ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the scientific journey crossed Barbara's own exploration of human visuo-spatial cognition. It emphasizes the efforts to assess the value of various navigational aids, with a particular focus on directional arrows and their role in wayfinding. The chapter recalls how arrow-like patterns are helpful in the study of other cognitive functions, such as visual attention. A special value of diagrammatic arrows appears when they are used to help make inferences about a complex process and develop adequate reasoning from diagrams showing mechanical systems. Incidentally, as everyone knows, crossroads are locations in an environment where people typically come across traffic signs and directional arrows. In strong contrast to linguistic devices, arrows are analog, intuitive, non-verbal sources of navigational assistance. Arrows have obviously special significance with respect to space. The design of directional arrows is subject to principles that are supposed to ensure adequate delivery of the informational content of the sign.
