WAYFINDING To streamline the wayfinding experience at LAX, LAWA began by undertaking a comprehensive assessment of wayfinding at the airport in 2018 and is now developing a new wayfinding strategy along with updated signage and wayfinding standards. “The standards represent a living document informed by ongoing development projects to expand the range of wayfinding products and services that will aid in meeting user needs across all environments and journey stages,” explains Mestas. The wayfinding strategy aims to develop an innovative, inclusive, accessible, equitable, cohesive and uniform approach to wayfinding, which uses both digital and physical signage to guide guests consistently across the airport and its facilities. “The new system will organize guests’ movements throughout newly interconnected terminals, the upcoming APM train system, Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility and other amenities at LAX. A holistic and clear wayfinding system is needed to link these offerings while reducing traffic congestion in the Central Terminal Area (CTA) and improving the overall guest experience,” Mestas continues. Currently, the wayfinding project is between the programming and early design stage and the multiphase design and construction rollout. “This year, we will engage a progressive design-builder firm that we will collaborate with further on the design and phasing strategy,” explains Mestas. “Once a prioritization plan is in place, the firm will implement the work, targeting completion before the Olympic and Paralympic Games.” The current LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal interior ABOVE Work underway While final designs for LAX’s new, consistent wayfinding solutions are being fine-tuned, the airport has begun work on making specific areas within the terminals more intuitive. “Based on the studies we carried out in 2018, we found out that the number one question we encounter at LAX is passengers asking for assistance to find an airline,” reveals Mestas. To help tackle this, the new wayfinding program will create info hubs that equip guests with the information they need, including where they are, where they are going and what to expect next in their journey. The airport is also implementing a campus-wide revised gate numbering system that will affect every airport environment and system (airfield, airside, landside, roadways, parking garages, APM train and more). “Last year, we conducted a gap analysis of the LAX wayfinding standards,” says Mestas. “We identified that the naming conventions for gate renumbering would result in a highly complex information system that would add unnecessary stress to our guests’ journeys. We worked closely with stakeholders, staff, airlines and passengers – the latter in a user testing exercise – to develop a new alphanumeric approach [A1, B1, C1, etc] that people found easy and fast to navigate. “The alphanumeric gate strategy leads to more efficient directional information planning, a reduction of failed journeys and unnecessary backtracking and time spent being lost, while increasing discretionary time,” Mestas adds. Another key aspect of LAX’s new wayfinding strategy is the development of a mapping suite, comprising a new LAX’s Wayfinding Enhancement Program will create positive guest experiences at each touchpoint of travelers’ journeys Helvetica Medium is the current font for interior wayfinding signs for all airports under LAWA jurisdiction The number one question we encounter at LAX is passengers asking for assistance to find an airline Terri Mestas, Los Angeles World Airports 34 Passenger Terminal World APRIL 2024 www.PassengerTerminalToday.com