Entry: San Francisco International Airport

Client: San Francisco International Airport

Submitted by: Omnivex

Venue(s) where the content was displayed:

In 2012 SFO launched a project to renovate Boarding Area E. As a part of this project, SFO’s objective was to create an interactive wayfinding tool for this newly renovated area that would eliminate the need for static maps, assist in navigating from terminal to terminal, provide travelers with the best route to get where they need to go, and to further enhance the passenger experience. Boarding Area E opened on January 28, 2014 with two interactive wayfinding touchscreens in the remodelled area.

Objectives of the content:

The screens were designed to be visually appealing and enable travelers to easily find where they need to go in the airport, the best route to get there, and approximate travel time, whether by walking or by taking the airport’s automated AirTrain. They also allow passengers to explore their options for dining, shopping and leisure, giving them a more rewarding airport experience. The touchscreens are location-smart and thereby predetermine appropriate destinations based on the passenger’s pre- or post-security location.    

The screens feature an attraction loop to engage passengers, and a full menu of searchable options, from finding each airline serving SFO, to dining, shopping, ground transportation, things to do, and points of interest. SFO uses Omnivex Moxie, which dynamically draws wayfinding paths from each origin to each destination. The system ties in data from various source systems and devices to the interactive maps to reflect the current environment in the facility.

Budget category (content creation only): More than $10,000

Results of the content:

With the deployment of the interactive wayfinding screens in the newly renovated Boarding Area E, SFO has been able to enhance the experience of the travelers passing through the airport each day. This innovative approach to digital communications has put SFO years ahead of what other airports are doing in this space. It has also helped reduce costs such as printing and labor.

Selected judges' comments:

• Very clean design and easy to use interface
• Better than average wayfinding. I like the feature that compares the time it would take to walk a route with the time it would take to ride the train.
• One of the best applications of digital way finding I’ve ever seen. Clear, concise and dynamic.
• I like the pacing used of the route animation and the smooth, intuitive interface.
• The ability of the system to consider elevator operation times, maintenance issues and other real-time factors when offering routes is very impressive.
• Simple and easy…as it should be!