Where should internal signage start?
At the door, following the customer. In a shop or takeaway the route is short: in, look, queue, choose, pay, wait, leave. In an office it is reception, the lifts or stairs, meeting rooms and toilets. Every stop raises a question, and every question is a place for a sign.
Work out what someone needs to know at each point and say only that. A room that answers its own questions feels calm and well run. A room with signs on every surface feels the opposite, even when each sign is useful on its own.
How can a counter carry the brand?
Every customer faces the counter for a minute or more, which makes its front the most valuable panel in the building. A branded counter can be printed panels, cut lettering, etched or frosted glass, or an illuminated front.
Keep it simple. The logo and the colour scheme are usually enough; the counter is not the place for the whole menu. Choose materials that take daily cleaning, mop buckets and the odd knock, because a scuffed counter undoes the effect quickly. In a takeaway, think about what shows above the glass as well as what is on the front.
Counter BrandingWhat can wall graphics do?
Wall graphics turn a plain wall into part of the brand. Printed wallcoverings, cut vinyl, photographic murals and dimensional letters all work. One feature wall often does more than branding every surface, and it is far easier to change later.
Give each wall a purpose. The wall the queue faces can tell the story of the business or show off the product. A wall in the seating area can make the room photograph well, which matters when customers share pictures. In an office, a reception wall with the company name sets the tone before anyone speaks.
Vinyl GraphicsHow should directions work inside a building?
Directional and identification signs stop people asking staff the same question all day. In a takeaway that might only be "Order here", "Collect here" and the toilets. In an office it means reception, meeting room names, a floor directory and signs on every lift and stair landing.
Use the same names everywhere and make sure each sign contrasts with the wall behind it. Fire exit and other safety signs keep their standard format and stay separate from the decorative scheme. Our guide to wayfinding signage covers planning and accessibility in more depth.
Internal SignageWhat is window manifestation, and do you need it?
Manifestation is the marking on glass doors, glazed screens and full-height windows that stops people walking into them. In workplaces, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require transparent or translucent doors, gates and walls to be marked, or otherwise made apparent, where that is needed for safety. For new building work, Approved Document K gives guidance on where manifestation goes and how visible it should be.
It does not have to be a plain row of dots. Frosted vinyl bands, a repeated logo or a cut pattern can do the job and carry the brand at the same time. What matters is that it is clearly visible from both sides at the heights people look, which a fine logo in a pale colour may not be.
Vinyl GraphicsShould opening hours be on display?
For most businesses an opening hours sign is not a legal requirement, but it is one of the most useful signs you can have. It answers the question people ask when you are closed, which is exactly when there is nobody to ask. Cut vinyl on the door glass is the usual answer: neat, durable and easy to update.
There is one rule worth knowing. Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, a large shop in England or Wales trading on a Sunday under the standard six-hour rule must display a notice of its Sunday opening hours in a conspicuous position inside and outside the shop. Whatever the size of the business, keep the hours on the door in step with your website and Google listing.
Vinyl GraphicsWhat other signs do businesses need inside?
A few small signs come up in almost every fit-out. No-smoking signs must be displayed in enclosed workplaces. Food businesses in England can choose to display their food hygiene rating, while in Wales and Northern Ireland display is a legal requirement. Toilet signs, staff-only doors and "please wait to be seated" all earn their place too.
Give them the same care as the big pieces. Matching materials and type make a room feel finished rather than added to. BD Signs designs, manufactures and fits internal signage from its own factory in Nottingham, and you can see finishes, menu systems and illuminated signs in the showroom before you decide.
Sources
- Allergen guidance for food businesses (Food Standards Agency)
- The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 14
- Protection from falling, collision and impact: Approved Document K (GOV.UK)
- Sunday Trading Act 1994, schedule 1
- Smoking at work: the law (GOV.UK)
- Food Hygiene Rating Scheme: guidance for businesses (Food Standards Agency)
General information, not legal advice. Laws and standards change, so check the sources above for the current position.