Short answer

When designing for mixed-age user groups, especially in complex environments, prioritize the needs and perceptual abilities of children by ensuring clear sightlines, intuitive layouts, and highly visible, child-appropriate signage.

Field: Human Factors
Source: Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering (2026)
Method: Experimental, Comparative, Observational
Sample: 88 participants (51 children, 37 adults)
Evidence: Strong effect

Children's wayfinding in complex environments is significantly impacted by their physical stature, shorter attention spans for navigational cues, and underdeveloped spatial cognition, necessitating design considerations distinct from those for adults. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2026 study published in Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering. Using Experimental, comparative, observational with 88 participants (51 children, 37 adults), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing for mixed-age user groups, especially in complex environments, prioritize the needs and perceptual abilities of children by ensuring clear sightlines, intuitive layouts, and highly visible, child-appropriate signage.

Study

Human FactorsNew This WeekStrong effect

Children's Wayfinding in Complex Spaces: Shorter Stature, Shorter Attention Spans, and Signage Struggles

Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering · 2026

Key Findings

01Children's shorter stature can lead to obstructed views of pathways and signage.
02Children exhibit a greater tendency to focus on attractive elements (toys, landmarks) rather than navigational cues.
03Younger children (under nine) may struggle with wayfinding due to underdeveloped spatial cognition.
04Signage effectiveness is highly dependent on its positioning, clarity, and legibility for children.
05Irregular plan configurations and numerous path choices increase wayfinding difficulty for children.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When designing public spaces like malls, museums, or theme parks, conduct user testing with children to evaluate sightlines, signage clarity, and overall spatial legibility from their perspective.

Project actions

01When researching user needs, consider age-specific anthropometrics and cognitive differences.
02Use observational methods or simulations to understand how different user groups interact with a designed space.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate the differences in wayfinding strategies and influencing factors between children and adults in a complex commercial facility, using eye-tracking technology.

MethodExperimental, Comparative, Observational

ProcedureParticipants (children and adults) navigated a complex commercial facility while their eye movements were tracked. Environmental analysis using Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA) was also conducted. Data from eye-tracking (heatmaps, scanpaths) and VGA were compared between the two groups.

Sample88 participants (51 children, 37 adults)

ContextComplex commercial facility, South Korea

Variables

IV["Age group (child vs. adult)","Environmental complexity (plan configuration, path regularity)"]

DV["Wayfinding success/efficiency","Eye-tracking metrics (fixations, scanpaths, attention to specific elements)","Perceived difficulty of wayfinding"]

CV["Type of facility (complex commercial)","Signage characteristics (position, clarity, legibility)","Participant's prior familiarity with the facility"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Utilizes objective eye-tracking data for detailed behavioral analysis.
+Compares distinct user groups (children vs. adults) to identify specific needs.
+Integrates environmental analysis (VGA) with user behavior.

Limitations

It can be challenging to recruit a diverse and representative sample of children, and ethical considerations are paramount when conducting research with minors.

Reliability & validity

The use of eye-tracking provides objective and reliable data on visual attention. Comparing findings with VGA adds validity by correlating user behavior with environmental characteristics. However, the specific context of the study might limit external validity.

Think critically

How might the 'attractive elements' that capture children's attention also be leveraged as effective wayfinding landmarks, rather than solely being seen as distractions?

Design Principles

"Inclusive wayfinding design accounts for varying user anthropometrics and cognitive abilities, ensuring safe and independent navigation for all age groups."

Understanding these human factors is crucial for designing safer and more accessible public spaces, particularly for commercial facilities where children are frequent visitors. Designers can proactively mitigate risks of children becoming lost by implementing specific design strategies tailored to their unique perceptual and cognitive abilities.

What This Means for Your Design

Kids get lost more easily in big buildings because they're shorter, get distracted by cool stuff, and don't understand directions as well as grown-ups. So, buildings need to be designed with them in mind, with clear signs and paths they can actually see.

How to use in your project

1.Reference findings on children's visual obstruction due to height when justifying design choices for sightlines or product placement.
2.Cite the impact of cognitive development on wayfinding to support the need for simplified layouts or explicit signage.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research indicates that children's wayfinding in complex environments is significantly influenced by their physical stature, leading to potential visual obstructions, and by their cognitive development, affecting spatial cognition and attention to navigational cues. Consequently, design solutions must prioritize clear sightlines, intuitive spatial configurations, and highly visible, child-appropriate signage to mitigate risks of disorientation and ensure user safety.

Source

Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering

Children’s wayfinding characteristics and influencing factors compared with adults using eye-tracking: Focusing on a complex commercial facility in South Korea

journal · 2026

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Questions About This Research

What does the research say about children's wayfinding in complex spaces: shorter stature, shorter attention spans, and signage struggles?: When designing for mixed-age user groups, especially in complex environments, prioritize the needs and perceptual abilities of children by ensuring clear sightlines, intuitive layouts, and highly visible, child-appropriate signage. Evidence: Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering (2026).
Why does "Children's Wayfinding in Complex Spaces: Shorter Stature, Shorter Attention Spans, and Signage Struggles" matter for design?: Understanding these human factors is crucial for designing safer and more accessible public spaces, particularly for commercial facilities where children are frequent visitors. Designers can proactively mitigate risks of children becoming lost by implementing specific design strategies tailored to their unique perceptual and cognitive abilities.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing for mixed-age user groups, especially in complex environments, prioritize the needs and perceptual abilities of children by ensuring clear sightlines, intuitive layouts, and highly visible, child-appropriate signage.
What were the main findings?: Children's shorter stature can lead to obstructed views of pathways and signage.. Children exhibit a greater tendency to focus on attractive elements (toys, landmarks) rather than navigational cues.. Younger children (under nine) may struggle with wayfinding due to underdeveloped spatial cognition.. Signage effectiveness is highly dependent on its positioning, clarity, and legibility for children.
What research method was used?: Experimental, Comparative, Observational with 88 participants (51 children, 37 adults).
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2026 journal from Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing public spaces like malls, museums, or theme parks, conduct user testing with children to evaluate sightlines, signage clarity, and overall spatial legibility from their perspective.
What are the limitations?: The study was conducted in a specific commercial facility in South Korea, which may limit generalizability to other cultural contexts or types of environments. The age range of 'children' was broad, and specific developmental stages within childhood could yield different results.