Signage vs. Wayfinding

Most everyone understands very quickly what “signage” is, even if they haven’t used the term themselves: signage comprises all the types of signs that appear within a given building or other discrete environment, such as a public park or an office complex. 

An identification sign is one type of signage that tells you the name of a place, space or room; an orientation sign – usually a panel or kiosk with a map on it – is another type that gives you “you are here” information; a regulatorysign that says “no smoking” or “wheelchair access”– is a third type. 

A “wayfinding” system, on the other hand, is more complex and may involve multiple media. A wayfinding system comprises communications that have been designed together to help people navigate a given environment. In addition to the forms, colors, messages, symbols and graphic design of signs, a wayfinding system may include other kinds of environmental graphics and tools: online maps, floor or wall treatments, printed directions, artwork and other visual cues, specific language that staff are trained to use to give directions verbally, or even a custom developed application for a smartphone.

All of the elements of a wayfinding system are designed to achieve communication objectives. These objectives may include increasing customer satisfaction, reducing the costs associated with visitors getting lost, expressing brand values, increasing the perceived value of a property, placemaking, or supporting other business or institutional goals.

The process of designing a wayfinding system begins with an important research and analysis phase during which the project team, including designers and client representatives, refines the project objectives and determines which media would be best suited for the physical environment and to serve the communication needs of specific user groups. 

At a hospital, for example, the major user groups are typically medical and administrative staff, patients, visitors, and service people. Each group has different communication needs, media preferences, and typical destinations. Research is used to uncover these; methods may be qualitative or quantitive, and include on-site observation of circulation patterns, interviews with stakeholders, and visitor or staff surveys.  

From research findings, wayfinding designers can determine which communication needs signage may cover which would require wayfinding support media. For an urban academic medical center that has multiple locations, for example, an online journey planning tool might be recommended to help first-time visitors locate the right building before they leave home.  Adding Spanish to signs or printed maps might be recommended for an institution with a significant Hispanic or Latino visitor population. A sign management database might be recommended to enable hospital facilities staff to easily and quickly update the sign system at an institution where the uses of rooms and spaces often change.   

Taking the time to clarify project objectives and study user needs up front will ensure that the resulting wayfinding system design, including signs, supports organizational goals and provides a better experience for all users.