10 Uses of Wayfinding Signs

Just about everyone has experienced wayfinding signs in one form or another. For most of us, wayfinding signs are part of everyday life that help direct us where to go and give us valuable information to enhance our lives. The four main types of wayfinding signs are for identification, directional, informational and regulatory. 

As a wayfinding signage supplier, we create signs that help point you in the right direction, let you know where you are, keep you safe and secure and give you an overview of larger facilities. Here are 10 uses of wayfinding signs in a variety of different settings.

1 – Letting You Know What Not to Do

In some cases, the public must be told what they can and cannot do in a particular situation. Signs such as “No Smoking” or “No Firearms” or “No Pets Allowed” get the message across clearly and concisely, so there is no room for confusion.

2 – Access Control

Signs such as “Employees Only” or “No Entry Beyond This Point” are beneficial because they let everyone know who is permitted in certain areas. Depending on the venue or event, this may have safety or legal ramifications.

3 – Plaques and Markers

If you are in an office building or a manufacturing plant, you may see wayfinding signs designed to identify the location of specific people. Door plaques like “Assistant Manager” or more wide-ranging departmental markers like “Accounting” are examples of this type of sign.

4 – Landmark Signs

If there is a location that has plaques to signify donors or markers that identify a historical event, these are known as landmark signs. Donor plaques are often found in places like hospitals or museums and historical markers can be found just about anywhere a significant event took place.

5 – Junction Signs

Directional signage in offices, malls or apartment buildings can help people save a ton of time and confusion. With these types of signs, continuity is the key factor because getting lost at any point in the journey defeats the whole purpose. As an example, there may be signs leading you to a certain section of a building or to a specific office like the manager.

6 – Colored Lines for Direction

Some buildings like to use colored lines on the floor that correspond to a specific department or area. As an example, the yellow line may lead to the sales department, while the blue line leads to the IT department. These are common in larger office buildings and in many factories and manufacturing plants.

7 – Directories

Directory signage is a valuable part of any office building or professional building. If a building has 10, 20 or even 30 floors and multiple offices on each floor, having all of the information handy in the lobby makes it easier for everyone to find where they need to go. Typical directory signage will provide company names and their corresponding floor, with some adding the names of specific people.

8 – Amenities and Accommodations

These are signs that let you know there is free WIFI in the building or give you information about elevators, waiting rooms, hours of operation and similar things. The idea is to provide the information before anyone needs to ask. Much of the time, these signs use symbols that are universally understood.

9 – Facilities

Showing everyone where the restrooms are is important in any public building. Ideally, the location of the facilities should be clearly marked and in some cases, directional signage leading to the facilities is also necessary. This will ensure everyone can find the facilities in a timely manner.

10 – Compliance Standards

In many areas, you need to have signs that are ADA compliant (The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990), which is one example of a wayfinding sign that adheres to compliance standards. Another may be letting people know that they are in a high voltage area. 

Quite often, different types of wayfinding signs are combined to accomplish a particular objective. A strong regulatory sign may keep people out of a restricted area as they are following other signs to get to the place they need to be. And then, once they arrive there will be a sign letting them know they are in the right spot. 

You can make a big difference with high-quality wayfinding signs in your facility. If you are looking for a wayfinding signs supplier that will help you accomplish all of your signage goals, get in touch with us at Campbell Signs today.