When you are walking outside and see a signpost with various locations and distances pointing in their respective directions, that is wayfinding signage. When you are at a shopping centre and look at the map that tells you where you are, that is wayfinding signage. Even something as simple as a directory board on a wall of a reception area is wayfinding signage.
Put simply, wayfinding signage covers anything that helps you know where you are, or where to go. Because of this, it can encompass many items that you would look at almost every day without even considering it. Something as simple as a door number for example, or a street name can be included within the realm of wayfinding signage.
What types of Wayfinding signage are there?
Though you can technically make wayfinding signage in anyway, there are several standards that the general public have come to recognise and since the purpose of the signage is to aid the general public, it is important to ensure they can locate and understand whatever system you put in place.
Below are a few examples:
Directional signage
This type of signage is great either outdoors to point people I towards a location. You often find these on footpaths indicating distances and directions of local towns or popular locations. These are often wooden or metal poles with arrow-tipped panels extending from them in the direction of their destination.
Directory signage
Often found in multi-level buildings, this will as a standard be some form of board, split into different sections or floors, telling you which shop / business is on which floor. These can be made in several different ways, from something as simple as a clear acrylic board with vinyl detailing, to an etched stainless steel panel with many different variations in between. This type of signage also includes boards outside retail / industrial parks, letting you know a list of all the businesses or shops.
Location Signage
You will find this type of signage in theme parks, zoos, shopping centres and even some town centres. In its basic form it is a map of the surrounding area, usually numbered, with an accompanying list next to it telling you what each number represents. The key feature about this type of sign however, is that it will contain a small dot, or arrow, with the phrase “You are here”.
This then allows everyone, whether new to the area or not to be able to quickly identify where they are in relation to everything else and identify where they need to go.
This type of sign can be as simple as two posts, with a board in between and the graphic on either side. Sometimes there will be acrylic pockets fixed to the sides that will then have leaflets sat in. Higher end versions might have digital screens that allow interactivity and a more in depth user
If you have any further questions related to this topic or any other around shop and retail signage, please take the time to get in touch and we can talk to you about any type of project you have in mind.
