Pilgrimage routes designed for spiritual and recreational journeys elicit stronger landscape preferences.
The design of pilgrimage routes should consider a blend of spiritual and recreational motivations to maximize visitor engagement with landscape elements.
PLoS ONE · 2024
Key Findings
- 01Visitors generally preferred vegetative landscapes and religious symbols.
- 02Visitors preferred to photograph close-up views with cultural and aesthetic significance, particularly in human settlements.
- 03Different visitor motivation groups (religious, recreational, mixed) exhibited distinct landscape preferences that aligned with their primary travel drivers.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing pilgrimage or heritage routes, integrate elements that cater to both spiritual reflection and recreational enjoyment, and ensure varied visual experiences are available along the path.
How to apply
When designing a public path, park, or heritage trail, consider how different user groups might interact with the space and what visual elements they might find most appealing based on their likely motivations.
Project actions
- 01When researching user needs for a design project, consider the different motivations that might drive people to use the space.
- 02Think about how visual elements and the journey's progression can be designed to appeal to varied user goals.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Utilizes visitor-employed photography, a method that captures authentic user perspectives.
- +Combines qualitative (photography) and quantitative (questionnaire) data for a comprehensive understanding.
Limitations
The findings are specific to a pilgrimage route in China and may not directly apply to designing a modern urban park or a purely recreational trail.
Reliability & validity
The use of visitor-employed photography and a questionnaire provides some triangulation of data. However, the subjective nature of preference and motivation, and the specific context of a pilgrimage route, may affect generalizability and external validity.
Think critically
How might the 'ideal' design for a pilgrimage route differ from the 'ideal' design for a purely recreational trail, and what specific design elements would need to change to accommodate these differences?
Design Principles
"Design for multifaceted user motivations by offering a rich and varied experiential sequence that appeals to different sensory and psychological needs."
Understanding the diverse motivations of users is crucial for designing spaces that resonate with their needs and expectations. This research highlights how tailoring the visual and spatial experience of a route to accommodate different user groups can lead to more successful and appreciated designs.
What This Means for Your Design
People like different things on a journey depending on why they are there. For a holy path, some want to see nature and religious items, while others might be there for fun. The design should offer both to make everyone happy.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing user research and how different user needs informed design decisions for a route or public space.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
(2024). The relationship between visitors’ motivation and landscape preference for the pilgrimage route on the Mount Miaofeng, China. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314194 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/00026749-ed59-4b6c-9583-f71389f76110/pilgrimage-routes-designed-for-spiritual-and-recreational-journeys-elicit-stronger-landscape-preferences
Paragraph starter
Research indicates that the design of routes intended for varied purposes, such as pilgrimage, should accommodate diverse user motivations. For instance, a study on the Mount Miaofeng pilgrimage route found that visitors motivated by religious, recreational, or mixed purposes exhibited distinct preferences for landscape elements and spatial sequences, with general preferences for natural scenery and religious symbols, and a tendency to photograph close-up views in human settlements. This suggests that successful design requires integrating elements that appeal to multiple user goals and offering varied experiential sequences.
Source
PLoS ONE
The relationship between visitors’ motivation and landscape preference for the pilgrimage route on the Mount Miaofeng, China
journal · 2024
View sourceQuestions about this research
- What does the research say about pilgrimage routes designed for spiritual and recreational journeys elicit stronger landscape preferences?
- When designing pilgrimage or heritage routes, integrate elements that cater to both spiritual reflection and recreational enjoyment, and ensure varied visual experiences are available along the path. Evidence: PLoS ONE (2024).
- Why does "Pilgrimage routes designed for spiritual and recreational journeys elicit stronger landscape preferences." matter for design?
- Understanding the diverse motivations of users is crucial for designing spaces that resonate with their needs and expectations. This research highlights how tailoring the visual and spatial experience of a route to accommodate different user groups can lead to more successful and appreciated designs.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing pilgrimage or heritage routes, integrate elements that cater to both spiritual reflection and recreational enjoyment, and ensure varied visual experiences are available along the path.
- What were the main findings?
- Visitors generally preferred vegetative landscapes and religious symbols.. Visitors preferred to photograph close-up views with cultural and aesthetic significance, particularly in human settlements.. Different visitor motivation groups (religious, recreational, mixed) exhibited distinct landscape preferences that aligned with their primary travel drivers.
- What research method was used?
- Mixed-methods research.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2024 journal from PLoS ONE.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing a public path, park, or heritage trail, consider how different user groups might interact with the space and what visual elements they might find most appealing based on their likely motivations.
- What are the limitations?
- The study was conducted at a single site in China, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings to other cultural contexts or types of routes.
- Is there evidence that pilgrimage route affects design outcomes?
- The study found that visitors on a pilgrimage route preferred natural elements like vegetation and religious symbols, and enjoyed capturing close-up views in populated areas. Importantly, their preferences were directly linked to whether they were there for religious, recreational, or a combination of reasons. Understa Source: PLoS ONE (2024).
- Where does this recreational research apply?
- Religious tourism destinations, specifically pilgrimage routes. It sits within classic design research on designdex.org.
Related research topics
pilgrimage route design research · evidence on pilgrimage route · does pilgrimage route improve design outcomes · recreational studies for designers · pilgrimage route and recreational findings · classic design research evidence