10 Common Signage Design Mistakes Made in Wayfinding

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There are a number of common signage design mistakes that are made when designing spaces, signage and the system for navigation and wayfinding and in this post I look at some of these mistakes and the solutions!

1. Signs Places after Decisions Points

Bad signage because of the decision point placement.

Decision points are very important and as you can see from this diagram (above), the signage is out of the line of sight, for the person walking and this is really no good.

The signage needs to be in the correct position and in the diagram below, you can see that as they&#;re walking toward the sign, they have time to make the correct decision.

And this is really the way signage needs to be. You need to have the signage at the right decision points.

2. Not Making Use of Space in Wayfinding Design

The use of space is very important as well in wayfinding. Sometimes you just do not need to use signage.

Sometimes you do BUT the use of space is very, very important and sometimes the main walkways and the main directions can be naturally obvious, from the use of space.

This is a great picture (above) because you can see from the aerial view, how they&#;ve used space to guide people and how the paths naturally guide people.

3. Clutter, clustering, and Signage

So when we talk about clustering, this (below) is a great example from a bus coach station in Plymouth, England. You can see that there are so many different types of signage.

The welcome signage, the parking signage, it&#;s just cluttered and there just shouldn&#;t be that much information in one area.

4. Making Basic Signage Design Mistakes

Designing arrows on signage for a good user experience UX

And in the picture above, this is a typical piece of signage that you might see in any airport in the world.

And I don&#;t know if you can see the mistakes but &#; there are two mistakes that I&#;m going to point out right now!

One of them is arrows pointing INTO the text!

This is not a good idea because it makes it harder for people to digest the information subconsciously.

The arrows should always be pointing away from the text. So if you look at the &#;Departures&#; or the &#;Information point&#; text above, the arrow should be on the right side of those two terms.

Another problem here is that the terms on the sign are wrongly grouped together.

&#;Toilets&#; and &#;Baby Changing&#; for example, refer to the same type of facility, so they should be consecutively listed. So even with this kind of signage, there&#;s an easy chance that you can make a mistake.

So care should really be made to this type of signage.

5. Not Maintaining the Signage

Another classic problem and cause of signage design mistakes that I&#;m going to show you now (see below) are badly maintained signs.

Beach sign in Brighton, England

I think from the pictures you can see above, it&#;s quite obvious that with a little care and a little attention, the wayfinding system could be a huge amount clearer, and with proportionately little effort and cost.

These three signs are quite amusing in a way, but they need to be maintained!

6. Not Making Use of Human Resources

One of the most valuable resources when you&#;re planning a wayfinding system, is the staff and the people who work in the location, that you are designing for.

If you talk to staff they will very often get asked the same questions day in, day out, about &#;where can I find this&#;, &#;where can I find that&#;.

And so by asking your staff you can really, really zone in on the problems of the system and very often people forget to do this.

So make use of the human resources. Make use of your staff and make sure you evaluate the problems that already exist in the system.

7. Not Having a Planned System Hierarchy

Another common problem is not having a system hierarchy planned and in existence.

So if you can plan what are the most important signs, signs of intermediate importance, and lower importance, then you can begin to really understand how to sign an environment such as an airport.

So you do not need to, for example, promote where the shops and restaurants are at every point in the airport.

zigo contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.

You can wait until they&#;re through security and you may not even need to sign the shops and restaurants because they will automatically visually see those things.

So for departure gates or for security, they would have higher importance, so you need to be able to guide people through those key areas.

So you really need to start planning, what are the most important, the intermediate, and the lower importance signage items.

8. Not Considering All User Types

When it comes to thinking about all user types, then we need to think about disabled people, people traveling with children, the elderly.

There are so many different user types that we need to consider and the idea of special assistance &#; it can cater to a really wide variety of user types &#; and we need to realize, for example, that somebody in a wheelchair &#; may enter the main terminal and they may not be looking to check-in first of all.

What they may be looking for first is the special assistance desk. So even when you&#;re signing the main terminal, you need the special assistance to be visible or at least easy to find. NOT everyone will be going and taking the same routes.

So we need to think very carefully about all these different user types.

You should actually have a checklist for disabled travelers, for people traveling with children &#; have different checklists so that when you audit the airport or whatever type of travel space you are dealing with, you actually do an audit for every different one of these user types so that you can make sure you have a really efficient system in place.

9. Mixing Different Signage Types

Another problem that people can make is mixing different types of signage.

It&#;s very common in Italy where you often see road signage (for giving directions), that is mixed up with restaurant information and hotel information.

So it can be really confusing when you&#;ve got ten or twenty pieces of signage all plastered together and it&#;s thus almost impossible to read as you&#;re driving by.

This isn&#;t such a problem in airports and in other locations, but just watch out for mixing different types of signage because it is best avoided.

10. Using the Wrong Solutions

And finally, the 10th issue that I am going to raise today is using the wrong solutions at the wrong time, in wayfinding.

In this example above, using lighting can be a really great idea but at the times it is mostly going to be busy, in this theatre example on the steps, it&#;s going to be full of people.

So the likelihood that people will be able to read this text is quite low, thus this is maybe not the right solution.

Perhaps it does help some people, but the most important thing is to just consider the different options and different tools that you can use for wayfinding.

Special assistance seating

In this final example above, it&#;s going to be difficult to read the signage if someone is sitting on that far-right seat.

So something needs to be done, whether it&#;s the position of the sign that needs to be changed or whether another solution is actually needed. Just make sure to pay attention to these things.

Do think carefully if you need electronic signage for example. Sometimes you don&#;t because a simple piece of signage can be more than suitable. So just think about the different solutions.

Video Dialogue: Hello &#; I&#;m Paul from Travelwayfinding.com and I&#;m going to talk about ten of the most common mistakes that people make when designing a wayfinding system. So let&#;s get into it:

Thank you for reading the post above. I hope that some of the tips were useful. I know they&#;re quite basic but in future posts and videos, I&#;m going to go into more detail and more technical ideas and points.

But that&#;s not a bad start I hope. I hope you subscribe to the Wayfinding Youtube Channel!

Hospital wayfinding signage should be highly visible, easy to read, simple to follow, accessible to everyone, and localized for people speaking various languages.

In the dynamic and often stressful environment of hospitals, wayfinding signage plays a crucial role in guiding patients, visitors, and staff through complex corridors with ease. For hospital facility managers, safety compliance officers, physical plant managers, and designers, understanding the nuances of effective wayfinding signage is key to enhancing navigation, ensuring safety, and improving overall satisfaction. Here are the top five questions about wayfinding signage for hospitals, answered comprehensively to assist in planning, implementing, or updating your signage system.

1. What makes effective wayfinding signage in hospitals?

Effective wayfinding signage in hospitals is clear, comprehensive, and consistent. It should cater to diverse users, including those with limited mobility or visual impairments. Key elements include:

• Visibility: Signs should be placed at eye level and in well-lit areas.
• Readability: Use large, legible fonts and high-contrast colors.
• Simplicity: Information should be straightforward, avoiding medical jargon.
• Accessibility: Include Braille and tactile elements for visually impaired visitors.
• Localization: Consider multilingual signs in areas with a diverse population.

2. How can hospitals ensure their wayfinding signage is ADA-compliant?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets forth guidelines to ensure signage is accessible to everyone. Hospitals can ensure ADA compliance by:

• Following the ADA Standards for Accessible Design for sign size, height, and placement.
• Incorporating Braille and tactile characters for identification signs.
• Ensuring that wayfinding paths are accessible to wheelchairs and other mobility aids.

For detailed guidelines, refer to the United States Access Board website or the ADA&#;s official site.

3. What are the best practices for updating existing wayfinding signage?

Updating wayfinding signage is essential for maintaining an efficient navigation system, especially in hospitals that undergo expansions or renovations. Best practices include:

• Conducting regular audits to identify confusing pathways or outdated signs.
• Involving a diverse group of users, including patients and healthcare workers, in the planning process.
• Integrating digital signage for dynamic updates and alerts.
• Ensuring all changes remain consistent with the existing signage system to maintain continuity.

4. How can digital wayfinding enhance hospital navigation?

Digital wayfinding can complement traditional signage by offering real-time updates, interactive maps, and personalized directions. Benefits include:

• The ability to update information quickly in response to changes within the hospital.
• Enhanced accessibility options, such as audio directions for the visually impaired.
• Reduction in printed materials, supporting environmental sustainability efforts.

Implementing digital wayfinding requires careful planning to ensure it is accessible, user-friendly, and integrated seamlessly with physical signage.

5. What role does color coding play in hospital wayfinding signage?

Color coding is a powerful tool in wayfinding signage, offering intuitive cues that help distinguish different areas and services within a hospital. When implementing color coding:

• Choose contrasting colors for clarity and visibility.
• Assign specific colors to critical areas, such as emergency departments or maternity wards.
• Use color consistently across all signage to avoid confusion.
• Consider color perception variations and color blindness when selecting your palette.

Effective wayfinding signage in hospitals is critical to facilitating navigation, enhancing safety, and ensuring a positive experience for all users. By addressing these top questions, facility managers, safety compliance officers, and designers can make informed decisions that meet the needs of their diverse user base. Remember, wayfinding signage is not just about guiding individuals through physical space; it&#;s about creating an environment that is welcoming, accessible, and easy to navigate.

As healthcare facilities continue to evolve, staying informed about the latest trends, technologies, and regulatory requirements in wayfinding signage will be key to maintaining a high standard of care and accessibility.

Additional Resources

For more information on ADA compliance and wayfinding signage guidelines, please visit:

These resources provide comprehensive guidelines and best practices to help ensure your hospital&#;s wayfinding signage system is effective, compliant, and conducive to a positive user experience.

Are you interested in learning more about Hospital Wayfinding Signage? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!