Is wayfinding signage still relevant to my business?

Wayfinding signage for information, identification and regulatory purpose designed by Signfiz advertising LLC

If you hardly notice most wayfinding signage until you are lost, you are not alone. The same is true for most of the potential customers you’re trying to direct to your office or shop using wayfinding signage. But in this article, we will explore the different types of wayfinding signage and learn about its relevance to businesses.

What is wayfinding signage?

As the name implies, wayfinding signage aids in navigating a business, institution, or other physical location. It is a unique field of signage that uses maps, graphics, languages, and pictograms to help people navigate different places. And they are essential for making a place legible. This type of signage is particularly useful for

  • Educational and financial establishments
  • Attractions for tourists
  • Bars and restaurants
  • Office and medical edifices; hospitals
  • Shopping malls, retail stores, and automobile dealerships

Although wayfinding signage is not exactly a form of advertising or promotion, it still plays a crucial role in projecting the organization in a positive light.

With clear wayfinding signage, your customers will be at ease in your building and feel more empowered because they will be able to find what they are looking for without asking for help.

Wayfinding signage can be for direction, information, regulations, or identification.

Directional wayfinding signage

Wayfinding signage for information, identification and regulatory purpose designed by Signfiz advertising LLC

This type of wayfinding signage is designed to lead your customers in the right direction to or within your business. It is usually positioned in such a way that customers feel like an invisible guide is guiding them to your business location.

They should be positioned in areas where there isn’t a clear traffic flow, such as the part of your building where you can go in more than one direction.

Examples of directional signs include:

  • Company directory indicating the floor each person’s office is located on
  • Physical spacing markers or even colored lines on the floor that you can follow.
  • Inscriptions on the wall at each intersection indicate which way to go.

Informational wayfinding signage

Informational signage is comparable to identification signage, but it is more general and applies to the entire building. Informational signs should always be placed in areas where a significant number of individuals will see them, such as your reception area, waiting areas, and entry points.

 Wayfinding signage for information, identification and regulatory purpose designed by Signfiz advertising LLC

When considering the types of informational signs that would be required for your specific business, consider the kinds of questions that guests might ask and make your signage respond to those questions. Your informational wayfinding signage, for example, should answer:

  • Where are the restrooms?
  • Where there is a cafeteria or other eating areas
  • Your business hours?
  • Where are the elevators and stairs?

If you have access to free WiFi, you can also share it here. You also want to ensure that you use symbols and language that are easily and universally understood at a glance.

Regulatory wayfinding signage

Do not smoke signage - Wayfinding signage for information, identification and regulatory purpose designed by Signfiz advertising LLC

This type of wayfinding signage is concerned with both the safety of your visitors and liability issues. It informs your visitors about what is acceptable and where they can and cannot go. In this case, you want to be certain that your regulatory signs are visible, clear, and concise.

Here are some examples of regulatory signage that you could put up in your facility:

  • Do Not Disturb
  • Staff Only
  • No pets or smoking is permitted.
  • Caution! Wet floor!

Identification wayfinding signage

Door plaque design - Wayfinding signage for information, identification and regulatory purpose designed by Signfiz advertising LLC

Identification signs are the most common type of wayfinding signage, and they are primarily used to notify your visitors when they have arrived at their desired location within your building.

Here are some examples of this type of signage:

  • Signs indicating your departments, such as Reception
  • Signs indicating the department on the current floor, e.g., the sales department
  • Door plaques indicating whose office it is
  • Signs that identify a landmark, such as a historical marker or an inscription.

Identification signs also serve as a general landmark, such as a sign on the wall behind your service counter that identifies which business you are visiting.

Identification signs can be very useful, especially in a large building such as a mall that houses several business divisions or organizations. However, these signs have to be simple and uncluttered enough to be understood in a matter of seconds.

Final Thoughts

So, is wayfinding signage for your business? Yes is the short answer if you need to direct your customers or lead new visitors to your business location. And whether it is for information, regulation, or identification, your wayfinding signage should be designed to work together. They should be simple to read and comprehend. Within seconds, your customers should be able to understand what it says and means.

At Signfix Industrial Limited, we design intricate systems made up of numerous sign types, such as identification signs, directories, and signs for pedestrians or vehicles. In addition, we create statutory signage, building signs, and digital navigations that comply with health and safety regulations. And unlike most advertising agencies, we don’t just create various signs to meet safety regulations. We do so with the intention of leading new customers your way.

 

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Emmanuel Umukoro
Emmanuel Umukoro

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