Wayfinding Design

An important element of any wayfinding solution

Good design is a fundamentally important part of any wayfinding solution, but not because signs must be aesthetically pleasing to be effective.

In fact, the simpler the format, the better a sign can be at fulfilling its practical objectives.

"We require from buildings, as from men, two kinds of goodness: first, the doing their practical duty well: then that they be graceful and pleasing in doing it; which last is itself another form of duty."

The Importance of Good Design

Good design is important because it delivers a powerful and important brand message, which can greatly influence the user’s perception of an organisation or its environment from a qualitative perspective.  For a university it can influence the user’s expectation of the facilities or calibre of teaching and for a hospital it can reflect cleanliness and the quality of care.

Ultimately, value and service are just as important to the users overall experience as getting to the right location on time. This is why good design is so important to our approach.

The difference is, we believe design should only be regarded as good if it creates the right brand message while achieving all its wayfinding objectives; and to do this it has to be used in exactly the right way.

As wayfinders, we know when design is applied incorrectly, signs can cause more navigation problems than they solve.  Design can affect visibility and understanding, as well as causing confusion. Poorly applied design elements can serve to hide important information and even increase anxiety.

Often a designer will build up their understanding of a site in isolation, becoming familiar with it in the same way as any other user. The mistake is in believing we all see things in the same way and and as such, the designer may go on to structure the solution to reflect their own understanding.

Timing Is Everything

To deliver the best possible solution without compromising aesthetics or effectiveness, it is important to separate strategy from design by first resolving the practical wayfinding needs. Only then do we introduce our highly experienced design team to breathe life into the solution.

The process we follow does not restrict the use of design.  Crucially, it aids creativity by providing the most comprehensive brief possible. This in turn helps our design team to understand exactly what is needed to project the brand message in the most effective way.

By providing the freedom to develop exciting and memorable solutions that support understanding we deliver a positive experience that lasts long in the memory.

Our Simple Philosophy:

Design is there to maximise the experience not be the experience.
It must deliver its message without taking over and when help is needed
it must deliver.

Like what you see?

We provide strategies which communicate clear and consistent messages, to meet the specific needs of all users.

07780 683 200
info@wayfinderassociates.co.uk