Attachment-C_WaysideGuide.pdf

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE | HARPERS FERRY CENTER | 1ST EDITION | OCTOBER 2009

Wayside Exhibits a guide to developing outdoor interpretive exhibits

Attachment C

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE | HARPERS FERRY CENTER | 1ST EDITION | OCTOBER 2009

Wayside Guide National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Divided into three main sections listed below, the Guide defines the medium, illustrates standards and stages of work, and lists webpages for more in-depth tools and information.

3-4 Forward What it is, who it’s for, and how to use it.

5–24 Section A The Wayside Medium: An Overview A look at the strengths and limitations of the wayside medium, including tips for park managers

25–61 Section B Wayside Development Planning, design, writing, and graphics acquisition

62–78 Section C Wayside Production Production, installation, and maintenance

79–80 Index

81–84 Appendix A list of webpages included throughout the Wayside Guide

Forward

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Wayside Guide

What is the Wayside Guide?

The Wayside Guide is an overview of the National Park Service (NPS) wayside exhibit standards and work process. The Guide emphasizes best practices and good examples of site-specific outdoor interpretation based on visitor-use data. Waysides may appear simple in form and function, but their development can be complex.

This Guide is not a complete how-to manual. It is a supplement to professional-level knowledge and skills for graphic design, interpretive writing, research, and other disciplines.

Goal The purpose of this Guide is to provide information and tools for preparation, participation, and management of a wayside project.

Who Benefits? Parks Park superintendents will be better able to scope a project when fully informed of the wayside process. Budgets and schedules are more accurate when based on a clear understanding of the work, the level of staff participation, and additional assistance needed. Park staff will be better prepared to participate in, communicate, and manage the additional workload.

Park Partners Many park partners request NPS assistance in developing wayside exhibits.

With the exception of the National Park Service brand, park partners and other non-NPS organizations are encouraged to use the Wayside Guide. Partners are encouraged to build on these standards and develop their own “Section D.”

Harpers Ferry Center Media specialists can work more efficiently and effectively when all team members have a good understanding of the process. Media specialists will use the Guide to orient new staff and project teams, and as course material for workshops and training on the wayside process.

Contractors Contractors will understand the expectations of the NPS and benefit from improved efficiency when all team members have a good understanding of the process. Project delays can be costly. Waysides, unlike exhibits and films, are a relatively low-cost medium. A better informed project team will minimize contract modifications and delays.

Visitors Visitors who experience poor-quality wayside exhibits may choose to avoid the medium entirely. Conversely, a visitor who has had an enriched experience from compelling, high-quality waysides, will come to expect the same in other locations. Improving all waysides will increase the active use and high level of visitor-expectation for the medium as a whole.

Forward

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Wayside Guide

How Does It Work?

The Wayside Guide is designed to support teams of media specialists and park managers with wayside development and production. It is organized around two work process charts that outline major stages of work and supporting activities. Each activity is illustrated in a double-sided page, or pages. Not everyone on the team needs to read the entire document. Use the Guide a-page-at-a-time, or in its entirety.

A Brief Look Use Section A and the Work Process Charts for basic information about waysides and the work process. Use this section to help the project team, and stakeholders, understand the nature of the wayside medium.

Use select pages from Section B and C throughout a project for team meetings and new assignments, to help contractors understand expectations, and to prepare for the next steps in a project. Use these sections to help team members understand how their work contributes to the whole.

Some principles of wayside development are more timeless; technologies and tools are rapidly evolving. Links to more frequently-changing information are provided as webpages. Use these to download supporting PDF documents, or watch videos. Use the Appendix to find all the webpages listed in the Guide.

Use the Contents Pages and Index to navigate through the Guide.

Look for sidebars highlighting the major roles of key project personnel, what to expect, and other notes of interest.

The Guide is designed to be printed in color, double-sided, on 8½x11 paper with room for a binding or three-ring hole punch on the left side. The work process charts are designed to print on 11x17 paper.

In-Depth

Web Links

Navigation

Sidebars

Printing the Guide

The Harpers Ferry Center website offers downloadable tools and documents on all aspects of media development.

www.nps.gov/hfc http://www.nps.gov/hfc/

Section The Wayside MediumA What is a wayside exhibit, who is the target audience, and what makes a good wayside opportunity? Section A answers these questions, provides foundation information for wayside developers, and includes advice for park managers.

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

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Section A Wayside Guide | The Wayside Medium: An Overview

Contents

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U

A

7 Site-Specific Interpretation ow-Profile Interpretive Waysides pright Orientation Waysides dvice for Park Managers

11 L

Section A Wayside Guide | Site-Specific Interpretation

Site-Specific Interpretation An effective wayside exhibit enhances a direct and meaningful connection between visitors and the landscape. The wayside audience is outside experiencing a place first-hand. They may be focused on any number of things. A wayside must attract and focus attention on the site, not on the wayside. If the first wayside they encounter is disappointing visitors may not stop at others.

Kenai Fjords National Park, low-profile

Two Types of Waysides Most national parks use two types of waysides, Low-profile exhibits (above) give site-specific interpretation about features that visitors can readily see.

Upright waysides (left) typically inform visitors about an area or a trail. Both styles are described in greater detail beginning on page 11.

What Makes a Good Wayside Opportunity?

Four key factors lead to successful wayside exhibits: a significant landscape feature with a well-documented story; at least one compelling, site-specific, reproducible-quality graphic that illuminates the story; a safe, accessible place for visitors; and routine maintenance of the site and the sign. There are many media options for reaching park visitors. If the right conditions do not exist for wayside exhibit experiences, consider another medium.

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Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, upright

Four Key Factors

1 Significant Feature 2 Site-specific Graphic 3 Visitor Access 4 Regular Maintenance

Western end of the 1825 Erie Canal in Buffalo

1 Significant Landscape Feature What intangible meanings are associated with this specific terrain? What is the unique significance of this place and why should someone care? Within the first three-second glance at a wayside, visitors should see a connection to the landscape. Some landscapes have obvious features (above). More subtle landscapes (below) require graphics that direct viewers’ attention to things less obvious.

Pea Ridge National Military Park

2 Site-Specific Graphics Finding or developing compelling, site-specific graphics that tell the story is key to a successful wayside exhibit. Historic images placed on the landscape where the original photographer stood make a powerful and immediate connection for visitors. When photos are lacking, illustrations like the one shown above can tell the story.

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WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument

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Fort Donelson National Battlefield

3 Visitor Access and Safety Place wayside exhibits in the “front-country” (not wilderness areas) along pathways, trails, and vehicle pull-outs. Consider landscape plans and the space needed to give visitors a comfortable, safe, and accessible area to gather without disrupting the flow of foot-traffic (above right) or spilling into automobile or bike traffic. Standard waysides provide little benefit to visitors with visual impairments. Plan to make the information available through alternative methods like audio programs (above left).

Harpers Ferry National Historic Park

Harpers Ferry National Historic Park

4 Regular Maintenance Most waysides are designed to be permanent. Panel materials last 2–25 years averaging about 5 years before replacement is necessary. At a minimum, waysides require cleaning twice a year and regular inspections for vandalism or weathering. Vista clearing and trail maintenance may also be needed to keep the view open and the site safe. If waysides have tactile elements or Braille, they need more frequent inspections and cleaning.

When NOT To Use a Wayside Even if the conditions outlined on the previous pages have been met, creating a wayside may still not be a good idea.

Intrusion on the Landscape Waysides impact the landscape. In natural areas they are an artificial intrusion. In historic areas they are a modern intrusion. Using too many waysides creates clutter and overwhelms visitors.

Sensitive Sites Waysides call attention to themselves and to the places they interpret. Using waysides to direct attention to sensitive areas (e.g., archaeological remains or nesting sites) may not be a good idea. Digging holes to install a wayside or hard-surfacing a trail may not be advisable in some areas.

Complex Stories Waysides do not tell complex or dynamic stories well. Multiple geologic events, activities that cover vast expanses of terrain well beyond the view, and complex human interactions may best be addressed by other media.

Site-Specific Media Ranger-guided tours, trail brochures, audio tours, and other new technologies are options for site-specific interpretation and orientation. They offer features like multiple languages, audio description for visitors with visual impairments, longer narrative and quotations. They also require a different maintenance regime. What they do not offer is the large-format compelling graphic communication that is the strength of the wayside medium.

A word of caution about multiple media: it is difficult to read and listen at the same time. Visitors may choose to listen to an audio message, and also want to enjoy and read the wayside exhibits. Coordinate site-specific media to take advantage of the strengths of each medium and provide redundancy to give access to the widest range of people.

Interpretive Media Selection Selecting the right media is as much art as science. There is rarely one way to achieve a goal. Involving media specialists in key decisions is highly recommended. Each situation has its own mix of factors to consider.

http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/ip-media-select.htm

Evaluations and Visitor Use Studies Understand your audience. Consider interviews and/or focus groups of potential visitors to find out what information they need and want to know, and how to present it in a meaningful, interesting, and cost-effective way.

Consider using temporary panel materials in portable bases for evaluation.

Plan for persons with disabilities to ensure inclusion in the wayside program.

http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/evaluate.htm

Foundations of Interpretation This free on-line course provides an introduction to the foundations of interpretation. It answers the question “What is Interpretation?”

http://www.eppley.org/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=40

Visitors listen to an audio tour of Pickett’s charge in Gettysburg National Military Park

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Viewing scopes can help visitors see distant landscapes.

Section A Wayside Guide | Low-Profile

Captioning the Landscape The low-profile wayside exhibit is a caption on the landscape.

It is not designed to stand alone any more than a caption for a photograph is intended to be read by itself. It is incomplete until it is placed within the environment it is meant to interpret.

The best low-profile wayside illuminates what visitors see.

36 x24 in-ground mount, Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP

What Makes an Effective Low-Profile Wayside?

A specific landscape feature should drive the content and focus. If done well, waysides, like lightning bolts on the landscape, cause thundering moments of “Aha!” in the visitor. The combination of compelling graphics, title, and text designed into the landscape illuminates and enhances what the visitor is seeing, experiencing, or passing by. This is what makes an effective interpretive wayside exhibit.

The next four pages show key elements of effective low-profile wayside exhibits.

24 x 24, City of Rocks NR

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6 x 12 plant ID wayside Haleakala NP

Haleakala National Park

Compelling Graphics Waysides are a graphic medium. The main image should tell the story. As shown above, the graphic can tell a story by singling out and highlighting a particular landscape feature. Wayside layouts differ from book or magazine layouts, which rely more on text. Primarily visual, wayside exhibits rely on bold graphics that, with the landscape, convey focus and meaning.

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Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park

Direction of View The wayside’s low angle and position channel visitors’ attention in a specific direction. The low-profile wayside should align the intended direction of the visitors’ attention, the wayside panel, and the landscape feature as shown above.

Did You Know?

Attention span at a wayside is relatively short, 30–45 seconds on average.

Golden Spike National Historic Site

How Many?

How many waysides are appropriate? Trying to interpret everything significant could spawn a dense forest of waysides. Too many waysides can dilute each interpretive opportunity and compromise the experience. Too few might shortchange the visitor. The best waysides make one point and one point only and blend harmoniously with the setting.

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River

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Illustrations and Diagrams By using transparent or cutaway views, illustrations and diagrams peel back landscape surfaces, show how structures are built (above), or reveal how things work. A bird’s-eye view enlarges the viewer’s perspective. A micro-view brings the focus up close.

These two waysides show two different ideas about the significance of the last spike.

New Bedford Whaling NHP

Compelling Titles A compelling title grabs the visitor. It is not a subject title. “Candle-Making in New Bedford” or “Geology of Badlands” are subject titles for the examples above. Compelling interpretive titles go beyond the subject matter at hand.

They provide a hook into the meanings and significance of the subject. Titles may contrast with the landscape or main graphic to create tension, and interest, between the two as shown in the Badlands example.

Interpretive Text Few people come to parks for the express purpose of reading. Wayside text should succinctly illuminate the terrain with meaning and significance. Write the first sentence so the audience will want to know more. Focus on the physical feature first. Some of the subject matter may be fiendishly complex.

That is where concise expression becomes an enjoyable challenge. Be active, not passive. Use first-person quotes. Use common language; avoid jargon. Do not use adjectives that tell visitors what to think. Avoid preaching. Answer the question, “So what?”

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Badlands NP

De Soto NM Quotations First-person quotes spoken at, or about, a specific site, add credibility and power to the story. Quotes are presented differently than narrative text. They represent a different voice.

A wayside exhibit audience is not captive. If they read something predictable, academic, or jargon-ridden they may pass by.

Chain of Volcanoes On a clear day several snow-covered summits appear to line up in the distance beyond the Tatoosh Range. All are large, active volcanoes that line the western edge of North America from Northern California to Southern British Columbia. This chain of volcanoes, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, is growing above the collision zone of oceanic and continental plates.

Nineteen major volcanoes appear in a chain of fire from northern California to British Columbia.

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Adams Mount St. Helens

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens displayed the power of Cascade volcanoes. The effects were catastrophic, but much larger eruptions have occurred in the past.

With large populations nearby, Mount Rainier is potentially dangerous because its huge volumes of snow and ice could generate deadly lahars.

Goat Rocks Castle Peak Pinnacle Peak Plummer Peak

Mount St. Helens — erupted 1980-86

Mount Rainier — erupted 1859;

steam eruptions 1894-95

Mount Adams — small eruptions 1,000 years ago

Mount Hood — eruptions about 200 years ago

Mount Rainier NP

Label the Landscape Waysides should identify significant features. They need to answer the question, “What am I looking at?” To give names can be useful, but to explain why features are relevant adds value. This example highlights the peaks visible on the horizon and their place in the larger Pacific ring of fire.

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Tactile model, WWII Valor in the Pacific NMTactile model, Timpanogos Cave NM

Models and 3D Elements Tactile models give visitors with visual impairments access to ideas and information. They also increase the range of an exhibit’s appeal, engage people with different learning styles, and add emphasis to the story. Tactile elements can be mounted to a flat panel as shown above left, or they can be stand-alone or separate structures as shown above right.

Common Sizes The following examples are common panel sizes. Choose panel sizes based on graphic and written content, and location. Be consistent in size and shape throughout a site or park.

The low-profile angle is 45 degrees

42 x 24 This size is appropriate for high-quality panoramic images, main text of no more than 100 words, stories with side-bar or secondary graphics and captions or longer quotes, and for bilingual waysides.

36 x 24 This is the most common size. It has room for a large graphic, 75-100 words of main text, small inset graphics, and short captions or labels.

24 x 24 This size works well when there is a single simple graphic with 75 words of text and one or two short captions or labels.

6 x 12

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Trailside exhibits are low to the ground and most often used as identification panels for plants or architectural features. They require a single simple graphic, short title, and 25 words of text.

Section A Wayside Guide | Upright

Upright Orientation Waysides What sets uprights apart from low-profile waysides is that they do not direct a visitor’s attention to a specific landscape feature within view. They introduce a trail or an area suitable for a day-hike. They are placed at a pedestrian’s decision point and provide orientation, safety, and site significance. They are part of a wayfinding system that may include signs, brochures, and other media.

What Makes an Effective Orientation Wayside?

Like low-profile waysides, orientation waysides are a graphic medium that must attract the pedestrian en route. They should answer the natural questions related to a safe, comfortable, and meaningful experience. They should help visitors decide whether to invest the time and energy required to reach the destination described. The balance between orientation and interpretation depends on the nature and complexity of the site or trail.

The next four pages show some of the key elements of effective upright orientation wayside exhibits.

36 x 48 upright, Zion National Park

36 x 48 upright, Bandelier National Park

Common Sizes

Most upright orientation waysides are 36w x 48h. Smaller panels are generally 24w x 36h.

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36 x 48

24 x 36

Haleakala National Park

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Everglades National Park

Decision-Making Information “Why is this trail here and what is there to see? Do I have the time, endurance, or proper gear to comfortably and safely set out on this journey? Is the trail accessible for wheelchairs? Can I bring my dog, my bike, or my fishing rod?

If I follow the trail, will I be able to find my way back to my car?” These are questions people may have before heading out. Maybe they stopped at the visitor center first; maybe they did not. The orientation wayside is strategically placed along the natural flow of pathways at the point where the decision to explore, or not to explore, is made. Too soon in the visit, and a person may not be ready to consider all the details of a trail, or experience. Too late and they may have already left without enough water.

Orientation and Site Significance A careful balance of site significance and need-to-know orientation information makes upright waysides successful. Generally the upright orientation panel is a large panel (36” wide by 48” high), but studies have shown that visitors view them for only 30–40 seconds. The examples above combine a compelling image with minimal interpretive text and a simple map with orientation and safety information to invite people to pause, but not linger, at the trailhead.

Rules and Safety Information The orientation wayside is an important opportunity to reinforce basic rules, safety, and orientation information before someone heads out into the park.

Waysides must attract their audience through compelling graphic presentation.

They are not required reading. A long list of “do not” symbols or Code of Federal Regulations may not reach many visitors. Present rules and safety information in the context of what visitors really care about—their experience.

Consider presenting safety information as a interpretive opportunity.

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Lassen Volcanic National Park

You Are Here Lassen Peak

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Glacial Notch A mountain glacier fashioned the amphitheater-like depression below you, where Lassen Peak’s only permanent snowfield hides. Volcanoes are not the only mountain shapers that have left their mark on Lassen’s landscape. Glaciers have covered and carved volcanoes’ work here for more than two million years. But because Lassen’s dome was built

27,000 years ago, this glacial notch was formed in more recent times.

The last glacial episode here was 11,000 to 8,000 years ago.

First Signs | J U N E 0 9 , 1 9 1 4

We stopped to take…pictures…of…steam…coming out of the crater.…Millford said he heard or felt a slight rumbling…he shouted, “Look there!”….We saw huge columns of smoke ascending…500 feet above the mountain….The sight was fearfully grand….To say we were excited is putting it mildly.

B. F. Loomis you are

0.9 mile from the top

24 X 24 INCHES | 40% OF ACTUAL SIZE | JUNE 2004 | LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK | Wayside Exhibit 18

Wayside Maps Wayside maps work differently than other park maps because they are fixed in place and cannot be turned around or carried away for further reference. They often work better when oriented in the direction of view, meaning that north is not always at the top. Wayside maps should provide only the necessary information to help people get from where they are (You Are Here) to point B.

At point B, additional trail signs or trail guides may be necessary. If a trail is short and simple, a map may not even be needed.

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36 x 48 upright orientation bulletin case, and brochure dispenser, City of Rocks National Reserve

Bases and Ancillaries Wayside exhibits are on duty even when the visitor center is closed. In this example above, the orientation wayside is placed next to the bulletin case and brochure dispenser to serve as a kind of visitor center information desk for the after-hours visitor. Clusters of waysides, bulletin cases, and other hardware like fee boxes or brochure dispensers can create a sense of focus and destination for self-guiding visitors. They can stand alone at a road-side pull-out, or be placed near a visitor center as this example shows. Keep in mind, all visitors including those with sight impairments, and consider media options for after-hours visitors.

Obed Wild and Scenic River

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Kiosks Clusters of wayside panels, rules and safety information, bulletin cases, brochure boxes, trash cans, and recycling bins are often grouped in a kiosk arrangement with, or without, a roof. Some have lighting to make them useful after dark. Often, the design of the kiosk matches surrounding architectural structures, as in the three examples shown above. Standard panel mounting hardware can be used on custom kiosks to reduce initial and life-cycle costs.

Great Basin National Park Great Basin National Park

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Bulletin Cases Use bulletin cases for frequently changing information. Seasonal notices, short-term trail closures, weekly or monthly interpretive programs, or other temporary messages are appropriate for a bulletin case. Information that does not change for six months or more should be posted in a durable sign material (see example at left). Avoid placing small-print documents in a bulletin case.

Text smaller than 36 point will be difficult to read. Postings can fade quickly and may need to be changed frequently or printed with UV-resistant inks to maintain contrast and legibility. Rules and safety information should be legible and clear. If a bulletin case is necessary, consider the space needed for postings, and choose an appropriate bulletin case size.

Zion National Park

Example of a 12” x 12” park regulations sign

Wayfinding Beyond the Wayside The elements of wayfinding include a series of visual, editorial, and environmental cues for visitors to navigate and experience a park. Orientation waysides are one of several wayfinding media.

Directional and Orientation Signs Orientation waysides work best with a good sign system. A common pitfall when developing orientation waysides is a lack of consistency between signs (left), maps, and orientation information. For example, a map label that says “Canyon Visitor Center” should match the sign on the building that also says “Canyon Visitor Center.” This may seem obvious, but it is an easy mistake to make when the park staff refer to a site, building, or trail by a common name that differs from its formal name.

National Park Service Sign Program The National Park Service UniGuide Sign Standards include over 600 pages specifying the design and fabrication of a wide range of sign types, including trail signs.

http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/uniguide.htm

Park Publications and Trail Guides Park-produced trail guides or site bulletins are another wayfinding tool. Site bulletins (left), park newspapers, NPS Unigrid brochures, and other park publications can provide longer narratives and more detailed portable maps.

They can expand upon safety and regulatory information. And they can be printed in Braille or large print text for visitors with sight impairments.

http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/pubs/

National Park Service Maps The Harpers Ferry Center cartographic website contains park maps (those published in the NPS Unigrid brochures), special map collections, and map resources and information like starter map files and recreation symbols.

http://www.nps.gov/hfc/carto/index.htm

Other Wayfinding Media New technologies like GPS-based, hand-held devices (left) can help a self-guiding visitor with a lot of information via audio and small-screen video.

None of these devices provide the large format graphic that a wayside exhibit does. Some of these devices and new technologies can be used in concert with waysides to provide an audio component including audio description for visitors with sight impairments, and translations for those who do not read English.

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Section A Wayside Guide | For Park Managers

Advice for Park Managers Wayside exhibits can be a relatively inexpensive medium on a per-unit basis if the project is handled properly and false starts are kept to a minimum. Here are the key factors to help you keep your project in budget and on schedule.

Work with Foundation Documents Review the General Management Plan, Long-Range Interpretive Plan, Historic Structures Report, and other foundation documents with your project team.

These plans match appropriate media with the message, describe desired interpretive opportunities, and provide important reference for wayside projects. They help the project team focus on specific visitor experience goals and avoid trying to tell all park stories in a single medium.

Assign a Project Lead Make sure it is clear who is responsible for managing the project within the park. Also make sure the team leader has authority and skills to assemble a team; monitor project agreements and contracts; build consensus; enforce deadlines; consolidate review comments; comply with the requirements and limitations of project funding; and coordinate work among resource management, law-enforcement, maintenance, and interpretation. This is a significant workload.

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Catoctin Mountain Park

Long-Range Interpretive Plan

52 I national park Service

Implementation PlanActions, divided into annual, achievable steps are reproduced in the Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) (DO-6, page 6).

The measure of success of any plan is the extent to which it is implemented. Initial implementation of strategies needs to be both realistic and flexible. The charts on the following pages outline an initial blueprint for the park’s interpretive programs.

Because funding opportunities and priorities often change, park management may need to adjust the implementation strategies to adapt to changing conditions.

The park interpretive staff and key park partners should meet each year to draft an Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) for each new fiscal year based on funding opportunities and coordination with other projects.

FacilitiesMake alterations to the visitor center based on an Exhibit

Schematic Proposal for new exhibits.

WebsiteChange the website’s link to the park map to go directly to the map, not its welcome page.

Adjust the statistics pages so that data can be kept on which of the site’s pages are used most.

Add a photo gallery to the park’s website, and add site/camp slide shows to the park’s website.

Write PMIS statement for video podcasts

Add “flash files” with education curriculum materials, Junior

Ranger activities, etc.Upgrade the site’s nature and science page to include research results.

Look for partners, contractors, other staff, or volunteers to assist in website maintenance.

Identity/Orientation Signs

Arrange for NPS Sign Program staff to visit the park to survey existing sign conditions, and provide a conditions plan that proposes a location for each new sign that is recommended.

Design a parkwide sign plan that identifies the park as a unit of the National Park System and provides orientation for all visitors, whether they enter the park in a vehicle or on foot.

Secure funding and implement the parkwide sign plan as described in the National Park Service UniGuide Sign Standards.

The standards include park identity, motorist guidance, and visitor information signs. All NPS arrowhead logos should be updated to the new style.

Wayside Exhibits Request funding and for a parkwide wayside exhibit proposal, a wayside exhibit plan, and production.

Once funding is secured for the proposal stage, arrange for a

HFC wayside exhibit planner to visit the park and—along with the park staff—develop a parkwide Wayside Exhibit Proposal.

Once funding is secured for the wayside planning stage, let a contract through HFC to plan, design, and prepare production-ready files for all the newly proposed wayside exhibits.

Once funding is secured for the wayside production stage, let a contract through HFC to produce and ship the final panels and bases to the park (for park maintenance to install).

Catoctin Mountain Park Interpretive Media – Non-Personal Services

Short-Term

Long-Term Out years (6 & 7)

Tasks

2011 2012

2013 2014

Cost estimates for interpretive media can be provided by Harpers Ferry Center in a separate document; call (304) 535-5050 to request estimates.

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Section A Wayside Guide | For Park Managers

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Dedicate Staff Time How much time should be dedicated to the project? At a minimum, every project will require team members to participate in the initial site visit and to assemble various resource packages. But that is just the beginning. Your staff will need time to review and prepare consolidated comments on concepts, text drafts, map and illustration roughs, graphic layout proposals, and production proofs. Maintenance staff will need time to inspect, assemble, and install panels and bases. Some installations may require landscaping, vista clearing, building accessible pads, or other site preparation.

Consider Park and NPS Resources What does the park have to contribute to the wayside project? Is there a well-managed graphic collection? Is there existing artwork? Providing draft text, primary source material, custom photography, GIS data, or landscape design services may shorten the project schedule, save money, and help ensure a better final product. This also requires significant time.

Avoid Discrimination There are no laws that require waysides in National Parks. There are laws that require accessibility for all programs. A collection of wayside exhibits is considered a program. Avoid discrimination and make sure your wayside program is accessible to all visitors.

Understand Wayside Contracts There is no one-stop shopping for wayside exhibits. Wayside projects generally require working with one or more contractors. These may include cartographers, illustrators, and fabricators. Unlike many firms that plan and design museum exhibits or signs, the contractors who specialize in waysides are typically few in number and small in size. It is important to respect established schedules. Avoiding delays will also reduce cost overruns and ensure a smoother work process.

Know the Approval Process Up Front Decide who will review each stage of the project, resolve differences of opinion, and consolidate written comments. Do this before the project starts.

As the project progresses, the cost of changes increases. Reviewers who have not been involved throughout the project can cause delays, confusion, and add significantly to costs. If you plan to involve reviewers outside the park, consider inviting them to the project start-up meeting. If you want visitor input, plan for the evaluation process in the budget and schedule.

Ensure Compliance Make sure staff from interpretation, maintenance, resources management, law-enforcement, and other divisions and the accessibility coordinator, are involved. Obtain compliance with regulatory and policy guidelines.

Take Pride in Ownership Are there funds for staff or volunteers to do regular maintenance, repair, and vista-clearing? Wayside exhibits are a relatively low-maintenance medium, but they do require routine inspection, periodic cleaning, repair, and replacement.

It is important that this responsibility be clearly assigned. For parks working with Harpers Ferry Center, project files are archived at the Center. If not, select a secure location to store production files. When it’s time to replace a damaged or worn panel, you’ll need these files to get the job done.

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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Section Wayside DevelopmentB The Wayside Exhibit Development Process chart that begins this Section outlines five major stages of work. This section details the development process, highlighting for each stage the major roles, common pitfalls, case studies, and recommendations for review and approval.

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Section B Wayside Guide | Wayside Development

Contents

Wayside Exhibit Development Process Chart

Project Startup

Site Analysis

Project Proposal

Research and Graphic Acquisition

Wayside Exhibit Plan

41 Design with a Grid 42 Wayside design: How is It Different?

43 Case Studies 47 Common Pitfalls in Wayside Design 48 Writing for Wayside Exhibits 49 Common Pitfalls in Wayside Writing 50 Examples of Good Wayside Writing 52 Tools and Resources for Wayside Writers 53 Wayside Exhibit Plan Review and Approval

Creating New Illustrations

Creating New Maps

Models and Tactile Elements

Final Wayside Plan

Wayside Exhibit Development Process

Project Startup

Project Startup focuses on preparing a solid foundation for all work that follows, ensuring that the project is logically structured and its goals are understood and realistically attainable. Project lead, team members, and stakeholders are identified and their roles defined.

Project Startup

Establish the project team

• Identify the project lead, subject-matter experts, project reviewers, park partners, and media specialists.

Review foundation documents

• Gather and review General Management

Plans, Long-Range Interpretive Plans, Historic

Structures Reports, and other guiding documents

List potential wayside exhibit sites and subjects

Conduct Front-End Evaluation

Establish the funding and any time restrictions

Develop a Project Management strategy

Begin Research

• Identify resource materials and bibliographies

• Gather potential site-specific graphic resources

• Develop a graphics notebook containing potential graphics for use when evaluating exhibit sites during the site visit.

Plan the site visit

Site Analysis

Wayside exhibit planners and designers work with the park staff and subject-matter experts to evaluate potential exhibit sites and determine exhibit purposes and content based on site-specific features, events, and park primary themes.

Site Analysis

Conduct startup meeting

• Review what makes an effective wayside, the work process, accessibility requirements, panel and base material choices, resources gathered, and team roles and responsibilities.

Analyze wayside exhibit sites

• Visit potential exhibit sites with park staff and subject-matter experts.

• Identify site-specific significance and meaning, and relevant graphic materials.

• Identify each exhibit’s purpose, orientation, panel size, and site conditions.

• Develop thumbnail sketches to facilitate discussions and agreement.

• Photograph exhibit sites and site-specific features.

Gather Reference and Graphic Material

• Based on site discussion, gather graphic source materials relevant to wayside content.

Conduct close-out meeting

• Review thumbnails and graphic direction for the waysides.

• Review revised schedule, budget, and next steps.

• Summarize decisions made and any outstanding issues.

Project Proposal

A proposal document is prepared using the Wayside Exhibit Planner Database.

The Proposal identifies the project’s scope including cost estimates, schedule, and other pertinent project data.

Project Proposal

Prepare proposal

• Document the selected exhibit locations and purposes, panel and base selections, and map and graphic needs.

• Create site map of wayside locations.

• Refine thumbnail sketches.

• Develop detailed cost estimate.

Proposal review, revision, and approval

• Submit Proposal, cost estimate, and project agreement for review and approval.

• Park staff, including maintenance, review the

Proposal to confirm all decisions.

Reference and graphics package

• Based on the approved Wayside Proposal, identify, gather, and organize reference and graphic materials.

Wayside Exhibit Plan

Guided by the Proposal, reference material, and graphics package, the planner will research each exhibit topic and work with the designer to develop draft wayside exhibit design layouts that are compiled into a

Wayside Exhibit Plan for review and approval.

Draft Wayside Exhibit Plan

Develop Wayside Exhibit Plan

• Read and review references and graphics.

• Organize the content, establish hierarchy.

• Prepare draft interpretive exhibit text.

• Create draft maps.

• Draw sketches of new art.

• Draw sketches of tactile elements.

• Create draft layouts.

Wayside Exhibit Plan review and approval

Procure approved graphics and use-rights

• Secure use-rights for the life of the wayside and document use-rights agreements.

• Acquire high-resolution graphics.

Develop original art

• Develop detailed sketches.

• Place detailed sketches in layout and adjust both for fit, legibility, size, margins, bleed.

• Develop final art and get high-resolution scan.

Create maps

• Use wayside Map Guidelines and starter map files to create actual-size digital maps.

Procure second-language translations

Procure tactile elements

Final Wayside Plan

Assemble final text, photos, maps, diagrams, and art for park’s final review and approval prior to production. Any changes to exhibit elements should be minor at this stage of exhibit review.

Final Wayside Exhibit Plan

Complete editorial review and make all text changes to exhibit layouts

• Place second-language text in layouts.

Place all final graphics in layouts

• Final approved art.

• Final approved maps.

• Final high-resolution photos.

• Detail position of tactile elements.

Final Wayside Exhibit Plan review and approval

• Make any minor final adjustments.

• Secure final approval to go into production.

Summary Chart (For more detailed requirements see http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/waysides)

HARPERS FERRY CENTER | NATIONAL PARK SERVICE | 1ST EDITION | OCTOBER 2009 | PAGE 27 http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/waysides/index.htm

Section B Wayside Guide | Project Startup

Project Startup The first few steps of a journey are crucial because they set the direction, pace, and quality of the trip. Several steps listed here can help ensure a successful wayside project. Work done in this first phase will establish a strategy for funding, phasing, and managing the people and resources necessary to develop wayside exhibits.

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Get Started Gather Foundation Documents General Management Plans, Long-Range Interpretive Plans, Historic Structures Reports, and other planning documents help the project team focus on specific visitor experience goals, and understand relevant park policies and operations. See examples, and find more information about Long-Range Interpretive Plans on this webpage.

http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/ip-lrip.htm

Pick a Strong Team Find and assess subject-matter expertise. Select experienced media specialists. Decide on a project lead and determine the responsibilities of each team member. Consider how park partners, contractors, and media specialists may contribute. Use this white paper to learn about the many skills needed for a successful wayside team.

http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/waysides/way-team.htm

Wayside Exhibit Development Process

Site Analysis

Project Proposal

Draft Plan

Final Plan

Project Startup

You are here

Section B Wayside Guide | Project Startup

Define the Scope Identify wayside needs based on the strengths of the medium. Work with subject-matter experts to select potential wayside sites. Think about what is significant, visible, and accessible in the park. Consider visitor experience goals and what is known about the targeted audience. Will bilingual waysides be required? Understand accessibility requirements. Evaluate the function and condition of existing wayside exhibits. Use the Wayside Guide Section A and the following resources to define the scope of your project.

Interpretive Media Selection http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/ip-media-select.htm

Checklist To Evaluate Your Wayside Exhibits http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/waysides/way-process-evaluate.htm

Plan for Accessibility Review the requirements for programmatic accessibility. Choose methods and options for site-specific interpretation and orientation. Refer to the accessibility rules and recommendations on this webpage, including “Department of Interior Section 504 Guidelines for Federally-Assisted Park and Recreation Programs and Activities” http://www.nps.gov/hfc/accessibility/index.htm

Conduct Front-End Evaluation Learn the characteristics of the targeted audience. Find out what visitors want to know. What questions do they have? What sites do they find most compelling? What important sites do they avoid and why? See examples, and get more information on the following webpage.

http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/evaluate.htm

Establish the Funding Develop an initial cost estimate for your project and identify a funding source.

Understand the limitations and requirements of the funds. This webpage has current information about wayside cost estimating.

http://www.nps.gov/hfc/products/waysides/way-cost-estimating.htm

Develop a Project Management Strategy Decisions about funding, schedules, roles and responsibilities, communication channels, and project goals should be carefully determined early on, and be clearly documented in a work plan or other appropriate project agreement.

Decide how partner agencies will be recognized before the project gets underway, both to manage expectations and to meet NPS policies.

Begin Research Find graphics, objects, artwork, and any maps that may be needed for potential waysides. It is helpful to make copies and put all these images in a notebook, sorted by wayside locations, before the site visit. Be sure to record source information, including copyright and date.

Review Secondary Sources What sources provide a good overview to the content? For project team members new to the subject, secondary sources, like books, magazine articles, or videos, can establish a working foundation. Also review the relevant history section of Historic Structures Reports or Historic Resource Studies.

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Before the site visit, the park staff should look for potential wayside locations and site-specific resources.

Analyze visitor flow and accessibility issues.

Cost Estimating

For help with cost estimating for NPS projects call Harpers Ferry Center at 304-535-5050.

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Section B Wayside Guide | Site Visit

Site Analysis The site visit is key to developing successful wayside exhibits.

Travel to each wayside location. Choose the best site for each wayside based on considerations listed below. The success of each individual wayside exhibit is directly related to how well these elements work together.

You are here

Startup Meeting Invite all stakeholders to an initial meeting. Review the strengths and limitations of the wayside medium and the wayside development process.

Review the goals of the project, the budget and schedule, and clarify team roles. Review the day-to-day site visit schedule, including time to visit local museums and historical societies, and to meet with relevant subject-matter experts. Review the graphic and content resources available like quotes, drawings, photos, or other sources for the team to keep in mind on the site.

Site-by-Site Observe Visitors Observe and note how visitors use, or ignore, any existing waysides or signs.

Note the use patterns at overlooks and on designated trails, unplanned social paths, or tour roads. Are visitors with disabilities avoiding or unable to use current waysides?

Identify the View Select views that enhance the opportunity for visitors to make meaningful connections to the landscape. Note the landscape feature that is the point of focus. Match the direction of view with potential graphics. Take a compass reading and note the site on a map.

Establish the Message Work for consensus on what exactly is the appropriate interpretive message for each site. Each wayside must be linked specifically to something people can see at the site. Note the relevant interpretive themes at each location.

Major Roles

Park Interpreter shares interpretive goals for the project, hosts and guides the wayside team.

Wayside Planner documents potential content, base and panel options. Drafts focused, achievable purpose statements.

Wayside Designer explores potential graphics, develops thumbnail roughs, and takes site photos, records GPS data.

Wayside Exhibit Development Process

Site Analysis

Project Proposal

Draft Plan

Final Plan

Project

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