Do you want your wayfinding signs to be extremely accurate? Here are a few design mistakes to avoid.
Your workplace might be visited by hundreds of people on a daily basis. A fair percentage of them would be your regular clients, while some of them might be visiting you for the first time. If it is their first time in your workplace, the chances are that they will lose their way and get confused while navigating independently, which will waste their time as well as yours. This is where wayfinding signs come in. These signs help people find their way and not wander off. However, some common design errors can completely defeat the purpose of these signs. We’ve rounded up the top four mistakes that you must avoid.
So, let’s begin.
Information Clutter
Sometimes, we come across wayfinding signs which are cluttered with all sorts of unnecessary information and vibrant color schemes. Although attractive, these signs fail to serve their purpose and the intended message gets overshadowed. The purpose of a wayfinding sign is to engage your visitors and show them the way. However, signs with a clutter of information disengage your customers and may confuse or distract them. A wayfinding sign should be simple and straightforward, and it must not overwhelm the visitor with unnecessary details.
Insufficient Contrast
One of the most important things in a wayfinding sign is the color contrast. Getting the right color contrast is more challenging than you think. Black text on a white background and vice versa are standard. However, if the sign is a bit more colorful, you should make sure the text color stands out from the color of the background. The color contrast in your wayfinding signs should be such that the signs can be read from a distance. Never make the mistake of choosing similar color tones for the background as well as the text.
Minute Font
Another mistake with wayfinding signs is that people keep the text too small. Sometimes, your workspace or the corridors are crowded with people, and getting near to the wayfinding sign can be almost impossible. Therefore, the font size should be such that it can be readable from afar. If it’s not, the sign will be futile or may misguide the visitor, which can be even more problematic.
Confusing Font Style
Let’s suppose the font size and the color contrast are on point, yet the sign is unreadable. Chances are that you have gone for a confusing font style. Sometimes, to make our signs appear a lot fancier, we choose italic font styles which are hard to read. Always choose simple and readable font styles, which have sufficient space between characters.
These were some of the most common design mistakes in wayfinding signs that you should avoid.
