What is wayfinding signage?
Wayfinding signage is the set of signs that lets people find their way through a building or site without having to ask. It answers three questions, in order: where am I, where do I need to go, and how do I get there?
It differs from a single directional sign because it works as a system. Each sign hands the visitor on to the next, using the same names, colours and symbols throughout. When it works, nobody notices it. When it does not, staff spend the day giving directions and visitors arrive late, lost or annoyed.
What are the main types of wayfinding sign?
Most schemes are built from four kinds of sign.
Directional signs point the way, usually with an arrow and a short list of destinations, at entrances, junctions, lift lobbies and stairs. Identification signs confirm arrival: a room name, a department, a toilet, a reception desk. Information signs give the bigger picture, such as a site map, a floor directory or opening times. Regulatory signs tell people what they must or must not do. That includes fire exit and escape route signs, which follow their own safety sign rules rather than the house style.
How do you plan a wayfinding scheme?
Start with a floor plan and the destinations people actually look for. Walk each route from every entrance and mark the decision points — anywhere a visitor has to choose a direction. Each decision point gets a sign. Long stretches without one get a reassurance sign, so people know they are still on track.
Fix the words next. If the room is called Reception on the first sign, it is Reception on every sign, on the map and on the website. Keep destination lists short, put the nearest first and group them by floor or zone. Then test it: give the plan to someone who has never been in the building and watch where they hesitate.
What does BS 8300 say about wayfinding signs?
BS 8300, the British Standard for the design of an accessible and inclusive built environment, is the usual reference. Part 2 covers buildings and includes guidance on signage: clear and consistent wording, plain typefaces, character sizes that suit the viewing distance, finishes that do not glare, and signs mounted where people can see them, including from a wheelchair.
It is a code of practice rather than law, but architects, building control and access consultants use it as the benchmark. Approved Document M, which covers access to and use of buildings under the Building Regulations in England, also includes guidance on making entrances and facilities easy to identify, and signage plays a part in that.
What does the Equality Act 2010 mean for signage?
Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses providing services to the public have a duty to make reasonable adjustments so disabled people are not put at a substantial disadvantage. The duty covers physical features and the way information is given, and for services it is anticipatory: you are expected to think ahead, not wait for a complaint.
Signage is one of the most common places this shows up. A sign that cannot be read by someone with low vision, or a toilet that cannot be found by someone who does not read text easily, is a barrier. What is reasonable depends on the size of the business, the cost and the difference it makes, so take advice on anything beyond straightforward improvements.
Why do contrast and finish matter?
Contrast is the biggest single factor in whether a sign can be read by someone with low vision. That means contrast between the lettering and the sign face, and between the sign and the wall it is fixed to. A grey sign on a grey wall disappears, however good the lettering.
BS 8300 uses light reflectance value, or LRV, to measure the contrast between surfaces. Finish matters as well. Gloss faces and glass can bounce lights and windows straight into the reader's eyes, so matt or satin faces usually read better. Illuminated signs need the same thought, because too much brightness causes glare.
When are tactile signs and braille needed?
Tactile signs carry raised lettering and symbols, and sometimes braille, so they can be read by touch. They make most sense on signs people can reach and are likely to feel for: room and door identification signs, toilet signs, lift and stair signs, and anywhere a visually impaired visitor would naturally stop.
Position is what makes them work. A tactile sign only helps if it sits in a predictable place at a height a hand will find, which is why BS 8300 includes guidance on mounting. Not every sign in a scheme needs to be tactile — an overhead directional sign cannot be touched anyway. An access audit is the sensible way to decide.
Who designs and makes wayfinding signage?
Wayfinding is usually planned by the building owner, an architect, an interior designer or an access consultant, then made and fitted by a sign maker. BD Signs designs, manufactures and fits internal signage, including directional and identification signs, from its own factory in Nottingham, and installs UK-wide. We can work to an existing scheme drawing or help put the signage together for a single shop, an office or a site over several floors.
If you are starting from scratch, bring a floor plan and a list of the places visitors look for. That is enough to begin a sensible conversation about how many signs are needed, where they go and exactly what each one says.
Sources
- BS 8300-2:2018 Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment. Buildings (BSI)
- Equality Act 2010, section 20: duty to make adjustments
- Access to and use of buildings: Approved Document M (GOV.UK)
- Safety signs and signals: guidance on the Regulations, L64 (HSE)
- BS 5499-4:2013 Safety signs. Code of practice for escape route signing (BSI)
General information, not legal advice. Laws and standards change, so check the sources above for the current position.