A wayfinding system links different people together, even if they do not share a common language or destination, by guiding all of them through the same spaces with a single system of communication. The unifying language of a wayfinding system creates a public narrative of how people witness, read, and experience a space. Each sign in a system, each separate voice, serves a particular function and displays a specific kind of content called a message, which might include nonverbal graphic symbols, images, or words.

– David Gibson, The Wayfinding Handbook

Most wayfinding systems can be broken down into several categories of signs: identification, directional, orientation, and regulatory.

EXTERIOR

Identification – the building blocks of wayfinding

• Site monument identification
• Site entry identification
• Building mounted identification
• Entrance identification
• Parking area identification
• Accessible parking identification

Directional – the circulatory system of wayfinding

• Off-site trailblazers
• On-site vehicular directional signs
• Pedestrian directional signs

Regulatory – describes the do’s and don’ts of a place

• Parking regulations
• Entrance information

INTERIOR

Identification

• Store identification
• Area/level identification
• Public amenity identification
• Service and maintenance identification
• Office identification
• Elevator and stair identification

Directional

• Directional signs

Orientation – provides an overview of surroundings

• Building directory
• Elevator/floor directory

Regulatory

• Fire egress maps
• Life safety signs

The sign narrative is the voice of the building and its owner, revealing the pathways and destinations of the building or space, the rules that govern how to use it, and essential information about activities happening within. It is the job of the wayfinding designer to weave these voices together into a single eloquent statement as people navigate the space.

Wayfinding systems serve living environments where functions for areas change, spaces are renovated, and new facilities are constructed. Wayfinding systems must be flexible and adapt to the evolution of a place.

Information from this series of post this week has come from The Wayfinding Handbook by David Gibson. A concise and engaging work, it is an excellent resource for leaders wanting to apply the art and science of wayfinding to their organization. The extensive illustrations, using real-life examples, provide a visual analysis of the fundamentals that lead to great wayfinding design.

You may not think of yourself as a designer; you would be wrong.

Wayfinding design is an intuitive process we use all the time, one that helps us navigate the places and spaces we encounter every day. Leaders may not design a wayfinding system, but it is a process that they need to have a firm grasp on.

part of the 2013 GsD (Doctor of Guestology) journey