IN-PERSON Manchester Livable Cities

Abstract

This study investigated differences in the visual perception of signage according to cognitive decline status among older adults living in public rental apartments and proposed planning implications for cognitively responsive signage design. The study was conducted in two public rental apartment complexes in Nowon-gu, Seoul, both of which were over 30 years old and had high proportions of elderly residents. Three types of signage were examined: building and unit number signs, directional signs, and CCTV signs. An eye-tracking experiment was conducted with 12 older adult residents, and three gaze measures—entry time, dwell time, and average fixation duration—were analyzed. Heat maps and scan paths were also used to compare gaze distribution and visual search patterns between groups. A linear mixed-effects model was applied to account for the repeated-measures structure of the data. The results revealed a significant group difference in entry time, with older adults with cognitive decline taking longer to initially detect signage information than those without cognitive decline. In contrast, no significant group differences were found in dwell time or average fixation duration. Visual analyses further indicated that the cognitive decline group showed more dispersed gaze patterns toward background elements and more complex search paths. These findings suggest that cognitive decline primarily affects the initial stage of visual attention capture rather than later stages of reading and information processing. Accordingly, signage planning in public rental apartments should address not only legibility but also early visual accessibility. In particular, clear contrast with the background, minimization of unnecessary visual distractions, and consistent and explicit placement of information should be prioritized.