Start thinking differently about facility signage. Think of it as an extension of your marketing, taking into consideration the customer or visitor experience and making a positive impression.
Facility signage can play a greater role than you might expect.
Signs are more than simple displays of information. With a little creativity, signage can convey the personality and the core values of an organisation. It can provide visitors with a positive experience; a pleasant and possibly more exciting experience. Yes, that’s right, signage can help bring an emotional connection to the facility. Multi-tasking at its best!
When designing facility signage, the first port of call is identifying functional needs such as legal compliance, providing wayfinding information, decreasing congestion, and maintaining good pedestrian flow – often these are initially determined by architects and facilities managers.
Sign consultants can also review site plans and identify signage opportunities to consider – especially when a building needs to change rapidly such as during a change of premises. Sign experts can give you signage ideas and options– traditional and digital, on walls, windows, doors, and floors. They might also suggest banners and flags or incorporating display solutions with landscaping.
Here are some ideas on how you can turn the visitor journey through your facility into a customer experience:
- Consistent visual images inspire trust. The design and the colours of your signs should reinforce or complement the design and colours of the building.
- Maintenance and upkeep are imperative. If signage is worn or damaged, it won’t command attention.
- Pay attention to pain points. If lift areas are identical on every floor, people get confused. Get creative with landmarks and visual clues.
- Colour schemes that define different areas such as floors and departments can also help with orientation. Coordinate signage colours with flooring, seating and lighting.
- The brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text, so consider incorporating icons and images that complement your brand into signage design.
- Consider common visitor trails and provide thematically composed maps that allowed visitors to navigate the space depending on their needs.
- Watch your words. If you convey rules with a never-ending series of “No” signs (no diving, no photographs, no food and drink etc.) it can create a negative experience. Injecting some humour, illustrations or simple manners into your signs, you can pass on the information more positively.
Are you providing your visitors with a positive experience? Think about how you can incorporate your marketing messaging and core values into the visual communications throughout your facility.
