Abstract
The aim of this project was to raise the level of hospitality of shopping centers, using Aeon Mall Hanyu, a shopping center that opened in Hanyu City, Saitama Prefecture in November 2007, as a case study. In concrete terms, indoor and outdoor signs for customers were used to display the essential 'enjoyment of space' aspect of the shopping center, while providing multi-faceted information and promoting understanding of the sense of location. This was therefore an exercise in the construction of guidance systems and in sign design. The project went through an entire cycle, beginning with a study of existing shops, using the results of this study to inform design, implementing the design and following through with a post-implementation evaluation. Results of this evaluation showed improvements in ease of understanding and remembering information, and clearly demonstrated that the overall consistency of image of the space was highly rated.
