Sensory Friendly Maps
Accessibility Design
Print Design
Accessibility Design
Print Design
Inspired by the sensory maps of the MET, the User Experience Team at NC State Libraries decided to make our own series of maps to better serve those who utilize our spaces.
Full copies of these maps can be found in print at the AskUs Desk in D. H. Hill Jr. Library, and at the entrance to James B. Hunt Jr. Library. Additionally, they can be found online HERE on the NC State Library website.
The Process
First, we decided on what sensory factors we were evaluating. Sound, Light, and Crowd were the areas we focused on, believing those to be the biggest points of concern for sensory-adverse patrons.
After narrowing down the variables, a small team of us in UX went on a walkthrough through both James B. Hunt Jr. Library, and D. H. Hill Jr. Library. With floorplans in hand, we annotated the maps with all of the information pertinent to the sensory factors we chose. Starting out, we just described the areas generally. Some areas had conversational noise, some were echoey; some were lit with natural light, some were fluorescent. Any observation that felt relevant was recorded.
Upon reviewing the notes, we started refining what we wanted to highlight on our sensory maps. We narrowed light down to areas with natural light, and areas with controllable light. Then for sound we focused on spaces that tended to be quiet and places with controllable sound masking. Lastly, we highlighted areas that tended to be uncrowded.