Designing Wayfinding Signage for Business Buildings

We find wayfinding signage in all kinds of places or areas, each one adapted to the culture of which it is part

There are multiple factors that converge so that the information given to the visitors of a given space is clear, harmonious, and coherent

Wayfinding Signage is the direct and appropriate way to direct visitors who enter a commercial building, or any other place with large and crowded spaces, improving their experience in the place, and it is unthinkable to orient themselves in a place that is not located properly directed or signaled, since the human brain is not programmed to feel comfortable if it feels that in the environment in which it is found it is disoriented and misplaced.

Based on the foregoing, it could be said that the primary goal of wayfinding is to design an information system that facilitates the movement and orientation of people in a given environment, said signage must be adjusted to the needs, requirements and regulatory statutes of the places or spaces, its purpose then is to communicate information about the space in a visual way, so that users can easily orient themselves and thus navigate through the space, not only as if they knew it, but also generating a feeling of well-being.

Designing the Signage of a Building

Designing the signage of a building or commercial area brings with it a number of circumstances that must be taken into account, since there are multiple factors that converge so that the information provided to visitors is clear, harmonious and coherent, among those aspects are:

Knowing the graphic line of the space that is being marked
Being clear about the spaces that need to be marked

But to carry out this analysis adequately, it is necessary to carry out an exhaustive examination of the architecture, interior design, and environmental communication space. The center of this study is to locate the crossing points where the user must make a decision and reinforce them with messages and signs to guide them.

Take care of and strengthen the graphic line of the space or area to be marked: the analysis of the spaces must be considered primarily, this is to keep in mind and make the signaling the continuity of the design of the elements, since, they must be always complemented, to create visual harmony.

Points such as: the choice of materials, the choice of color and graphics must be part of a set that keeps the proportions in every sense of the physical space, where well-being and harmony are visually denoted.

In order to complement the above denoted below, we will list the key points that must be kept in mind to ensure that the signage truly fulfills its objective, which does not go beyond informing those who require it where they are and where they are going:

Mark only and exclusively what is relevant and necessary, this means that, during the journey, excessive information must be screened and eliminated.
Examine the strategic points, by this we mean that the elements and signs are clearly visible to all visitors and passers-by of the place
Integrate the elements properly in the space, clearly adapting to the needs of all users
Offer understandable, clear, and consistent information so that anyone who sees it can interpret it in seconds
Carefully and constantly take care of the graphic line of the design, carefully studying the use of color, typography, pictograms, and different planes.
Follow legal guidelines to comply with the provisions required by law
Refer to the culture of the space that is being signaled, and it is that we find wayfinding in all kinds of places or areas, each one adapted to the culture of the same and the messages that users need to navigate through the scenario in which they find each other
It is clear then that the primary purpose of wayfinding is to deliver the most complex vision of orientation within a given place, with the aim of locating people in a specific space or area, so it is necessary to keep in mind in everything at all times, all signage design must be in accordance with the space that surrounds it at all times.

Wayfinding Goals

Let’s see then what are the goals that a wayfinding project must meet, since what is sought is to locate and contextualize the people who are part of a specific scenario, generating communication aspects between the space and its visitors:

Transmit security and facilitate the use of space
Contextualize visitors in a specific space and answer all questions, anticipating any doubts that users may have.
Facilitate access, services, and spaces
Improve the user experience