How often have we heard someone say this? ‘I don’t need directions—I know where I’m going?’
We know what happens of course. They get lost. They get frustrated.
Using custom wayfinding signs is like handing people a GPS navigational guide to your building. The signs help visitors easily locate your restrooms, elevators, the boardroom, the furniture department, or whatever else they are looking for. This enhances the guest experience and provides visitors with a sense of safety and security.
“Follow the yellow brick road”, or in this case, just follow the directional signs!
Here are 5 tips on designing the perfect indoor or outdoor wayfinding signs for your Georgetown and Austin area business:
- Wayfinding is a system of signs designed to help customers find their way around your building. Corporate offices, airports, hotels, hospitals, museums, and other businesses use these directional signs to guide people to where they need to go. This often involves a system, or series of signs, which act like breadcrumbs along a path—one leads to the next and the next until visitors arrive at their destination.
- Custom wayfinding signs may vary depending on their use. A busy subway station may benefit from an overhead LED sign which informs riders where to wait for their train. A shopping mall may use dozens of indoor directional wayfinding signs to direct visitors to their guest services kiosk, restrooms, stores, or the food court. While ceiling mounted signs are common, directional signs can be mounted on walls or even on floors with vinyl decals.
- The sign design is of key importance. The signs must be large enough to be read from a fair distance, while the wording, graphics and colors must be simple and highly visible. If symbols are used, they must be universally understood as to avoid confusion.
- Custom wayfinding signs generally fall into four main categories: information signs, site indication signs, directional signs, and safety warning signs. While some signs are promotional tools to direct visitors to the cash register or check out line, other signs are mandatory for safety reasons. This includes ADA-compliant signs which are used throughout public buildings to assist people who are blind or visually impaired.
- Signs can be customized. We can use your corporate colors and logo to create a cohesive look. Signs can also be varied to project a certain mood or theme through the use of color and graphics. A museum could use a graphic of a Stegosaurus on their custom wayfinding signs so that kids can easily find the dinosaur exhibit. This enhances the guest experience and encourages guests to engage with your company (and hopefully share their good experience on social media!)
At Georgetown Sign Company in the Austin area, we are proud to offer expert advice on how to design a wayfinding sign system that meets with your needs and budget. Call us today for a complimentary consultation.
