Learn everything you need to know about wayfinding signs for your business or organization’s building. Find out how signs are used all over the place to help with conveying identifications, directions, regulatory information, and other types of information. And, discover how this type of signage is integral to your everyday life in almost every environment.
The purpose of wayfinding signage is to convey helpful and vital information to users of an area. For example, how do you know which restroom is for men and which is for women? Signage is the most effective way to help people navigate the space around them in a systematic and organized fashion.
To this end, there are 4 categories of wayfinding: identification, regulatory, informational, and directional wayfinding. These categories encompass all the signage that conveys critical information – from highway exit signs to the plaque on an office door. The effective utilization of a space is only possible with the purposeful implementation of wayfinding signage.
Signs that identify the designation of a destination are known as identification signs. When you are in the supermarket and need to find the produce section, identification signage is displayed at each aisle. Or, the door plaque designating the office for the Director of Marketing and Sales or the CEO is an identification sign.
Identifying signage indicates specific designations, such as the title of a position or name. Or, they can identify a broader subject, such as a specific department of a business. And, identification signage includes landmark indications, such as historical landmark plaques.
A directional wayfinding sign assists you in navigation. You encounter and utilize directional signage whenever you drive on the highway or navigate your way through a hotel or shopping mall. Whereas identification signs tell you where you are, directional signage tells you how to get where you want to go.
Directional signage is designed to help people in transit, so the key to effective utilization is clarity and consistency. For example, directional arrows can help pedestrian traffic through busy airports and convention centers by providing clear and consistent floor signs that indicate the direction of foot travel. Another common area to use directional signage is at junction points where travelers need to decide as to which direction will lead to their destination. For example, a school might have a sign on the wall that says, “Go Left to Cafeteria” and “Go Right to the Library.”
Informational signage is vital for giving you broad information about the area in which you are navigating. For example, information wayfinding signage might be a large sign in the lobby of an office building that informs you as to the businesses on each floor. Once you get to the floor, directional signage helps you find your way to the right offices.
Another common form of informational signage is a building’s operational hours or general symbols that indicate universal information. Some examples of this are signage that indicates free Wifi connection, exit signs, and business address plaques. Other information, such as “no shirt, no shoes, no service,” is considered regulatory signage.
Regulatory signage is designed for liability’s sake, as well as ensuring safe navigation. These wayfinding signs help to mitigate accidents and dangerous situations that may arise. Some examples of regulatory signage are speed limit signs along the road, and signs delineating areas of hazard, such as “Danger! High Voltage!” Or, it might be as simple as, “No Dogs Allowed.”
The best way to make use of wayfinding signs is to use all four types in strategic combinations. Directional signs can reinforce the designation of restricted areas that are identified by regulatory signs. And, likewise, identification signs should be visually reinforced by references in directional and informational signage. Talk to a US Signcrafters associate for a free consultation on the best practice for combining wayfinding signage in your facility.
]]>Learn everything there is to know about projecting signage, and how your business can use it to increase visibility. Find out how you can customize your sign to best fit your brand image. And, see how easy and quick a professional installation takes place for this type of business sign.
Projecting signs are great for increasing your business’s visibility to people on the street, as well as traffic driving by. For densely packed cities, projecting signs are a great way to increase your profile and optical status amongst the visible competition around your location. It is an ideal type of signage for retail, restaurants, and other types of destination venues in heavily-trafficked areas.
A projecting sign sticks out beyond the fascia of your building, running vertically along the wall of the structure. Each side of the sign provides promotional space for your business to utilize. They are also called flag-mounted signs, protruding signs, or blade signs.
Protruding signs are unique to business signage because they are almost always vertically oriented. That means the lettering reads from top to bottom in a vertical row. Vertically oriented lettering can require alterations of your business logo to accommodate, so trust a professional sign design team to offer different options for adapting your business logo to your projecting sign.
Illumination is a way to enhance the visibility and aesthetic quality of your business’s sign. Protruding signs accommodate a variety of lighting methods, the most common of which being lit lettering or backlit lettering. Backlit lettering illuminates a raised letter from behind, whereas lit lettering features lighting within an opaque letter.
When you walk down a city sidewalk, it is always easier to see projecting signs, because they are looking at you, rather than you having to turn your head to look for the sign. If your business is contending with heavy foot traffic and optical competition, protruding signs are an effective solution. And, they add an upscale aesthetic to your facade, increasing your brand recognition.
Likewise, the visible advantage to a protruding sign is even more obvious when looking across the street. From a distance, protruding signs stand out from over a block away, whereas flat signs require a customer to be standing almost directly in front of your establishment before making an optical recognition of the sign. And, double-sided means that they are perfect for people and traffic going in any direction.
When it comes to the design and installation of a protruding sign, it is important to have experienced hands guiding the process. Protruding signs are uniquely beneficial for providing visibility at a distance. That means the proportions and elevation of the sign should correspond to the distance at which you want patrons to see your signage.
The size, color, and attributes of design elements go through stages of planning before committing the design to material. In keeping with the integrity to which the signs are designed, professional installation must follow suit to enable the most advantages for enhancing visibility. When it comes to installing a protruding sign, it can involve blocking off streets and other construction requirements that need to be approved. So, make sure to consult a professional sign design and installation team to make sure you have all the proper permits and approvals in order.
Once installed, protruding signage works to add polish and an optical quality enhancement to your business – even at a distance. Ready to start a custom sign for your business? Talk to a sign design associate for a free consultation to begin your custom projecting sign design process.
]]>Learn everything you need to know about floor signage in 2020. Find out about the many ways in which you can utilize floor stickers and signs as an advertising medium, safety asset, and logistics tool in your business. And, discover value in your real estate that you never knew existed, right beneath your feet.
Floor signs make use of previously unused display areas – the floor or ground. They utilize the fact that, as of 2019, nearly 60% of smartphone users are looking down at their screens while walking. And, when walking without a smartphone in-hand, people’s gaze tends in a downward direction – a natural way of keeping the sun out of your eyes or shielding from the wind and rain.
The reasons to place a decal or sign on the floor can vary. Usually, businesses find the most use in placing signs on the floor that help inform or organize individuals. You can also place floor sign advertising in highly trafficked areas.
A floor sign is usually made out of vinyl and is printed with an adhesive graphic. The vinyl floor sign material is very thin, measuring 3.4 millimeters. Floor decals are semi-permanent, meaning that it can last up to 5-years in a single location, and at the same time, is easy to install and remove.
These signs are made to be walked on, so there’s no need to divert foot traffic. The sign is thinner than a standard doormat, so individuals barely feel anything under their feet as they walk over it. And, a floor sign can be installed on any solid surface, such as hardwood, concrete, laminate, tile, and more.
One of the most important uses of floor signage is for safety purposes. As mentioned before, most people are walking around with their smartphone, without looking at where they are going. Cities across the country have begun placing signs on the ground in front of crosswalks to keep pedestrians safe from oncoming traffic.
Industrial settings and manufacturing facilities are popular locations to make use of floor decals for safety and organization. Signage on the ground helps direct forklifts, workers, and materials – keeping the factory traffic moving swiftly and safely. They are also great for placing on the ground in front of heavy machinery to warn people of hazardous zones.
Another place where floor signs are helpful is in public parks, zoos, shopping malls, and retail department stores. Remember, your customers are looking down more than anywhere else, which is why the ground is a great place to put important information, such as aisle numbers, a “you are here” map, directions, or promotional QR codes.
Beyond information, you can choose to display full advertisements on your floor, making use of the most visible and underutilized place your customers are looking. The options for advertising on the floor are endless, and you can get as creative as you want with the display. You can even choose lit-up floor signs, featuring custom glowing graphics for use at night.
A new and critical use for floor signage is due to the CDC health guidelines for businesses during COVID-19. Floor decals are great for marking out the 6-foot distance between shoppers waiting in line to enter the store or pay for their goods. Instead of taping a piece of paper to the floor, the benefit of a professionally made floor sign is the quality of design and durability of the decal.
Unlike more permanent signage, floor decals are perfect for temporary promotions, experimenting with marketing strategies, and providing additional dimensionality to your space. They provide a means by which to help keep your employees and customers safe and informed while on the premises, and creates a stand-out visual experience for displaying advertisements. Talk to a sign design specialist to get a quote on floor signs for your business, today.
]]>