If you want to do business, potential clients need to know where you are. Advertising does this in general, but sometimes, customers need a bit more direction. For example, customers who are on the sidewalk or at trade shows and conventions could use some friendly directional guidance, namely, wayfinding signage. Well-designed signage can enhance a user’s experience, raise your brand’s profile, and, of course, point out where they can find you. Join us as we cover nine tips for printing effective wayfinding signage.
Wayfinding Signage Basics
Signs and symbols have been with us for ever—even before language existed. Fortunately, we can now employ both words and images to communicate any number of messages to one another. Wayfinding signage is a silent guide, directing people through unfamiliar—and even familiar—places and spaces. They provide navigation, reduce stress, and keep people informed about what to expect up ahead, over there, or wherever.
Develop signage that helps users understand the environment and find their destination. Use visual cues like maps, symbols, and more to do so. Be there for them even when you can’t physically guide them.
Prioritize Clarity and Readability
Clarity, clarity, clarity—always strive for clarity. Wayfinding sign text should be legible from a distance, ensuring users quickly grasp the information from far away without straining their eyes. Employ simple, sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica. These fonts are easier to read, especially in dark or dim environments and conditions. Avoid using all caps, as it can be harder to read quickly. Always use title case or sentence case for improved readability.
Colors play a vital role in readability too. Design with a high contrast between text and background—dark text on a light background or vice versa. This contrast is especially important for individuals with impaired vision.
Keep Branding and Design Consistent
A wayfinding sign should be more than a sign; it should be an extension of your brand. Keep colors, fonts, and design elements consistent with your brand across all signs. It looks professional and tells your brand’s “story” well before your customer meets you.
However, while incorporating your brand’s logo and colors into the signage is important, aim to be subtle. Don’t overpower the main message or image, as doing so would render it useless. Cohesive design also puts a viewer at ease, like a familiar face in a new place.
Use Universal Symbols and Icons
Symbols and icons can transcend language. An arrow, silhouette, heart, or other symbol can communicate to more people than the clearest copy written in a single language. Make your signage more accessible to a diverse audience by incorporating common and universally recognized icons that are simple, easily recognizable, and that adhere to international standards.
Consider User Experience
Think from the user’s perspective when designing and placing wayfinding signage. Perform a walkthrough of the space and identify potential points where users may struggle to find their way. Simplify complex routes with clear, step-by-step directions, and, of course, use arrows and directional indicators to guide users quickly through the space, taking them where they want to go.
Interactive features such as QR codes enhance the user experience by providing additional information or digital maps accessible through smartphones. If your building is more complex than most, keep messaging on the sign short and sweet while providing more information through the code.
Strategic Placement
You’ve made the perfect sign, but it’ll be completely useless if you put it in a closet and lock the door. That’s an exaggeration, but keep it in mind. Make sure your signage is well-positioned and placed at the decision points where users are likely to need directions. Intersections, entrances, and exits are best.
Set them up at eye level if possible, ensuring they are visible and immediately catch passersby’s attention. Ponder viewing distance and angles as well. For larger spaces, inquire about installing overhead or wall-mounted signs that guests can see from a distance. Get in people’s faces—politely.
Regular Maintenance and Updates
Even for a short-term event such as a convention, trade show, or similar major gathering, you shouldn’t think of signage as a temporary and inconsequential thing. Wayfinding signage requires regular maintenance and updates, especially if it’s intended for long-term direction, is set up outdoors, and if the weather, sun, or other conditions might affect it. Over time, wear and tear, environmental factors, and changes in the layout or function of the space affect the condition and relevance of your signage.
Periodically review your signage, even over the course of a short-term event, performing audits to ensure signs remain in good condition, legible, and up-to-date with the current layout and functionalities. Ask people who make it to your space if they saw the sign. Adjust messaging and imagery according to their responses! Update your signage regularly to incorporate new design trends and to keep them modern and user-friendly.
Leverage Technology
Signs are old-school advertising and marketing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring modern trends and technology to these essential tools. Incorporating technology into wayfinding enhances its effectiveness. Print ads are great, but using digital signage allows you to provide real-time information and updates, maps, directions, schedules, and alerts.
Legal and Accessibility Considerations and Ramifications
When designing wayfinding signage, investigate legal requirements and accessibility standards for the community, region, or regulatory agencies. Comply with local regulations regarding sign sizes, placement, and content. Note that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides guidelines to make signage accessible to individuals with disabilities. Including tactile characters and braille while considering the appropriate contrast and finish of signs can help those with visual impairments. Meanwhile, QR codes can provide audio interpretations of the sign’s contents. Creating an inclusive environment goes a long way toward building your clientele and granting goodwill toward your brand.
Those are just nine tips for printing effective wayfinding signage. If you need further suggestions about how wide-format, plotter, and other types of printers can take your wayfinding signage to the next level, contact us today for a consultation. We offer assorted signage printers and the media and materials needed to make your wayfinding signs really pop!
