Elevating Wayfinding Quality in Toril, Davao City's Shopping Mall Development: A Fusion of Sensory Design and Modern-Filipino Architecture for Enhanced User Experience/

Abstract

An individual's environment influences them, and various factors may impact how they perceive a given domain. These pertain to the environment's physical representation and the feelings and sensations it elicits from people at different degrees of engagement. This interaction with the environment shapes how the individual perceives the said environment and affects how they conclude its value, influencing how they assess the establishment's operations and brand, as well as their revisit intention of the place. In complex environments such as shopping complexes, it is observable that people often experience issues with disorientation, which may lead people to feel distressed and frustrated. Therefore, for designing an environment that caters to people's experience with wayfinding, it is crucial to evaluate the level of customers' experience with the wayfinding quality of complex environments and to determine the difference between them in terms of their wayfinding quality. This research uses data collected from 381 customers of the three selected shopping complexes in Davao City through a questionnaire. The research findings suggest that people highly preferred the establishment with more navigation-friendly designs, such as having numerous signs and landmarks within the building and an outstanding spatial layout. Overall, the researcher determined that this research will assist in suggesting design choices to architects, planners, and designers to enhance the navigation experience for customers in sizable shopping complexes. Keywords: Customers’ Experience, Wayfinding Quality, Shopping Complexes, Behavioral Intentions, Shopping Tourism