Evaluation of the Legibility of Wayfinding Signage in Mosques Through the Design of Ergonomic Signage

Bambang Suhardi, Afiq Ramadhan, Rahmaniyah Dwi Astuti

Abstract


Mosque visitors often struggle with poorly designed wayfinding signs. Small fonts, unappealing color combinations, illogical placement, and dazzling materials contribute to this frustration. Common complaints involve signs for toilets, ablution areas, prayer halls, and holy boundaries. This study aimed to improve signage legibility by applying ergonomic principles. The visual display cognitive ergonomics approach was chosen, with a focus on human-system interaction and acknowledgment of human limitations. An experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of font size, typeface, and color combinations on legibility. Additionally, symbol comprehension tests and assessments of familiarity, compatibility, and standardization were conducted to inform the design of effective symbol signage. The experimental data were analyzed using the Friedman test. Spearman’s rank correlation test was used to assess the relationships among the three ergonomic factors: familiarity, compatibility, and standardization. Data analysis revealed that only font size significantly impacted legibility. However, a positive correlation was found between ergonomic factors and participant understanding of the signage symbols. This suggests that these factors collectively affect overall legibility. After introducing the newly designed signage, the study successfully increased sign legibility. Future research can explore additional factors that influence legibility to develop more comprehensive guidelines for mosque signage design.

Keywords


Ergonomic; Legibility; Mosque; Signage; Symbol

Full Text:

PDF

References


[1] V. Dharmawan and N. Rachmaniyah, “Kajian Signage dan Elemen Wayfinding di Kampus Perguruan Tinggi (Studi Kasus : Kampus ITS Surabaya),” Arsitektura, vol. 19, no. 2, p. 205, 2021, doi: 10.20961/arst.v19i2.49152.

[2] P. Sari and D. P. Bomo, “Desain Wayfinding Dalam Keterbacaan Dan Pelaksanaan Studi Kasus Jakarta International Stadium,” J. Ilm. Arsit., vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 116–130, 2022, doi: 10.32699/jiars.v12i2.3585.

[3] J. D. Bullough, “FACTORS AFFECTING SIGN VISIBILITY, CONSPICUITY AND LEGIBILITY: REVIEW AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY,” Interdiscip. J. Signage Wayfinding, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 2–25, 2017, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2470-9670.2017.v1.i2.a9.

[4] C. Piepenbrock, S. Mayr, I. Mund, and A. Buchner, “Positive display polarity is advantageous for both younger and older adults,” Ergonomics, vol. 56, no. 7, pp. 1116–1124, 2013, doi: 10.1080/00140139.2013.790485.

[5] M. A. Tinker, Legibility of Print. Iowa State University Press, 1969. doi: 10.1097/00006324-196402000-00008.

[6] D. A. Tarasov, A. P. Sergeev, and V. V. Filimonov, “Legibility of Textbooks: A Literature Review,” Procedia - Soc. Behav. Sci., vol. 174, pp. 1300–1308, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.751.

[7] B. T. Kuhn, P. M. Garvey, and M. T. Petrucha, Sign Legibility The Impact of Color and Illumination. United States Sign Council. 1998.

[8] G. Patel and P. Mukhopadhyay, “Ergonomic analysis and design intervention in symbols used in hospitals in central India,” Appl. Ergon., vol. 94, no. November 2019, p. 103410, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103410.

[9] Y. Shi, Y. Zhang, T. Wang, C. Li, and S. Yuan, “The effects of ambient illumination, color combination, sign height, and observation angle on the legibility of wayfinding signs in metro stations,” Sustain., vol. 12, no. 10, 2020, doi: 10.3390/su12104133.

[10] T. Yanagihara, K. Omori, and K. Hiroshi, “Legibility of Japanese Characters in Graphic Floor Signs for Elderly People,” J. Access. Des. All, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 335–353, 2022, doi: 10.17411/jacces.v12i2.357.

[11] M. P. Vidal-ribas and B. J. Katz, Effects of Font Design on Highway Sign Legibility Effects of Font Design on Highway Sign Legibility, Virginia Tech, 2023.

[12] L. Werth and F. Strack, “An inferential approach to the knew-it-all-along phenomenon,” Memory, vol. 11, no. 4–5, pp. 411–419, 2003, doi: 10.1080/09658210244000586.

[13] J. T.E. Richardson, The Legibility of Serif and Sans Serif Typefaces: Reading from Paper and Reading from Screens. Springer, 2022.

[14] A. Arditi and J. Cho, “Serifs and font legibility,” Vision Res., vol. 45, no. 23, pp. 2926–2933, 2005, doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2005.06.013.

[15] C. Innes-Parker, “University of Prince Edward Island,” Florilegium, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 120–122, 2003, doi: 10.3138/flor.20.036.

[16] N. Bonnardel, A. Piolat, and L. Le Bigot, “The impact of colour on Website appeal and users’ cognitive processes,” Displays, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 69–80, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.displa.2010.12.002.

[17] Y. Y. Yeh, D. S. Lee, and Y. H. Ko, “Color combination and exposure time on legibility and EEG response of icon presented on visual display terminal,” Displays, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 33–38, 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.displa.2012.11.007.

[18] S. M. Huang, “A study of reading time and viewers’ preferences for a variety of combinations of character-background chromaticity for small traditional Chinese characters,” Percept. Mot. Skills, vol. 103, no. 3, pp. 887–895, 2006, doi: 10.2466/PMS.103.3.887-895.

[19] C. C. Lin, “Effects of screen luminance combination and text color on visual performance with TFT-LCD,” Int. J. Ind. Ergon., vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 229–235, 2005, doi: 10.1016/j.ergon.2004.09.002.

[20] J. Dobres, S. T. Chrysler, B. Wolfe, N. Chahine, and B. Reimer, “Empirical assessment of the legibility of the highway gothic and clearview signage fonts,” Transp. Res. Rec., vol. 2624, no. 2624, pp. 1–8, 2017, doi: 10.3141/2624-01.

[21] Y. Siswandari, W. Kim, and S. Xiong, “Comprehension and redesign of recently introduced water-sport prohibitive symbols in South Korea,” Int. J. Ind. Ergon., vol. 50, pp. 196–205, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.ergon.2015.09.018.

[22] M. D. Gall, J. P. Gall, and W. R. Borg, Educational Research: An Introduction. Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, 2007.

[23] I. Alwi, “Kriteria Empirik dalam Menentukan Ukuran Sampel Pada Pengujian Hipotesis Statistika dan Analisis Butir,” Form. J. Ilm. Pendidik. MIPA, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 140–148, 2015, doi: 10.30998/formatif.v2i2.95.

[24] P. Gordon, “Visual acuity-DYOP® versus Snellen acuity charts: A review.,” J. Clin. Ophthalmol, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 500–503, 2021.

[25] F. Lombu and E. Panggabean, “Membangun Sistem Testing Buta Warna Menggunakan Metode Ishihara,” J. Comput. Networks, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 218–221, 2020.

[26] S. Nasution, “Variabel penelitian,” Raudhah, vol. 05, no. 02, pp. 1–9, 2017, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30829/raudhah.v5i2.182

[27] J. E. Sheedy, M. V. Subbaram, A. B. Zimmerman, and J. R. Hayes, “Text legibility and the letter superiority effect,” Hum. Factors, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 797–815, 2005, doi: 10.1518/001872005775570998.

[28] G. Franken, M. Pangerc, and K. Možina, “Impact of typeface and colour combinations on lcd display legibility,” Emerg. Sci. J., vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 436–442, 2020, doi: 10.28991/esj-2020-01243.

[29] T. M. Bisbey, R. Grossman, K. Panton, C. W. Coultas, and E. Salas, "Design, Delivery, Evaluation, and Transfer of Effective Training Systems". In Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, Wiley, 2021. doi: 10.1002/9781119636113.ch16.

[30] E. B. Sulistiarini and U. Widyagama, Kognitif Ergonomi dan Beban Kerja --- Buku Referensi, STRADA Press, July. 2020.

[31] F. Ishartomo, B. Suhardi, and J. M. Rohani, “Ergonomic principles in traffic signs comprehension: A literature review,” AIP Conf. Proc., vol. 2217, no. April, 2020, doi: 10.1063/5.0000701.

[32] D. Junaedi and A. Cholisana, “Perancangan Visual Display Informasi Dengan Pendekatan Ergonomi,” J. Penelit. dan Apl. Sist. Tek. Ind., vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 137–146, 2021.

[33] S. Berrio, L. H. Barrero, L. Zambrano, and E. Papadimitriou, “Ergonomic factors affecting comprehension levels of traffic signs: A critical review,” Int. J. Transp. Sci. Technol., vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 848–861, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.ijtst.2022.08.004.

[34] M. U. Setyoningrum, “Cara Pemimpin Perempuan Dalam Mengelola Konflik Di Organisasi Kemahasiswaan,” Borneo J. Islam. Educ., vol. I, no. 2, 2021,

[35] T. Kurushima et al., “A study on legibility with pairwise comparison in simultaneous multilingual display on digital signage,” CHIRA 2019 - Proc. 3rd Int. Conf. Comput. Interact. Res. Appl., no. Chira, pp. 112–119, 2019, doi: 10.5220/0008162101120119.

[36] A. Arditi, “Rethinking ADA signage standards for low-vision accessibility,” J. Vis., vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 1–20, 2017, doi: 10.1167/17.5.8.

[37] The Study Committee of Public Information Symbols, Public Information Symbols Guideline 2021. 2021.

[38] A. Halim, “Dialektika Hadis Nabi dengan Budaya Lokal Arab,” DINIKA Acad. J. Islam. Stud., vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 65–82, 2020, doi: 10.22515/dinika.v4i1.2060.

[39] Badan Standardisasi Nasional, “SNI 03-6574-2001 tentang Tata Cara Perancangan Pencahayaan Darurat, Tanda arah dan Sistem Peringatan Bahaya Pada Bangunan Gedung,” Badan Standarisasi Nas., pp. 1–22, 2001.

[40] American National Standard Institute, Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities. 2013.

[41] Norfiza and Infi, “Kajian Antropometri & Ergonomi,” vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 449–459, 2011.

[42] E. Crundall, D. R. Large, and G. Burnett, “A driving simulator study to explore the effects of text size on the visual demand of in-vehicle displays,” Displays, vol. 43, pp. 23–29, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.displa.2016.05.003.

[43] E. Meyer, P. Atchley, A. Professor, L. Hoffman, and I. Ahmed, “Assessing the Effect of Glare on Sign Legibility,” no. 785, 2011.

[44] H. Yu, T. Akita, T. Koga, and N. Sano, “Effect of character contrast ratio of tablet PC and ambient device luminance ratio on readability in low ambient illuminance,” Displays, vol. 52, no. November 2017, pp. 46–54, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.displa.2018.03.002.

[45] M. S. Rea and M. J. Ouellette, “Relative visual performance: A basis for application,” light. Res. Technol., vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 135–144, 1991, doi: 10.1177/096032719102300301.

[46] Z. J. Khan, “Wayfinding experience in healthcare: Investigation of the factors contributing to visitors’ wayfinding experience within a hospital complex,” SEU J. Sci. Eng., vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 13–21, 2019.

[47] R. A. Morris, K. Aquilante, D. Yager, and C. Bigelow, “P‐13: Serifs Slow RSVP Reading at Very Small Sizes, but Don’t Matter at Larger Sizes,” SID Symp. Dig. Tech. Pap., vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 244–247, 2002, doi: 10.1889/1.1830242.

[48] S. Beier, Reading Letters: Designing for Legibility. Amsterdam. Bis Publishers. 2011.

[49] T. Nilsson, Legibility of colored print International Encyclopedia of Ergonomics, 2nd Edition, New York: CRC Press , 2006.

[50] T. Ben-Bassat and D. Shinar, “Ergonomic guidelines for traffic sign design increase sign comprehension,” Hum. Factors, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 182–195, 2006, doi: 10.1518/001872006776412298.

[51] Y. K. Ou and Y. C. Liu, “Effects of sign design features and training on comprehension of traffic signs in Taiwanese and Vietnamese user groups,” Int. J. Ind. Ergon., vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 1–7, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.ergon.2011.08.009.

[52] S. Lee, S. S. Dazkir, H. S. Paik, and A. Coskun, “Comprehensibility of universal healthcare symbols for wayfinding inhealthcare facilities,” Appl. Ergon., vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 878–885, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2013.11.003.

[53] J. B. Rousek and M. S. Hallbeck, “Improving and analyzing signage within a healthcare setting,” Appl. Ergon., vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 771–784, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2010.12.004.

[54] R. S. Goonetilleke, H. M. Shih, H. K. On, and J. Fritsch, “Effects of training and representational characteristics in icon design,” Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud., vol. 55, no. 5, pp. 741–760, 2001, doi: 10.1006/ijhc.2001.0501.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/jia.v9i1.28423

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 Bambang Suhardi, Afiq Ramadhan, Rahmaniyah Dwi Astuti

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

 

EDITORIAL OFFICE

Department of Architecture, Faculty of Science and Technology
Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang
Jalan Gajayana 50 Malang, Jawa Timur, Indonesia 65144
Phone (+62) 341 558933, Facsimile (+62) 341 558933
e-mail: journal.islamicarchitecture@gmail.com / jia@uin-malang.ac.id

 

 Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.