Wayfinding signage is an informational sign system that helps people best navigate a physical environment. It can be made up of interior wayfinding, exterior wayfinding and ADA-compliant signs such as braille, among others.
Big complex buildings such as health care, educational campuses, airports, urban centers and other sprawling businesses benefit greatly from good wayfinding. Well-placed maps, directories, directional signs and other wayfinding elements can truly help enhance a visitor’s experience and clear signage can help steer them in the right direction and keep everyone moving.
WHY PROPER WAYFINDING SIGNAGE MATTERS
When a visitor feels confident in where she is going and how she’ll get there because of clear wayfinding, it contributes to a sense of wellbeing, safety and security. For instance in a hospital or medical facility, this can make a huge difference in patient satisfaction and outcome. Similarly for an airport, it can mean travelers making it to their destination in a timely, confident manner.
MORE THAN JUST ARROWS
Sure, you can point people in the right direction, but great wayfinding is much more than that.
A good exterior wayfinding system will:
- Establish brand look and feel upon entering the campus
- Provide a sense of arrival for all visitors
- Identify key buildings
- Direct traffic flow
- Indicate proper parking guidelines
- Safely guide pedestrians to key entrances with ease
A good interior wayfinding system will:
- Continue to promote brand consistency throughout the facility
- Provide a sense of welcoming upon entering the facility
- Offer clear directories and maps near entrances
- Deliver information to visitors at key points
- Provide ADA-compliant signage as needed/required
- Complement all other signage
HOW TO GET STARTED
With a large campus, the thought of beginning a wayfinding plan can certainly feel overwhelming. Firstly, compile any feedback from visitors to determine problem areas and factor in suggestions to fix these spots. If you’re already renovating, take advantage of this new construction to revamp your wayfinding.
Above all, reaching out to a trusted partner for help can help bring you a lot of peace of mind. A local sign partner like Pensacola Sign can come to your place of business and personally assist in surveying and mapping out your wayfinding needs. We can even phase your plan to meet fiscal year budget constraints.
TO LEARN MORE
Check out the following resources for more information:
- Products: Wayfinding Signage
- Projects: Wayfinding Case Studies
- Getting Started: Contact Pensacola Sign
3 Comment on “Navigating the World of Wayfinding Signage”
Ellie Davis
November 9, 2018 at 12:48 am
Thank you for pointing out that a wayfinding system can establish a new modern look. This seems like a great way to help people find their way around. Hopefully, any building owner wanting to help out their customers looks into finding the best wayfinding system.
Jenna Hunter
December 5, 2019 at 9:46 pm
It was interesting to learn about how a wayfinding signage should be as easy to follow as possible and make sure that they complement the other signs while offering clear directions and information to visitors while complying with ADA needs. I can see how it could be really beneficial for a business to make sure that they are fully prepared to guide visitors where to go. Making sure that they have braille on their signs can be very important and useful for letting the disabled find their way easily around the facility.
ปั้มไลค์
July 18, 2020 at 4:28 pm
Like!! Thank you for publishing this awesome article.