struggled at different points due to lack of and type of signage. It was suggested to include the distance of paths and the type of terrain that you may encounter. For the field staff, it was important to them to have the signs match the aesthetic of the garden by having a natural look and other staff mentioned placing a second language. Interviews proved to be advantageous for the creation process of the new templates.
We selected all the new locations we feel that need a junction sign to aid in a visitor’s ability to travel through the garden. The final number of locations is twenty two new junction signs and the addition of many junction signs should alleviate most of the issues that visitors have with not knowing their exact locations. Additionally, visitors may be more inclined to visit the underutilized areas if there are signs that can easily guide them from one place to another without any gaps in signage that cause a person to feel disorientated. One’s ability to navigate through the garden without heavy reliance on a map will be strongly improved with the new placements of junction signage.
Templates for the new junction signage were drafted based on the guidelines from the USDA National Park Service. The signs will contain the name of the path/area, type of terrain, and/or distance along with a directing arrow. Per request of the garden, the junction signage will be written in two languages, English and another that the garden chooses, to make the signage
accessible to most visitors. The signs should be no longer than two and a half feet as this would be visually overbearing in the garden and no taller than 1 foot. The templates can be easily used by the garden to create all of the new signage as just the text needs to be changed, if needed, before being sent off to a company for creation.
For material, we recommend the signs be made out of HDPE with galvanized steel posts. HDPE is mold and rot resistant which is perfect for the humid and wet environment of the garden. In addition, HDPE can be created to look like false wood which keeps with the natural aesthetic of the garden. Using materials that can survive the Hawaiian weather will ensure that the garden does not have to constantly keep replacing the signs or worry that visitors are not able to read them.
Conclusion
With these recommendations and guides, we hope to give the staff of the Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden a better understanding of the methods and guidelines to implement effective signage. Our newly created maps can be utilized immediately, and with our provided style guides and recommendations for best implementation, HBG management now has access to a comprehensive plan for the creation and installation of new directional and trailhead signage throughout the garden.