The Research Behind Better Wayfinding

Key takeaways

• Justin Dean's PhD (University of Newcastle, College of Human and Social Futures) focuses on AI trust and human behaviour — specifically, how to design AI systems people actually accept.
• The core research question: when technology starts to influence how people think and act, how do you design systems people trust?
• Key finding: technology that hides its logic loses people. Transparent AI systems build confidence and reduce friction at the moment it matters most.
• This research feeds directly into how Envent designs AI-assisted wayfinding for Australian hospitals, shopping centres, and civic buildings.
• Envent is one of the few Australian wayfinding companies with an active academic research foundation.

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In 2021, Justin Dean was awarded a competitive PhD scholarship at the University of Newcastle, through the College of Human and Social Futures. It was a significant milestone. What followed has shaped how Envent approaches AI-assisted wayfinding design across Australian hospitals, retail centres, and government buildings.

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Justin's research sits at the intersection of technology ethics and human behaviour. The core question:

when technology deliberately starts to interfere with how people think and act, how do we design systems people actually trust?

His supervisory panel includes Prof. Mario Minichiello, Prof. Paul Egglestone, and Associate Prof. Craig Hight. The academic foundation is serious. The application is practical.

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How does AI trust research apply to wayfinding in practice?

Since starting the PhD, Justin has run workshops with organisations working through real decisions about AI deployment. He has presented findings at industry events, tested participatory design frameworks with organisations, and built a body of work on what trust in AI actually looks like at the point of human interaction.

All of that research feeds directly back into Envent's work.

When Envent designs an AI-assisted wayfinding system for a hospital or shopping centre, the question is not simply "does this show the right directions." It is:

Does this feel trustworthy to a patient who is already stressed? Does the AI-assisted interaction reduce uncertainty, or add to it? Is the system transparent enough that people understand what it is doing and why?

These are not abstract questions. They determine whether a wayfinding system gets used, or gets ignored.

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What makes an AI-assisted wayfinding system trustworthy?

Technology that hides its logic loses people. Systems that explain themselves build confidence. The more transparent the interaction, the less friction at the moment it matters most.

For hospital environments, this is not a nice-to-have. A patient arriving at a complex campus, already anxious, does not want to feel processed by a system they cannot read. They want clarity. Justin's research is teaching us, in measurable terms, how to design for that.

The PhD started as a scholarship announcement. Three years on, it is the reason Envent's approach to AI-assisted wayfinding is grounded in active research, not assumption.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the connection between AI trust research and wayfinding design?

A wayfinding system that feels opaque or untrustworthy gets ignored. Justin Dean's PhD research at the University of Newcastle examines exactly this: how do people decide to trust an AI-assisted interaction, and what design decisions build or break that trust? Those findings directly inform how Envent designs hospital wayfinding kiosks and AI interfaces.

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What makes an AI wayfinding system trustworthy in a hospital environment?

Transparency is the core factor. A patient arriving at a complex hospital campus, already anxious, needs a system that explains itself clearly. If the logic is hidden or the interaction feels unpredictable, the system fails — regardless of whether it is technically correct. Envent's research-informed design process focuses on reducing friction and uncertainty at the point of interaction.

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Does Envent apply academic research to its wayfinding products?

Yes. Justin Dean's PhD research, supervised at the University of Newcastle, directly feeds into Envent's product and system design. It is not advisory research — it is active, ongoing work that shapes design decisions in real projects.

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