Are your customers getting lost and leaving due to impatience and frustration? Are they complaining of being confused by your marked entrances and exits? Our wayfinding and vehicular directional signage can provide clear visual cues for your customers so they know just where to go to get the service or product they are seeking.
What is Wayfinding signage and how can it benefit your business?
Wayfinding is a term used to describe the movement, behavior and the decision-making process that people use as they navigate through a space. It allows visitors to move to and from various points with little assistance and without lengthy explanations or complicated maps. The goal is to allow someone who has never entered your facility to be able to navigate to any department, work cell, machine or process without asking a single question.
A common symptom of badly designed wayfinding is the Norman Door.
Have you ever walked into a door that looked like it was supposed to pull open, but instead you had to push? That’s a Norman Door. It’s named after a former Apple VP of advanced technology, Don Norman, who coined the phrase after he kept seeing people running into closed doors. Norman Doors are everywhere, and they’re 100% preventable with proper signage. Wayfinding should be intuitive, and your signage should enhance and support that intuitive flow.
Generally speaking, there are four different types of wayfinding signs: identification, directional, regulatory, and informational. Knowing the differences between each type can help you identify the wayfinding needs of your facility.
Identification
These signs indicate your arrival at a particular destination. i.e. a monument at the entrance to a shopping mall, the name of a hotel conference room on the outside of the door, or the baggage claim of an airport. Whatever the sign, it should be clear and simple to understand what is located directly at that spot.
Directional
This is where navigation comes in to play. Clear directional signs are the key to ensuring safety, as well as proper traffic flow, in a busy manufacturing facility or making sure retail customers find the stores their seeking without getting frustrated. These signs should be placed at any junction or location where a person might look to find instructions on how to get to their intended destination. Whether it be on foot or in a vehicle, the concept is the same.
Informational
These signs contain the necessary information about your company that you want to convey to your customers. i.e. store hours, sales, safety advisories, etc. Depending on your type of business, informational signs can also convey fun facts and historical interests. Their function is to convey to your clients, or guests, all the information needed to make the most of their time there.
Regulatory
These are a vital component in any wayfinding system. Regulatory signs let people know where they can park, designate restricted areas, convey safety rules for vehicle traffic in a warehouse, etc. They should be clearly visible to indicate the rules and regulations within your facility to ensure the safety and well-being of all.
Direct Traffic to You
Clear direction means increased profits. If you can get customers and clients where they want to be quickly, they will be less likely to leave, and they will spend most of their time in the places where they will spend more money. Wayfinding signage also vastly increase productivity in your workplace, which adds to your bottom line.
Raider Signage has everything you need for a great wayfinding signage system – from design to completion. Contact us today to see how we can help!