How Memorable is BYU Campus?

How memorable is BYU campus? This is a question I set out to answer by interviewing various students of different classes (freshman, sophomore, etc.) and having them draw a map of it from memory. They also answered a few questions about their experiences navigating around campus. This survey led to some interesting and insightful results. For example, one student was able to draw as many as 30 different buildings. There are, in fact, 93 buildings on BYU campus, meaning that less than a third of them were drawn on any student’s map. It is made clear through the students’ cognitive maps of campus that much of campus is forgotten--even by the students who navigate it everyday. Another interesting finding is that most upperclassmen (juniors, seniors, and graduate students) made maps that were less comprehensive than those of their lowerclassmen peers. The freshman and sophomores seemed to be able to recall more of campus. This may be because upperclassmen only use a few buildings pertinent to their majors and minors whereas freshman are required to know more of campus as their general education courses tend to be spread out in across multiple buildings.

The question is, how can BYU campus become more memorable, or in other words, how can its image quality be strengthened? Signs may be helpful in improving campus paths as well. Giving names to paths and posting them as landmarks throughout campus will give identity to the paths and according to Kevin Lynch, an important urban designer, “paths, once identifiable, have continuity as well [which] is an obvious functional necessity.” This continuity is missing in campus with its few directional signs. If we think of any zoo or theme park, we will remember that there are signs giving continuity and direction across the entire park. I remember signs like these posted throughout Duke University when I lived in North Carolina. Incorporating more memorable and visible signs would improve and strengthen BYU campus’ image quality.

What do you think would help BYU campus become more memorable?