Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-69).

Thesis (M.S.)--Georgia Southern University, 2005. / "A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science" ETD. Includes bibliographical references (p. 36-39) and appendices.

The aim of this research is to propose ways in which graphic designers can improve the design of commercial signage in Amman, Jordan. A survey of the effectiveness of recent signage regulation in the type and placement of commercial signage has led to the conclusion that regulations alone will not lead to improved quality in the production and siting of commercial signage without multi-stakeholder involvement and the dedicated training of those working in this field. There is a need for practitioners to develop specialised skills and knowledge in sign design, as opposed to applying only generalised graphic design techniques to sign production. Such skills include problem-solving, visual communication methods and competency in the application of the latest multi-media technology. It is proposed that by developing and incorporating sign-design competencies within the graphic design curriculum, practitioners will be better able to work effectively in this field. Following the investigation of the situation in Amman with respect to commercial signage, four related investigations were undertaken in order to formulate a list of recommendations which could be incorporated into an improved curriculum for teaching sign design. The first study investigated the problems caused by poorly designed and situated commercial signage in Amman. The second and third studies investigated urban signage solutions adopted by companies in other parts of the world, namely the global marketing of the McDonald’s brand and the corporate signage of Coventry University UK. The final study was a comparative investigation of graphic design education (with respect to sign design) in Jordan and the UK. Following these investigations, the Delphi technique was employed to elicit a set of 25 competencies for sign design learners, recommended by an expert panel of sign industry professionals and design academics. It is anticipated that the incorporation of such competencies will contribute to the improvements within the sign industry, as designers become better equipped for the task of sign design. Therefore it is anticipated that this research will contribute to the furthering of design practice by identifying the additional knowledge and competencies that graphic designers need to create appropriate commercial signs.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

Wayfinding is the process of using one or more tools to move from one location to another in order to accomplish a task or to achieve a goal. This qualitative study explores the process of wayfinding as it applies to locating information in a public library. A group of volunteers were asked to find a selection of items in three types of libraries-traditional, contemporary, and modern. The retrieval process was timed and the reactions of the volunteers were recorded, documented, and analyzed. The impact of various wayfinding tools-architecture, layout, color, signage, computer support, collection organization-on the retrieval process was also identified. The study revealed that many of the wayfinding tools currently available in libraries do not facilitate item retrieval. Inconsistencies, ambiguities, obstructions, disparities, and operational deficiencies all contributed to end-user frustration and retrieval failure. The study suggests that failing to address these issues may prompt library patrons-end users who are increasingly interested in finding information with minimal expenditures of time and effort-may turn to other information-retrieval strategies and abandon a system that they find confusing and frustrating.

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-57). Also available via the Internet from the Humboldt Digital Scholar web site.

Thesis (M. S.)--Industrial Design, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Roberts, David P., Committee Member ; Ringholz, David A., Committee Member ; Chung, Wayne C., Committee Chair.

The purpose of this thesis is to define the historical commercial center. To write this history, it was necessary to identify the developmental factors affecting the form and/or placement of the building sign. Historic photographs of the Indianapolis commercial center and other primary sources were used to document the popular sign forms of that era.Sign history is not a subject that is well represented in preservation or urban planning literature. Thus, the preservation and/or adaptive use of historic commercial districts often lacks strong references to the district's building sign heritage. This history is a guide for those professionals whose job it is to develop design guidelines and sign ordinances for early 20th-century historic commercial districts. / Department of Architecture

by Shen Hua. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-71). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iii / Acknowledgments --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vii / List of Figures --- p.ix / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Object Detection --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Signboard Detection --- p.3 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- System Overview --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- What is the problem? --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2 --- Review of previous work --- p.6 / Chapter 2.3 --- System Outline --- p.8 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Preprocessing --- p.10 / Chapter 3.1 --- Edge Detection --- p.11 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Gradient-Based Method --- p.11 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Laplacian of Gaussian --- p.14 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Canny edge detection --- p.15 / Chapter 3.2 --- Corner Detection --- p.18 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Finding Candidate Lines --- p.22 / Chapter 4.1 --- Hough Transform --- p.22 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- What is Hough Transform --- p.22 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Parameter Space --- p.22 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Accumulator Array --- p.24 / Chapter 4.2 --- Gradient-based Hough Transform --- p.25 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Direction of Gradient --- p.26 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Accumulator Array --- p.28 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Peaks in the accumulator array --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Performance of Gradient-based Hough Transform --- p.32 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Signboards Locating --- p.35 / Chapter 5.1 --- Line Verification --- p.35 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Line Segmentation --- p.35 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Density Checking --- p.37 / Chapter 5.2 --- Finding Close Circuits --- p.40 / Chapter 5.3 --- Remove Redundant Segments --- p.47 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Post processing --- p.54 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Experiments and Conclusion --- p.59 / Chapter 7.1 --- Experimental Results --- p.59 / Chapter 7.2 --- Conclusion --- p.66 / Bibliography --- p.67