Last Updated on June 14, 2023

The latest wayfinding case study is from Crocodile World in the UK.

Mapping a tourist attrraction
Sitemap of Crocodile World as you enter the attraction

What is Crocodile World?

Crocodile World is an amazing attraction in Brize Norton, England, that is certainly worth visiting if you get the chance.

Once in a while, you come across an attraction that is not only great in its own right but which is also a great example of wayfinding.

The day before we were at Blenheim Palace and all of the mistakes and issues which we and our friends experienced at the palace, were issues which they would quite easily solve if they were to learn from Crocodiles of the World, which is only 4 miles or so from the palace.

Until the signage is changed, you might find that you also leave Blenheim Palace having given up on finding the butterfly farm, for example, only to find it as you are actually leaving.

Wheelchair route
DDA – Disabilities access is important in tourist attractions.

Crocodiles of the World recently spent £15,000 on their signage system, in order to make it easy to navigate the attraction itself but also to make it easier for those trying to find the attraction, to find the exact location.

It was as a result of seeing a Crocodiles of the World sign as we drove to Blenheim Palace that in fact was the only reason we knew about this unique attraction.

One of the big problems at Blenheim Palace is that it is very unfriendly as an attraction for taking a wheelchair user and really quite problematic.

One of our party was largely wheelchair-bound and had to push the chair across gravel, coming about areas where the lift was out of order.

You have no choice but to carry the wheelchair down some stairs-cases and for the person in question to walk, and for many parts to be out of bounds for wheelchair users, Blenheim Palace is far from a shining example of an attraction designed for accessible travel.

This visit to Crocodiles of the World was a very welcome relief for all and the immediate sign of a wheelchair path which has been designed to run the length of the car park, immediately set the tone for what was about to be a very enjoyable experience for us all.

Signage Branding

It is generally not a good idea to brand standard signs with your own colours, but this attraction has nailed it as you can see quite clearly with the disabled parking signage below.

Branded with the Crocodiles of the World colours and logo but with the traditional disabled and parking icons.

It is generally also not a good idea to use signage to add humour, given that for signage extra text can just add to the clutter and increase the possibility for confusion.

A happy user is able to navigate easily, seamlessly and without stress and for this reason, simple and as basic as possible is best.

This attraction seems to get away with extra wording though, to the point that the signage actually becomes a part of the overall experience in this attraction. “No Crocphobes or persons scared of crocodiles allowed beyond this point”!

Tourist entrance sign

Temporary Signage

A very common wayfinding issue and one which is faced by this attraction is that the attraction is developing quite fast in terms of space and this raises some common wayfinding design issues.

Wayfinding systems can be expensive and thus there is often the need at some point for temporary signage.

As a temporary measure, printed signs with plastic casing such as the ‘Alligator House’ sign below seemed to work well below.

The trick in this situation was that the sign was alone, away from the potential clutter of any other potential competing signage.

Plastic signage

There are many types of wayfinding signage with directional signage being just one such type.

Signage that confirms your arrival at a certain point provides information on the mobility options or regulatory information for your movement through a given space are some such examples.

The example below shows signage which can be a combination of regulatory and informational, with details on the rules regards to access and mobility as shown in the image below.

Yellow sign

Just to side-track away from wayfinding as I finish off this post, so that I can tell you about Crocodiles of the World itself.

This charitable attraction was started by a guy called Shaun Foggett, who started collecting these animals in his own garden and is the inspiration behind this expanded attraction which now already attracts over 50,000 visitors a year and increasing.

In addition to crocodiles, alligators, monitor lizards and turtles, you must come and see the mob of meerkats, one of which is shown below.

meerkat

Further Information

  • If you wish to visit Crocodiles of the World, it is located in the Brize Norton area of Oxfordshire, England. Directions listed here.
  • Want a Wayfinding Case Study on your location? Contact us.