What’s a wayfinding strategy and how do we get one?

Wayfinding is the process of understanding one’s current location and navigating through a space to reach a destination. It plays a crucial role in helping people orient themselves and move confidently through complex environments. This is especially important in public areas like business districts, town centres, parks, museums, airports, hospitals, and transport hubs.

So, what is good wayfinding? In simple terms, it’s a strategy that makes navigation easy, intuitive, and stress-free. But creating such a system requires more than just putting up a few signs. In this blog post, we explore how to develop a strong and user-friendly wayfinding strategy for your public space.

Creating a good strategy

A successful strategy begins with a deep understanding of users, their behaviour, and their journey through the environment. Here are key steps to help you craft an effective wayfinding plan:

1. Conduct a site evaluation

Conducting a thorough site evaluation is essential to understanding current issues and opportunities. This initial assessment should identify foot traffic patterns, obstacles, site features, and signage inventory.

This information will highlight current problems to address and opportunities to improve your plan through the design of an intuitive navigation system.

2. Define the objectives

Define clear goals for the wayfinding strategy to achieve, including improved navigation, reduced congestion, and reinforced branding. This is important to measure the success of the strategy. Gathering input from stakeholders like contractors, architects, and government agencies is also crucial since they may have objectives that need to be incorporated into the plan. Their insights can help shape the goals to meet the needs of all involved parties.

3. Develop a toolkit

A comprehensive toolkit contains various signage types that effectively guide people through the space. The primary components are identification, directional, informational, and regulatory signs.

The style, format and visual characteristics of all signage – including font, colour, size and material – should be consistent to achieve cohesion. All elements of the toolkit should align with and reinforce the site’s branding for a unified visual identity. In addition, consider creating a hierarchy of wayfinding signage to organise signage into a clear structure, from general to specific. To ensure effective navigation, these products can be categorised into three key types:

• General-purpose signs: These include welcome signs or key decision points like perimeter monoliths or fingerposts, often placed at entrances or main junctions to help visitors orient themselves.
• Intermediate confirmations: Route markers used along pathways reassure people they are on the correct route. These can be placed at key intervals or after directional changes.
• Granular details: Directories, maps, and final destination signs (such as room or building signage) provide specific information. They are typically found near entrances, lobbies, or at the end of a journey within the space.

4. Plan the signage placement

Proper signage placement is essential to ensure the signs are visible and effective. They should be located at:

• Entry points and exits so visitors are immediately oriented upon entering the space.
• Junctions and intersections where people need directional guidance to choose their path.
• Decision-making points where people must choose between multiple options. These are often the most confusing locations.
• Locations that tend to confuse or where people frequently ask for directions. These problem areas should be prioritised.

5. Collaborate with stakeholders

Collaborating with all relevant stakeholders is essential to develop an effective and feasible navigational plan. Involving contractors, designers, local authorities, and other key parties ensures that your strategy is aligned with the constraints, overall project goals, and adheres to the standards.

Digital wayfinding in modern spaces

Incorporating digital elements into your signage strategy has become a hallmark of good wayfinding signage. Interactive kiosks, mobile apps with indoor maps, and real-time updates through QR codes or NFC-enabled panels can significantly enhance the user experience. This is particularly effective in complex spaces like airports or hospitals, where directions often change and real-time guidance is essential.

Accessibility and inclusivity in wayfinding

What is good wayfinding without inclusivity? An effective strategy should cater to everyone, including those with disabilities or impairments. Consider:

• Using high-contrast colour schemes for the visually impaired.
• Adding tactile and Braille signage for the blind.
• Incorporating audio cues or induction loops for the hearing impaired.
• Ensuring that signs are mounted at heights accessible to wheelchair users.

These practices ensure that your space is truly navigable for all.

Sustainability in Wayfinding Systems

Modern organisations are also integrating sustainability into wayfinding by using:

• Recycled or recyclable materials for signs.
• Low-energy lighting such as LEDs.
• Modular signage systems that can be easily updated without waste.

Examples of good wayfinding now often include not just clarity, but environmental responsibility too.

What are the four types of navigational signage?

There are four primary types of signage, and each of them serves a distinct purpose:

Identification

Identification helps users understand where they are. Examples include building names, room numbers, or internal landmarks. These help orient users and establish crucial reference points within a site.

Directional

Directional signage helps people move from one location to another. Common examples include arrows, turn signs, path markers, and exit signs. These are especially important at decision points like hallways or intersections.

Informational

Informational signs provide useful details such as opening hours, room purposes, or upcoming events. These help visitors understand how to interact with the space more effectively.

Regulatory

Regulatory signage communicates rules and policies to ensure safety and compliance. Examples include “No Smoking”, “Authorised Personnel Only”, and speed limits in car parks.

Final Thoughts

A good wayfinding strategy is key to ensuring that visitors and occupants can navigate a space confidently and efficiently. With a well-planned and well-executed navigational system, users will experience less stress and frustration which enhances their overall satisfaction and productivity.

So, what is good wayfinding? It’s more than just signage – it’s about creating an intuitive and inclusive environment that guides people effortlessly from point A to point B.

If you’re ready to improve the way people navigate your space, contact Hornbeck (formerly Made by Landmark) today. Our team of experts can assist in developing a customised, sustainable solution that aligns with your goals and enhances your site’s unique identity.