A Method of Designing Outdoor Safety Way Guidance Sign Layout Information Based on Human Factors Engineering.

Outdoor safety way guidance sign’s guidance function benefits from its reasonable layout information design. In order to get an effective design method, a series of analyses were done as follows. Based on the theory of human factors engineering, an interactive mode between individual and sign was proposed, dividing the interaction process into four stages: Capturing Sign, Reading Information, Making Decision, and Taking Action. Based on Shannon information theory, a method on how to measure a sign’s information and its loss caused by obstacles was put forward, and 305.2 bit was pointed out to be the allowed information maximum value when designing a sign under the consideration of human’s ability to deal with information. Signs were classified to be 11 kinds according to corresponding evacuation environment and psychological needs, and what information should each kind show on layout was analyzed with several typical design examples following. A simulation model was created by 3dsmax to verify obstacle’s influence on information transferring from signs to individuals, and to analyze improved design methods. The research results were expected to be useful to instruct designers in designing outdoor safety way guidance signs and to improve evacuation efficiency.