Evaluating Wayfinding Designs in Healthcare Settings through EEG Data and Virtual Response Testing

Wayfinding difficulties in healthcare facilities have been shown to increase anxiety among patients and visitors and reduce staff operational efficiency. Wayfinding-oriented interior design features have proven beneficial, but the evaluation of their performance is hindered by the unique nature healthcare facilities and the expense of testing different navigational aids. This study implemented a virtual-reality testing platform to evaluate the effects of different signage and interior hospital design conditions during navigational tasks; evaluated through behavioral responses and mobile EEG. The results indicated that using color to highlight destinations and increase the contrast of wayfinding information yielded significant benefits when combined with wayfinding-oriented environmental affordances. Neural dynamics from the occipital cortex showed beta-band desynchronization with enhanced color condition and additional theta-band desynchronization with enhanced environmental affordance. This multimodal testing platform has the potential to establish a robust body of evidence for future wayfinding design strategies.