Navigating unfamiliar places creates anxiety because of a simple disconnect—mapping apps, social media, and local content all work in silos instead of together.

On one hand, we have wayfinding (mapping, transit & signage) platforms that help predict the where and when of our arrivals, on the other, social media, content platforms, and the physical world inform us on the conditions—the what and how—of our destinations. And we are often left navigating the unknowns in between, which are frustrating, especially for disabled and neurodivergent people.

How can we anticipate the unknown but knowable conditions of our journeys? While agentic AI may one day handle all this complexity, the practice of merging destination guidance and context is already happening in some design disciplines. This emerging approach to anticipate urban, hospitality, and retail journeys is coined here as Wayknowing.