Wayfinding signage has become our most requested service in the new year. But why? Our recent clients built new facilities or were in need to refresh their current spaces to accommodate the growth and change of their brands. Hence, the high request for custom wayfinding signage— the perfect design element to direct or instruct guests through new environments.

However, most people are surprised to know that the term 'wayfinding' goes beyond traditional signs that directly provide information or point to your destination. 

Customers value companies and organizations who incorporate comfortable, safe, and compassionate design elements throughout their facilities with their branding graphics and excellent customer service. Here’s an example of how we helped Loews Hotel uphold those expectations.

Wayfinding is everywhere in the built environment to help the observer decipher the space for comfort and safety. Although signage is a vital part of the wayfinding system to ensure companies meet those human needs, its foundation centers around the architectural design and its surrounding environment. 

As developers and architectural design teams create and design buildings or spaces, they ensure their layouts answer questions such as "Will there be a common entrance?", "How easy is it for the public to commute to the area, especially if someone has a disability?"  or "Should there be specific parking areas for visitors, employees, and administration leaders"? 

The answers to these questions drive further wayfinding decisions such as lighting, memorable landmarks, and the inclusion of a certain quantity and type of signage.

The interior of the new Nashville-K9 facility in Franklin, TN is a great example of how architectural design can create the perfect wayfinding system without a lot of directional signage. Take a look at their experiential graphics design in our two-part article series about them. 

If a building is well-designed to facilitate wayfinding, it is less likely the space would need an excessive amount of signage to establish comfort and a positive customer experience. However, that doesn't mean signage isn't a vital part of the wayfinding system. 

For complex environments like airports or hospitals, signage is essential to direct people towards a destination, inform them where that destination is, identify a specific area, or display rules & regulations.

Wayfinding signage doesn’t have to be located solely inside your facility. Exterior signage is just as effective, especially for large events like this one for Owen Graduate School at Vanderbilt University.

There are four classifications of wayfinding signage: 

1. Identification- labeling a specific area or checkpoint
2. Direction- guidance with arrows, symbols, or colors to a destination
3. Information- informing where something is with branded text
4. Regulatory- display of rules and regulations

These four classifications often overlap each other depending on the experiential design concept, which is the best part about the wayfinding system. 

There is no one way to design wayfinding for effective messaging throughout your facility. When we sit down with our clients to discuss their signage ideas, we always ensure them that they can be as creative as they would like. The goal of a wayfinding system should not only be to aid customers and employees around your work environment but to express your brand identity through shapes, colors, and out this world designs!

Many local churches have contacted us to fabricate and install wayfinding signage throughout their place of worship. Here are some examples of custom wayfinding solutions we always suggest our church inquires to view during the design process for ideas. 

Now that you are all caught up about what wayfinding is and how it can benefit your branding experience, are you ready to add it to your office space or newly developed environment? If so, LET'S GET STARTED!

Contact us today at 615-595-6564 or click the link below.

If you would like a preview of our wayfinding and experiential branding fabrication and installation processes, check out these examples below.

1. Branding & Directional Signage for Renovated WellSpring Christian Church
2. Historic Battle of Franklin Trust Updates Custom Wayfinding Signs
3. Harpeth Christian Church’s New Wall Graphics Add to Their Story
4. Arrington Vineyards’ Column Wraps Greet Visitors at the Nashville Airport

We’re a sign company and custom design + build shop located in Franklin, TN, but we also serve all of Middle Tennessee, northern Alabama, and southern Kentucky. We specialize in vehicle wraps, environmental branding, lobby and logo signs, wall murals, window graphics, architectural displays, event signage, trade show displays, and other custom projects.