Wayfinding Signs

Directional signs guide people through a facility to their destinations. They are designed for large buildings, campuses, hospitals, and shopping centers with infrastructure that might become hard to navigate without a perceptible guide. For example, a university can use signs to lead its students and visitors to separate departments and locations, libraries, and auditoriums. Directional signs can also be used to guide staff and visitors around a corporate office to meeting rooms, restrooms, and exits. The directions on the signs should be easily readable, and the information should be quickly conveyed through arrows, color coding, and simple text.

Informational signs display important information regarding a facility for visitors and employees. Examples include signs in hotel lobbies that detail check-in times, amenities available for use, or even the Wi-Fi password so people can easily log in. Informational signs can be wall-mounted in lobbies, reception areas, and common spaces. A shopping mall could use these signs to list directories of stores and promotional activities.

Identification signs label a particular area, room, or facility within a building. These signs facilitate easy recognition by any person, be it a conference room, bathroom, or officer’s room. For example, a healthcare facility might use identification signs for patient rooms, doctor offices, and specialty departments to help visitors navigate the facility without any hassle. In an office building, there will be identification signs of executive suites, where workers can break, and many other things, like supply closets.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, areas must meet accessibility requirements to ensure that every citizen has equal access to public facilities. This applies to signs as well. First, they must follow certain guidelines for readability, contrast, and position. For example, ADA signs with braille text guarantee full accessibility for those who have eyesight problems, raised characters, or non-glare surfaces.

ADA signs indicate classrooms, restrooms, and exits in a school. In an office building, the ADC signs note accessible routes, elevators, and emergency exits. These signs will not only help you meet the law but also show that you care about creating an accessible environment.

Such signs will help your facility comply with local, state, and federal regulations. These signs would contain important rules, safety instructions, and legal requirements that an employer would be expected to post for employees, visitors, or customers. For instance, regulatory signs at a construction site would help point out hard hat areas and restricted access zones or inform the visitors of safety procedures. Handicap spaces, no parking areas, and speed limits in a parking lot can all be designated by regulatory signs.