About 80 percent of University students, faculty and staff recently polled said the vibrant directional signs being tested across campus are appropriate for LSU, according to an online survey released Friday.The 13 temporary signs — for things like buildings, roads and parking lots — are part of the final planning phase of the University’s Wayfinding Project, an initiative to redesign all of the directional and informational signs on campus. The test signs, made from temporary materials like plywood and PVC pipe, were displayed for the University community to evaluate the signs’ color, font, readability and design before the actual ones are constructed, said Jason Soileau, assistant director of Facility Development. Although there has been plenty of buzz on campus since the signs went up in August, an e-mail sent to about 28,000 students, 1,300 faculty members and 3,800 staff members allowed the University community to formally voice their opinion. Only about 1,400 responded to the multiple choice survey, and comments made in the optional comment box on each question ranged from extremely positive to extremely negative. “The overall design of the signs is acceptable, but the colors are garish and clown-like,” one commenter said. “They do not preserve any sense of dignity, and do not blend in with the rest of the campus at all.”Others liked the signs’ bright, modern purple-and-gold color scheme — a huge contrast to the brown directional signs currently used on campus. “[The new signs] are great,” another commenter said. “A much nicer look for the University than the old, dilapidated ones currently spread all over campus.” Soileau, who has headed the Wayfinding Project since its inception 18 months ago, said the majority of comments made in the comment boxes were negative. The results of the survey — and comments — will be analyzed by Sasaki and Associates, the Boston-based architectural planning firm designing the signs for the University. Soileau said all comments will be taken into account as he, Sasaki and the University’s wayfinding committee put together their final plan for the multi-million dollar project, which will be presented to the chancellor in October. “We’ve asked Sasaki to look at certain aspects of the signs based on the comments we received,” Soileau said. One of those aspects is the color scheme of the test sign outside of the Law Center. Soileau said they are re-evaulating the sign’s muted purple accents on the Law Center’s logo after many survey takers said the color did not reflect the University’s colors well. Soileau said he wants the University to have an adopted sign system by the end of the semester.Many survey takers criticized the Wayfinding Project itself, saying it’s not what the University needs to be focused on right now, especially considering the University’s round of budget cuts this summer. “The signs are fine, but I’m disappointed to see the University focusing and spending money on something so frivolous when jobs are being lost, academic units are receiving funding cuts, etc,” one commenter wrote. Soileau said the real signs — which will all have the same consistent design and color scheme — will begin to be installed on campus in phases as funding becomes available in different departments. Test signs around campus include a directional sign at the intersection of Highland and Dalrymple Roads, several building identification signs and an informational kiosk near Memorial Tower.
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LSU community survey shows approval of wayfinding signs
September 19, 2009